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The Magic of Mohair 
What is Mohair, and where does it come from?
Mohair is the long, lustrous and strong hair which comes from the Angora
goat. The original wild Angora goats are believed to have originated in
the Himalayan mountains of Tibet and then to have migrated to the Angora
region of Turkey (the area close to modern Ankara). The word 'mohair' is
derived from the old Arabic word mukhaya meaning 'cloth of bright goats'
hair'. About 150 years ago a small shipment of these fine creatures were
sent to South Africa to be used as initial breeding stock. These goats
were the origin of what became (and still is) the largest single area of
mohair production in the World, which is centred within a 300km radius
of Port Elizabeth.
Socks from the Mohair Sock Company:
All our socks are made from the finest
quality mohair fibre which has been especially selected, graded and combed
in South Africa and then spun in to yarn, knitted and dyed in Great Britain,
thus assuring you of a consistantly high quality product.
Mohair is a truly amazing fibre, it's natural characteristics make it perfect
for making wonderful socks. Below are some of the magical properties of mohair
which make mohair socks difficult to beat for sheer comfort, warmth, durability
and ease of maintenance and which all combined make mohair socks.
Mohair has a number of very special and unique properties:
They are the most comfortable socks you will ever wear. Mohair is non-irritating even to people with sensitive skin. It is very soft and slippery to touch and has a luxurious feel to it.
They keep you warm in winter, cool in summer. This is because Mohair is a hollow fibre and does not conduct heat, and therefore has very good insulating properties. In winter heat is not drawn out of your feet, and in summer heat is not drawn into your feet!
Mohair is known as 'the diamond fibre' because it has the ability to completely absorb dye without losing its lustrous shining surface. Brilliant colours will resist fading with time or hard wear.
Mohair has fantastic 'wicking' properties. Mohair socks
therefore have the ability to absorb and release moisture easily, moving
perspiration rapidly away from the feet and skin and making them comfortable
to wear in all types of weather.
Socks made from mohair are very durable. Mohair fibres can be twisted and bent without sustaining damage, and they will not easily crush. When combined with nylon, they make a very hardwearing sock.
Elasticity is another benefit of Mohair. Mohair socks can be stretched by up to 30% and will spring back into shape. They will also retain their original shape through many washes and throughout their lifetime.
Mohair itself is an incredibly strong fibre - amazingly,
it is stronger than steel of the same diameter.
Mohair is naturally antibacterial. This has obvious large benefits when used in socks! The Mohair fibres (unlike wool which is crimped and scaley) are long and smooth and do not allow bacteria (which cause foot odour) to stick to them. Therefore, it is possible if so desired, to wear the same pair of socks for many days without them becoming unsavoury.
Mohair socks are very easy to machine wash. Put the machine on a setting of 40°C and the socks will wash perfectly. The straight smooth fibre blended with nylon means that the socks will not felt and shrink.
