Dip your toes into the wonderful world of crocheting with mohair yarn when you try the Skyward Kerchief!
Like most crocheters, I’ve had a healthy fear of crocheting with mohair since the day I picked up a hook. Fuzzy and fine, mohair yarn developed a bad rep over the last decade but has seen a huge resurgence thanks to some notable designers. I faced my fears when I paired mohair with merino wool and the result was pure perfection – The Skyward Kerchief.
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Find a printer-friendly, PDF version of the Skyward Kerchief in my Ravelry Shop and on TLYarnCrafts.com. The PDF version includes full-color, 4-page pattern with row-by-row instructions and helpful adjustments to personalize your scarf.
This pattern was designed in collaboration with WeCrochet.com, sister site to KnitPicks.com. Explore other TLYC x WeCrochet projects here and shop the full selection of yarn, tools, and gifts from WeCrochet.com.
Picking the Right Yarn
I’ve had “working with mohair yarn” on my crafty bucket list for a long time. But I’ve just been so nervous to try it and had no idea what to do with it! The original concept for the Skyward Kerchief was a simple merino wool triangle scarf, but I thought the addition of mohair would really make it special.
The simple yet bold nature of the pattern lets the color and texture of the mohair yarn stand out. I paired Hawthorne Fingering Multi yarn from WeCrochet.com with Aloft Super Kid Mohair. The variegation in the Hawthorne yarn keeps things interesting while the neutral tone of Aloft gives the Skyward Kerchief a soft halo.
Fingering weight yarn substitutions:
- BQueen Collection wool/nylon blend
- Capretta merino/cashmere/nylon blend
- Palette 100% Peruvian highland wool
See more TLYCBlog posts and patterns featuring WeCrochet here!
Pro Tips for Crocheting with Mohair
Mohair is an animal fiber made from angora goats – some of the softest goats ever! Though gorgeous, crocheting with mohair can be a bit of a pain. Here are a few tips to make mohair a dream to work with:
- If crocheting with mohair alone, use a slightly larger hook than recommended for the yarn. This will make for an airier fabric, helping you see and crochet into your stitches much easier.
- You can typically find mohair yarns in a lace weight. Try holding it double with a fingering or sport weight yarn for your projects. That way, you can focus on crocheting with the heavier yarn and let the mohair just come along for the ride.
- Practice your pattern with a more manageable yarn BEFORE you introduce mohair. There’s nothing worse than frogging mohair, so learn the pattern as best as you can, then start over with the mohair yarn to prevent mistakes.
- If you have to frog mohair on its own, you can basically forget about it – it’s nearly impossible and likely not worth the time you’ll waste on it. Frogging mohair held double with a heavier yarn can be tricky, but it isn’t impossible. If you come to a snag, try pulling the strand of mohair SEPARATE from the other strand of yarn to undo the stitches. It takes some time, but it can be done!
One-Skein Wonder
Let’s face it – we all have at least one skein of pretty fingering weight yarn that we got on an impulse buy. It’s just hanging in your stash with nothing to do. The Skyward Kerchief is the perfect project for those single skeins you want to use up.
The original Skyward Kerchief used just over 430 yards of fingering weight yarn. That ended up being 2 skeins of Hawthorne Fingering Multi, but some fingering weight skeins can have 460+ yards in them. The PDF pattern includes details on how to adjust the pattern to use only one skein of fingering weight yarn, making this the ultimate stash buster and perfect for handmade gifts! Get the Skyward Kerchief PDF pattern here.
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Are you ready to start crocheting the Skyward Kerchief? This beginner-level crochet scarf is made holding a strand of mohair with a strand of merino wool throughout. The project starts with a small number of stitches, then increases to the center and decreases down to the other end. The finished shawl is wide yet shallow, keeping your neck warm without too much bulk. Click here to get the Skyward Kerchief pattern now.
Very pretty !