Hi friends, I'm not sure what lunchtime conversation is like where you work, but around here there's no telling where our minds will wander as we sit down and chat over our sandwiches. Earlier this week we ended up trying to puzzle out just where mohair comes from. (Hence the question: "What's a 'mo,' anyway?") Of course, mohair is not the hair of a "mo" ( thank goodness!). In fact, mohair comes from the long, wavy hair of Angora goats. Mohair is a natural animal fibre known for its silky hand and its lustre. It's durable and versatile, takes to dye well, and is known to be a good fibre for blending. (Learn more about spinning mohair.) If you're looking for a natural fibre that's ultra-soft, fuzzy, and not at all heavy, mohair's a good bet. Imagine a pretty bed jacket or a delicate shawl in mohair. So nice! On the other hand, angora wool comes from the long, soft hair of Angora rabbits. It's so delicate that the hair can be harvested just by gentle brushing or stroking – the fibres release easily, so there's no shearing required and it doesn't hurt the rabbit. [caption id="attachment_970" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="No, really: it's a rabbit."] [/caption] Angora wool is a natural animal fibre that has the added benefit of being easier on skin than sheep's wool – ideal for people who are easily irritated by wool. It's super-soft and luxurious, takes dye well, and is often spun as a fibre blend. (Learn more about spinning angora.) This is the wool that goes into the iconic angora sweater. It's easy to see why they'd be confused – the similar names and the trademark hazy softness mean they're very similar – but something tells me that knitting with them might be tellingly different (I'll have to budget some of my yarn allowance for experimenting). Have you tried them? What did you think?