Vandalism and Mohair

Is it just my perception, or are boys more prone to vandalism than girls? My (two-year-old) son draws on walls with crayons; flushes things down the toilet; throws forks (he no longer gets metal utensils), food, and other things; bites and pulls hair (his sister only pulled hair). And why does he run after his sister with a giant straw screaming "Poooooke!" ? My sister's sons have scratched strangers' cars with rocks and cut pack-and-plays open with scissors (not sure where they found the scissors).

Needless to say, I hide my knitting in a box with a lock and key. Wouldn't want that to get flushed down the toilet! :-)

So here we go:

Mohair (Angora Goat):

Mohair is very durable, but it can be a little scratchy on the skin. This yarn has a wiry quality, and the long fibers make it look fuzzy. It is incredibly light and slightly transparent when knitted; this effect can be enhanced by knitting with larger needles. Unlike angora (rabbit), mohair looks great when knitted with larger needles. The hairs are very long and the yarn is very durable. Mohair is great for throws and blankets because it is so snuggly warm and because blankets don’t lie directly on the skin. Mohair is really hard to unravel (it sticks together), so don’t use it as your very first yarn. If it is pulled too often, the fibers start to fall out and the yarn loses some of its lusciousness.

Kid Mohair (Baby Angora Goat):

This yarn has the same qualities as mohair, but it feels much softer. It is more expensive but has a very long running length (the length of the thread in a ball of yarn), so you might need to buy fewer balls for a sweater than with other yarn, especially if you knit with larger needles. Kid mohair is great for baby blankets, sweaters, and scarves. It can be used to line hats (very warm ones) or sweaters. I would not recommend it for socks because it doesn’t breathe well in enclosed spaces—shoes or boots, that is. But as outerwear it breathes well, and is great for fall or spring months. Kid mohair, like mohair, is really hard to unravel (it sticks together), so don’t use it as your very first yarn.

I usually only use Kid Mohair, because I find regular Mohair a little too scratchy. My favorite company for Kid Mohair is:


This is one of their pictures.
Isn't it beautiful?