Natural, authentic,
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The long curls (locks) that form the fleece of these goats grow 2.5 cm (1 in.) per month. This is the reason why Angora goats are shorn twice a year. The fleeces weigh between 1 kg and 3.5 kg (2 lbs to 6lbs ) per shearing (depending on the age of the goat) and are carefully sorted and classified into different categories.
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Kid mohair ( baby goat): The fleeces of the babies are the finest (between 23 and 28 microns), softest, lightest, brightest of all. It is the most prized and expensive category because of its rareness: these are the fleeces of the first two shearings (6 months and 1 year old). This soft, light and fine mohair is perfect for any garments worn directly on the skin.
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Yearling (teenager): These are beautiful, abundant fleeces with long and regular locks. This mohair is very similar to the kid mohair while being a little bit coarser (between 26 and 30 microns). In general, this category includes fleeces from the 3rd and 4th shearings, but depending on the quality of the mohair, older animals can produce some yearling. It is an excellent choice for luxurious and durable clothing such as shawls, throws, cardigans or even woven suits.
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Young adult: Beautiful, abundant fleeces. They are similar to the yearlings' ones but loosing some finess (between 30 and 34 microns). These are generally the fleeces of animals aged 3 to 5 years. This mohair is ideal for durable and wear-resistant clothing such as socks, mittens, hats, blankets and outdoor jackets.
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The main Mohair producing countries are: South Africa (more than 50% of world production), the United States (mainly in Texas), Turkey. The city of Port Elisabeth (South Africa) is called the world capital of mohair because of the large volume of raw mohair transiting through its port and its worldwide auctions.
In the early 1990s, world production of mohair was estimated at 25,000 tonnes (55 millions pounds). Twenty years later, the volume produced on the globe is 5 times less. The main importing-processing countries of raw mohair are Italy, China, the United Kingdom ... For the first time in 2018, global production of cashmere (12 million pounds - 5,500 tonnes) exceeded production of kid mohair (1 million pounds - 455 tonnes). |