I have been spinning locks into handspun yarn for the last several years almost exclusively.  I usually have to drag myself away from them to spin smooth combed top or spirals at all. I am completely besotted with spinning locks. I recently realised that in the 16 years of spinning yarn that I have done (as well as several years of owning angora goats) that I had never lockspun mohair… until this last month. 

I have to say there was a learning curve to spinning mohair. Every time I sit down to spin mohair locks it does get easier. Now after spinning the mohair locks for a while, I find it is just plain fun.  I have parts or full fleeces from 10 different angora goats washed and ready to spin currently….minus this one that I am featuring in this blog post. I have spun all that I had of this fleece.

Every goat is different.  I have 2 fleeces from the same goat.  There are also differences between those specific 2 fleeces as well.  Each angora goat has a different lock structure, style and softness. Every clip is different as the goat ages, changes, with feed and varied health.

It has been a real learning expierence that has been a joy. You never really know a fleece or a breed of fiber until you work with full raw fleeces.

Here is the 1.5 pds yearling mohair that I spun, plyed, washed and dried.  310 yds of delicious yum.  I can’t stop looking at it.  Every time I pass it, I squish it and pet it…..and sigh…..

I get asked repeately if I corespin my yarn or just spin from the locks? I just lock spin.  I have never corespun…not ever. My yarns are plyed with a mill spun kid mohair boucle for some added fun. It does keep the finished yarn all mohair.  It was a finer boucle so I could spiral ply it. All my favorite styles of handspun yarn are wrapped up in one textured yarn.  Locks, texture, spiral plying, 2 ply balanced yarn.

I do not spin singles except to ply them. I prefer a minimum 2 ply yarn as I like balanced yarns. I never trust singles and personally think of them as an unfinished yarn. I need my handspun yarns to be stable as I use them in many different applications. I crochet, weave and occassionally felt with my handspun yarn.

I am continuing to spin more mohair locks from even more angora goats as I contemplate if I want to get angora goats again for a fiber animal on the ranch. Follow my journey here and on Instagram as @alba.ranch