Mohair Socks

Mohair socks, made in England are quite possibly the best socks in the world, but why?

Mohair is the name of the hair or wool that is carefully shorn from the Angora goat usually twice a year. Mohair has unique qualities that make it particularly good for use in sock knitting.

• 100% renewable. Recyclable, compostable
• Fine and soft – no itchiness
• Hardwearing but softer than lambswool
• Breathable and feels dry on the foot - non-sweaty
• Naturally anti-bacterial, so is famously pong-free for weeks!

The Wool Company socks are knitted, hand-dyed, and hand-finished in England - not mass-produced - and have flat-linked toes for extra comfort. Our socks are made on circular knitting machines, some of which are over 100 years old, that run slowly enough to be able to work with this wonderful but tricky fibre. 

So why is mohair better than sheep's wool for socks?

• Mohair is stronger, so a finer fibre than sheep's wool can be used, meaning it is softer but is still more hardwearing, much more so than lambswool.
• Both have antibacterial properties, but sheep's wool has microscopic scales along the shaft, under which certain bacteria can breed, whereas mohair is smooth making it much more hostile to tiny bugs.
• Being a smooth fibre, mohair also has a wonderful lustrous sheen and takes dye beautifully but this also makes it slippery and difficult to knit with - another reason why high-quality mohair socks cannot be mass-produced.

Our love affair with Angoras and mohair began when we were looking for an appropriate animal to help us bring Higher Hill Farm back into good heart. After much research and some interesting moments with ostriches alpacas, bison, and others, we decided that Angora goats were the best fit for us, our family, and the farm. From there we designed and developed our first range of kid mohair socks for children and adults and we have never looked back. You can find out more about our story here.