Fabric · 2 October 2026 · 4-minute read
Mohair, merino, alpaca: what the difference is
On a label all three read as “wool”, but one is light, one is fine and one is warm. Here is where each sits in this season’s knitwear.
The ÜLGÜ workshop
Merino: worn next to the skin
The wool of the merino sheep is about half as thick as ordinary wool, so it does not prickle. Our roll-necks and the men’s crew-necks are knitted in 100% merino. Being fine, it goes under a blazer and takes little room when folded.
Its weak point is rubbing: small pills can form under a bag strap. A knitwear comb clears them in a minute.
Mohair: airy and light
Mohair comes not from a sheep but from the Angora goat. The fibre is long and glossy, and it keeps warmth in even when knitted open. Our mohair jumper weighs 240 grams; a chunky wool jumper in the same size weighs 620.
The 33% polyamide in the blend is the core that holds the long fibres together: without it a mohair yarn falls apart. A little shedding in the first weeks is normal.
Alpaca: the warmth of a thick jumper
An alpaca fibre is hollow, so it keeps more warmth in than wool of the same weight. Our chunky jumpers have 30% alpaca; in a coat it gives the cloth a soft nap. Pure alpaca is heavy and stretches, which is why we blend it with wool.
Which to choose
For the office and under a blazer: merino. For something warm that takes no room under a coat: mohair. On a windy day in place of a coat: the wool and alpaca blend. All three are washed by hand in water no warmer than 30° and dried flat.
