Yak Wool Yarn

Yak Wool – Essentials in Brief

Once underestimated, yak wool has gained significant popularity in recent years. That’s because yarn made from yak fiber offers unique properties that no other fiber can match. In this article, you’ll learn more about what makes yak wool so special, what you can knit with it, and how to care for it.

Amazing Properties of Yak Wool

Mongolian yak wool is completely odorless. This is due to its high hygroscopicity — it absorbs a large amount of moisture while remaining dry on the outside. Under a microscope, yak wool shows a porous structure that prevents the growth of odor-causing bacteria.

Despite being warm, yak wool is breathable. This ensures that yak garments dry quickly, resist environmental stress, don’t wrinkle easily, and retain body heat effectively.

The structure of yak wool is similar to human hair, which means it doesn’t irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions. In fact, yak wool contains lanolin, a natural compound known for soothing joints — making yak garments beneficial for those with joint pain.

How Yak Wool Yarn Is Made

To understand how yak wool yarn is produced, it helps to picture the animal itself. Yaks are large, shaggy bovines that have lived in the high-altitude regions of Tibet for over 10,000 years, enduring both harsh winters and hot summers. They sleep directly on icy plateaus, protected by their dense undercoat.

It’s this incredibly fine and soft undercoat that is used to produce yak yarn. The fiber is carefully combed out, sorted, and graded to separate the finest fibers from the coarser ones. The most prized is the undercoat of young yaks — known as baby yak — which is luxuriously soft and naturally warm.

Advantages of Yak Down:

• Softness

• Thermoregulation

• Moisture absorption

• Silky texture

• Hypoallergenic

• Lightweight

• Long-lasting wear

Yak yarn is impressively durable — garments made from it can last for many years. It also comes in beautiful natural shades ranging from gray and brown to black, and occasionally white. Due to its structure, yak wool does not take dye well, so you won't find it in bright colors. Additionally, it doesn’t accumulate static electricity and resists wrinkling.

What to Knit with Yak Wool?

Knitting with yak wool is a pleasure. After wet-heat treatment, the yarn becomes even softer and fluffier. Yak wool is used for everything: sweaters, baby clothes, shawls, throws, socks, stockings, hats, and mittens.

Mongolian yak wool is recognized worldwide and highly valued — finished pieces made from it are often considered luxury items.

Should You Buy Yak Wool?

Still thinking about it? Don’t hesitate — yak wool yarn is absolutely worth trying. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how well your time and money were invested. And there’s a good reason to act now: production of yak yarn is decreasing each year, while prices continue to rise. Soon, yak wool may cost as much as premium-grade cashmere.

At our online store sakwoyag.com.ua, you can buy yak yarn at the best price, thanks to our direct imports from top producers. According to knitters’ reviews, yak wool always finds a place in creative projects. That’s why we recommend getting it now — yak yarn is already in the TOP 10 most expensive fibers in the world!