The Merino Silk Yak Story

One of our very favourite yarns (and one of our most popular sellers) is our Merino Silk Yak yarns. We regularly stock two different weights, DK (8 ply) and Fingering weight (4 ply) and occasionally a Merino Yak Nylon sock yarn.

The yarn base is a natural medium grey colour which is from the Yak wool. It is soft and luscious to work with and to wear. Yak fibre is a very short staple, in fact it is often referred to as Yak Down and is comparable to Cashmere. The Yak in the yarn we buy comes from Tibet and Mongolia where the Yak are free to roam their natural pasture lands which is untouched and rich in natural substances. This Yak produces a much higher quality than those in China, Nepal and other parts of the world.

This yarn base is a luxurious for a special project. Silky soft with a beautiful light drape that is perfect for shawls, cowls and garments that you would like to wear next to your skin.

The yak fibre in this yarn is natural grey in colour which gives the dyed effect a lovely grey undertone or a moody look and yak is also a very warm fibre. The silk gives a slight sheen and beautiful drape and the Merino is from non mulesed flocks of small farms in Argentina and Uruguay which is then often collected together and processed on a larger scale. The mill producing this fibre are very conscious of supporting these farmers and their families, even providing a small school in the highlands (Mirasol School) to ensure the local children get a good education.

Even though the Merino in this yarn is a superwash Merino, due to the yak content, although only 20% of the fibre, it is considered a non superwash yarn and therefore should only be gently hand washed. The yak fibre is so short which can cause felting and also some piling on heavy wear areas. Piling is always a side effect of a soft yarn. The softer the yarn the more it will pill however despite being beautiful and soft this yarn only pills very lightly and after time it will stop.