The washing, or scouring, process of the mohair is straight forward yet seemingly very complicated. The machine doing the washing looks like a bunch of spider or crab legs combing the mohair through the water before it gets blown dry. The reason for the washing is to remove all excess dirt and oils.
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The founding of the mohair industry in South Africa came by a stroke of good fortune. A farmer ordered Angora goats from Turkey in 1838 to try and establish a mohair farm. The Sultan of Turkey wasn't willing create competition for their own mohair industry and sent 12 infertile rams and one ewe to the farmer. Unknown to the Sultan the ewe was pregnant and gave birth to a kid ram. This established the Angora breeding stock in South Africa. The animals ultimately found their way into the Karoo region of the Eastern Cape where the mohair industry thrives today.
After seeing the silk process in Groskop and making purchases I'm sorry I missed this mohair operation. Again, next visit. You're probably getting tired of hearing that. But I'm going to return in 2014.
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