DROPS Kid-Silk

DROPS Kid-Silk is a lace-weight super kid mohair and silk yarn, very light with a pronounced halo. It is designed for drapey garments (shawls, fine jumpers, cardigans, tops) and soft accessories that need to feel warm without being heavy.

If you’re looking for ideas about what to knit with DROPS Kid-Silk, it’s a great choice for lace shawls, voluminous cowls, airy mid-season garments and for adding a luxurious finish to any project by holding it together with another base yarn (merino, alpaca, fine cotton, etc.).

The manufacturer’s reference for lace-weight, group A DROPS Kid-Silk is a tension of 23 stitches x 30 rows over 10 x 10 cm on 3.5 mm needles, although you can adjust your needle size depending on the type of garment and the effect you want (more open and airy or more compact).

For lace projects or light shawls, many knitters use slightly larger needles to open up the stitches. For full garments, you can stick to the official tension or use it as a companion yarn, letting the base yarn determine the final tension.

As a guide, with 25 g / 210 m balls of DROPS Kid-Silk you can knit a medium-sized lace shawl with around 2–3 balls, depending on the design and the finished size you want. For large shawls with lots of drape, it is common to use 3–4 balls.

For a fine jumper or cardigan in adult sizes (worked with a single strand), you usually need roughly 5 to 8 balls, depending on size, garment length and design. If you use DROPS Kid-Silk to knit together with other yarns held double, the total amount of mohair–silk may vary slightly depending on the tension you knit at.

Yes, one of the key advantages is using DROPS Kid-Silk to knit together with other yarns: by adding a strand of this mohair–silk over a smooth base yarn (merino wool, alpaca, cotton, etc.), you get a plumper fabric with a soft halo and a more luxurious look, without adding too much thickness to the project.

This combination is very popular in basic jumpers, simple cardigans and rectangular shawls, as it allows you to play with colour changes, highlight textures and give a warmer finish to yarns that on their own would be flatter or less cosy.

The manufacturer recommends handwashing DROPS Kid-Silk in cold or lukewarm water (max. 30 °C) with a mild wool detergent, without rubbing or wringing, and laying the garment flat to dry to maintain its shape and the mohair halo. It is not suitable for tumble drying or for washing on aggressive programmes.

Good care is key to preserving the fluffy surface and the sheen of the silk. It’s best to wash it sparingly, air the garment between wears and store it folded, never hanging, to prevent the weight and gravity from distorting the stitches.

The blend of super kid mohair and silk makes DROPS Kid-Silk for sensitive skin softer than many standard mohairs, but tolerance varies from person to person: some very reactive skins may feel itching with any hairy fibre, no matter how fine it is.

As DROPS Kid-Silk Oeko-Tex Standard 100 yarn, it has been tested for harmful substances, which is a plus for garments worn in direct contact with the skin. Even so, for babies or very delicate skin it’s usually best to knit a small test swatch first before committing to a full garment.

Some mohair blends on the market mix the fibre with acrylic or polyester, whereas DROPS Kid-Silk super kid mohair and mulberry silk uses pure silk as the accompanying fibre. This gives the strand more strength, a more elegant sheen and a generally softer, longer-lasting handle.

If you’re looking for a mohair for special projects, this 75% mohair / 25% silk composition, together with its Oeko-Tex certification and EU production, makes buying DROPS Kid-Silk online a very competitive option compared with other synthetic mohairs or lower-quality blends.