Gift guides
Luxury Yarn Gifts: Cashmere, Mohair-Silk and Hand-Dyed
Experienced knitters have the needles, the bags and the gadgets. What most of them don't have is yarn they'd feel guilty buying for themselves. Here's where a luxury budget goes furthest, fiber by fiber, and how much to buy so the gift becomes something finished.
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Cashmere: the classic splurge
Cashmere is the fiber knitters dream about and rarely buy, because a sweater's worth costs as much as a weekend away. The trick is to give enough for one piece worn against the skin. Rowan Pure Cashmere ($79.80 for 149 yd at Rowan) is 100% cashmere in a DK weight with an elegant drape; two balls make a close-fitting cowl, and that's the gift.
If pure cashmere is beyond the budget, a blend gives much of the softness for a fraction of the price, and a fingering-weight skein goes a long way.
$37Dream in Color · Fingering · 400 yds / 118 gSmooshy CashmereMerino, 20% cashmere and nylon in a 400 yd skein: enough for a shawl or socks.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$43Madelinetosh · Fingering · 371 yds / 113 gPashminaMerino, silk and cashmere in Madelinetosh's saturated hand-dyed colors, with a soft shine.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Cashmere and cashmere blends
Rowan
Pure Cashmere
DK · 149 yds / 50 g
+4
Dream in Color
Smooshy Cashmere
Fingering · 400 yds / 118 g
+4
Madelinetosh
Pashmina
Fingering · 371 yds / 113 g
+4
Knit Picks
Capra DK
DK · 123 yds / 50 g
Rowan
Cotton Cashmere
DK · 136 yds / 50 g
+4Browse every cashmere yarn in the shop.
Mohair-silk: a halo for anything
Mohair-silk laceweight is the most versatile luxury gift. Held alone, it knits into an airy, see-through wrap; held alongside a plain DK, it adds a soft halo to a whole sweater. Because a little goes a long way, it's also one of the most affordable luxuries: Rowan Kidsilk Haze runs 229 yd per 25 g ball for $21.
Other good choices depend on whether they'll hold the mohair with another yarn or knit it alone. Our guide to mohair yarn explains how to knit it.
$16Sandnes Garn · Lace · 231 yds / 25 gTynn Silk MohairThe Norwegian mohair-silk behind many popular sweater patterns, light as air.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$15.50Malabrigo · Lace · 229 yds / 25 gMohairKid mohair and silk dyed in the same palette as Malabrigo Rios, so the two pair easily.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$13.99Knit Picks · Lace · 260 yds / 25 gAloft Super Kid MohairSuper kid mohair and silk at a price that makes holding it double easy.Shop at Knit Picks 
$38Cowgirl Blues · Worsted · 220 yds / 100 gFluffy MohairOne strand instead of two: a lofty, hand-dyed worsted-weight mohair from South Africa.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Silk and alpaca: drape and glow
Silk gives a shawl knitter a sheen no wool can match, and alpaca gives warmth without weight. Choose by what they love to make.
$16.99Knit Picks · Lace · 439 yds / 50 gLuminance Lace439 yd of 100% mulberry silk with a natural sheen; one skein makes a lace shawl.Shop at Knit Picks 
$27.49Lana Grossa · Bulky · 109 yds / 50 gRoyal AlpacaSpun from royal alpaca, the finest grade, in a bulky weight that drapes rather than stands stiff.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Silk and alpaca
+4
+4
+4
+2
+4Hand-dyed: one-of-a-kind color
Hand-dyed yarn varies from skein to skein, which is the appeal: the gift is a color nobody else has.
$32Madelinetosh · Fingering · 421 yds / 107 gTosh Merino Light421 yd of superwash merino, enough for socks or a shawl from one hank.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$16.75Koigu · Fingering · 175 yds / 50 gKPPPMMerino hand-painted in Koigu's famous speckled colorways. Small skeins, big impact.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$28.50Urth Yarns · Fingering · 435 yds / 100 gUneek FingeringA long merino gradient that shifts color across a shawl without a single join.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$22.50Malabrigo · Fingering · 420 yds / 100 gMechitaFingering-weight superwash merino in Malabrigo's painterly colors, for socks that people notice.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Hand-dyed yarn is easiest to gift as a single skein for a single-skein project: socks, a shawlette, a cowl. Variegated colorways look best in plain stockinette and garter, where the colors can pool and shift without fighting a stitch pattern. For what separates a well-dyed skein from a disappointing one, see how to judge hand-dyed yarn.
How much luxury yarn to give
| Gift | Yarn | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| Cowl | Rowan Pure Cashmere (149 yd) | 2 balls |
| Socks | Tosh Merino Light (421 yd) | 1 skein |
| Lace shawl | Knit Picks Luminance (439 yd) | 1 skein |
| Mohair halo for a sweater | Kidsilk Haze (229 yd) | Match the main yarn's yardage, often 4–6 balls |
To round out the gift, add something for the finished piece or the occasion. For more ideas at every price, see the best gifts for knitters.
$32.50SoakEcowash Bag & Soak Gift SetA no-rinse wash and a mesh bag, so the finished luxury piece gets a gentle wash.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool 
$24.95LYKKE Crafts24K Gold Stork Scissors24-karat gold-plated stork scissors to match the occasion: a little ceremony for every cut.Shop at Jimmy Beans Wool
Questions
What is the most luxurious yarn to give?
Pure cashmere is the classic choice, with mulberry silk and mohair-silk close behind. Choose by what they knit: cashmere for accessories, silk for shawls, mohair-silk for sweaters.
Is cashmere good for a beginner?
It's soft and forgiving to knit, but expensive to unravel and redo. A cashmere blend like Capra DK is a gentler place to start.
Can mohair-silk be knit on its own?
Yes. Alone on larger needles it makes a sheer, airy fabric; held with another yarn it adds a halo and warmth.
