Yak Fiber

Yak fiber for spinning, from pure de-haired yak down top in natural browns, grey and bleached to yak blended with merino, Polwarth and silk. Yak down is the fine undercoat, separated from the coarse outer hair before it's combed into top.

Pure Yak Down

The de-haired yak down tops come in natural light brown and dark brown, and bleached. The superfine undyed tops come in grey, light brown and dark brown at about 18 microns. Yak down has a soft lustre and irregular crimp, and the natural colors haven't been dyed.

Spinning It

Yak down is short, so pull a tuft from the top and look at its length before you start. A short staple needs enough twist to hold, so let a length of your singles hang slack. If it drifts apart when you tug it gently, add a little more twist. You can spin straight from the top for a smooth yarn, or card it into rolags for an easier spin.

Yak Blends

Yak and mulberry silk come in roughly equal parts, merino, yak and mulberry silk at 50/25/25, and merino, yak and tussah silk at 70/15/15. Yaktober pairs yak with dyed merino, and Staycation and Cubano blend it with Polwarth. For more fine fibers, see rare and exotic spinning fibers and silk fibers and blends.