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Magic Balls, pattern and needles – £35

Help two charities in one go . . . and knit yourself a beautiful, original scarf.

Magic Balls yarn is hand spun and dyed by women in South Africa who work within successful job creation programs. 

The baby mohair yarn comes from the fleece of Angora goats that are the descendants of a breed originally from Tibet and brought from Turkmenistan to Turkey, where the Turks reserved the rare and precious yarn for royalty. In 1830, The Turks shipped a group of does and castrated bucks to South Africa, not knowing that one doe was pregnant and would give birth to a male kid. Interbreeding with local breeds eventually resulted in a hardier Angora goat, and now South Africa produces 65% of the world’s mohair.

This 100% pure merino wool comes from sheep that graze the hills and valleys near Cape Town, South Africa, the first country outside of Europe to raise merinos. Once the sole property of the king of Spain, these sheep were introduced to South Africa in the late 18th century and strengthened via cross-breeding with Australian Wanganella and Pippin merinos in the 19th century. The approximately 18 million merinos in South Africa produce a soft, lustrous and non-itchy fleece considered the “gold standard” by which all wool is judged. 

Wool production has a stabilizing effect on sheep farming economies; all animals produce this continually renewing material, which supports the production of lamb for food. Hand spun and dyed, this yarn is an integral part of a sustainable economic program that empowers underprivileged locals.