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2012-12-11 - Our warmest shawls are undoubtedly the handwoven double ply yak woollen shawls. These very soft yak shawls are available in dark brown (undyed yak wool) and pitch black. There are three sizes, with a medium sized shawl bridging the gap between scarf and large blanket. What is so special about yak wool?

Yak wool, not surprisingly, is the wool from the yak, a longhaired bovine beast that lives at high altitudes in the Himalaya. Because of the extreme cold climate, the coat of the yak is not only long, but also very thick. The outer hairs are kind of coarse. The inner hairs however perform the isolation function and are extremely soft. Herdsmen assemble the inner hairs once a year by combing the yak instead of shearing.

Yak wool has some special properties. The wool is warmer and softer than sheep wool and stronger than other sorts of wool.  Yak wool breathes and is odour resistant, it absorbs transpiration and allows it to evaporate without leaving a scent or feeling moist.

Shawls made from real yak wool are not easy to find. Counting Flowers buys its yak woollen shawls directly from a Fair Trade weaving group in Nepal. Yak wool products are also made in Tibet, parts of China and northeast India.

Be aware: many so-called 'yak wool' scarves and shawls are not made from yak wool at all. Local salesmen use the term yak wool generic, like pashmina, for any kind of large warm shawl. These imitation yak wool shawls are most likely made from acrylic 'wool' woven over cotton and are available in a large variety of colours.

Take a look at the yak wool shawls by Counting Flowers.
Read more about the weavers of our yak wool shawls.
Read more about yak wool.
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Overview of all scarves and shawls blog posts.

Yak wool shawl by Counting Flowers

So-called 'yak wool' shawls made from acrylic fibres
 

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