Right now, knitting is more about the hand than the eye. The trend reports for 2026 and 2027 say the same thing in slightly different ways: the surface is what matters most. A simple shape in a yarn with life in it beats a complicated pattern in a flat yarn.
Here are the textures that keep coming up.
1. Brushed mohair
The airy glow around the stitch, what the industry calls the halo. Mohair and alpaca are brushed so the fibres stand out, and the garment becomes light and warm at the same time. It has been big for several seasons, and it is staying.
This is where I have the most garments. Sky High Blue in Påfugl in Paris, Amsterdam in Ballerina Chunky Mohair and My Favorite Pink Colour in thick mohair are three of them.
2. Mohair with a steady strand
A fine mohair strand knitted together with a smoother wool or alpaca. The steady strand gives the garment shape and strength, and the mohair lays a soft veil over the colour.
The Magic Woods and The Pink Hour are both knitted with three strands: alpaca, mohair and gold. My Vintage Neck has Alpakka Lin held double with a glitter thread.
3. Lace in luxury yarn
Lace patterns in mohair and alpaca are named as one of the clearest directions. The open pattern against the soft fibre gives garments that are light, yet still warm.
Pink Sky and Arctic Snow – Blue Edition both have a lace pattern.
4. Bouclé and looped yarns
Bouclé has small loops along the strand and gives a nubby, soft surface. It hardly needs a pattern. A plain sweater in bouclé looks like more than a plain sweater.
Carolyn – The Dress includes a suggestion to swap the yarn for bouclé from the Danish shop Garnspesialisten, which has a good selection.
5. Fur without fur
On the autumn runways, designers create the look of fur with yarn instead: mohair, alpaca, shaggy wool, eyelash yarn and fringes. It gives the same volume and the same movement, without fur.
The fringes on my ponchos belong here. Clocks and O have long fringes at the bottom, and you will find more under Ponchos with fringes.
6. Tweed and heathered
Yarn with small flecks of colour, and hand-dyed yarn where the colour shifts. It gives depth even to a solid sweater.
Tweed – The Beanie is made to give that same texture.
7. Shine
A metallic or glitter thread knitted along, so the light catches in the stitch. It is a detail I keep coming back to.
Adventure of a Lifetime is knitted in Puno Metallic. Red Glam and Bubblegum have gold thread.
How to choose
The more texture the yarn has, the simpler the pattern can be. Brushed yarn and bouclé hide small details, so give them large, calm surfaces. If you want cables or fine lace, choose a smoother yarn or a finer mohair.
If you want to swap the yarn in one of my patterns, read Swapping yarn in a pattern: how to hit the gauge.
Right now I really love knitting with mohair.
Sources: KnitPro, My Style Box, Knittingtips and Lewen.
Anne-Turid <3