Cashmere Quality

The cashmere wool comes from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats. It is collected during the molting season when the animals naturally shed their hair. Goats molt during a several week period in Spring. In China and Mongolia the down is collected by combing the animal by hand. One goat produces on average 4 – 6 ounces of underdown, so it takes one goat four years to produce enough wool to make just one sweater.

Cashmere Wool & Cashmere Yarn

The most important factor in the quality of the cashmere yarn is the length and the fineness of the fibres. Garments made from cashmere wool with long thin fibres pill less and maintain their shape better than ones made from cheaper lower grade cashmere.
Fine quality cashmere will become softer with each wash.
Darker colours are initially not as soft as lighter ones due to the dying process.
Pilling should be minimal after wearing and washing.
If cashmere is extremely soft and fluffy initially it is the sign of over-milling, and it will wear quickly and badly.
Loosely knit, limp fabric means a cheaply made garment. When pulled it should spring back to shape.
The 2/28NM means firstly 2 ply (2 single yarns have been spun into 2 plies) secondly the fineness of the cashmere yarn, meaning that 28 meters of single ply yarn weights 1 gram.
36NM indicates that 36 meters weigh 1 gram. The higher the count the more expensive the cashmere wool. That is why the very thin cashmere garments are often more expensive than thicker ones, as they require finer and longer fibres to make the yarn.
Cashmere fineness runs between 14-19 microns and must be at least 1-1/4’ long.
The fibre is naturally crimped and therefore it has what is known as “loft” which enables garment made of it to provide maximum warmth without weight.

That is why cashmere is so luxurious as well as durable and practical investment.
It travels well and doesn’t wrinkle, offers great insulation allowing the body to breathe, warm in the winter and cool in the spring. It is very gentle on sensitive skins.

We use only the best quality cashmere yarns to make our cashmere clothes.