sweaters, scarves, and hats. In order to be considered true cashmere,
the fiber must come from the hairs of the cashmere goat, an animal
originally introduced to Westerners by the area of Asia known as
Kashmir. When the British took control of Kashmir in the 1800s, the
fiber began to be exported to Europe, creating intense demand which
continues to this day. In addition to being beautiful, cashmere is
also infamous for being very expensive, due to the labor intense
process used to create cashmere garments.
The majority of the world's cashmere today comes from China and
Mongolia, which raise cashmere goats in the Gobi Desert. These
cashmere goats are bred specifically for their extremely soft, pale
hair that can be dyed to any color, and are therefore highly sought
after. The harsh conditions in the Gobi Desert severely restrict the
number of goats that can be raised, however, meaning that the hand
harvested and often hand spun fiber commands a high price when it
reaches the market: and this is before the notoriously difficult yarn
has been knitted or woven!
Other parts of Asia and the Middle East including Pakistan, India,
Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran also raise cashmere goats, although they
tend to produce gray or brown hair which is not as highly prized. In
addition, most cashmere from these areas is somewhat stiffer, and less
soft. For this reason, it is used in lower grade cashmere garments and
weavings, although because of the intensive process to harvest it, it
can still be quite costly.
High quality cashmere is always hand combed from the goats. After
combing, the hair is cleaned to remove impurities, which often reduces
the yield by as much as two thirds of the original weight. The
remaining pure cashmere is silky soft, and ready for dying and carding
prior to being spun. Cashmere is often woven into two-ply yarn, which
is a superior form of yarn, but also twice as expensive because it
involves two strands. When a single strand of yarn is used, the twist
in the yarn created as it is spun can pull at a sweater, changing the
shape over time: two ply yarn uses two strands going in opposite
directions to eliminate a bias in the weave or knit.
Because cashmere is so expensive and labor intensive to produce, it
must be taken care of appropriately. The material is highly durable
and will last for years if cared for properly: always wash cashmere by
hand in warm water with mild soap, and blot it gently with a towel
before laying it out flat to dry. Appreciate the effort that goes into
a cashmere sweater; it would take a single goat four years to produce
enough wool for a sweater, and cashmere also involves countless hours
of labor to raise, feed, and care for the unique cashmere goat.
Share and Enjoy!
Mr.Zhao
