Luxury By The Inch: Cashmere Knitting Yarn
What is perhaps the premier luxury wool today? Many people would say it is cashmere wool -- especially those who own some! But most people don't know much about Cashmere, or Cashmere knitting yarn.
Where Does Cashmere Knitting Yarn Come from?
Cashmere knitting yarn comes from a special breed of goats that are found and raised in various parts of Asia. The name "Cashmere" is actually a variant spelling of the word Kasmir, and refers to a geographical region located in and near India. Cashmere is known for its great softness and natural insulating properties. Because it is very difficult and time-consuming to harvest the animal fibers, Cashmere knitting yarn, as well as garments and fabrics made from Cashmere, are very expensive to purchase.
The harvesting of the animal fibers to make Cashmere knitting yarn is a fascinating one. The animal fibers are collected during the molting season in the spring, when these goats naturally shed their winter fur. After separating it from a coarse layer of hair, the animal fibers can then be dyed and turned into Cashmere knitting yarn, for use in various types of garments. Virgin or Recycled Cashmere Knitting Yarn? When purchasing Cashmere knitting yarn, be aware that you may find it listed as either "raw," "processed," "recycled," and "Virgin." "Raw" refers to Cashmere that has not yet been processed into cashmere knitting yarn -- basically what you would have when the fibers first comes off of the animal. "Processed" fibers have had the coarse hair layer removed, have been washed and carded and are now ready to make into knitting yarn. Cashmere labeled as "virgin" has not been processed at all, while Cashmere knitting yarn labeled as "recycled" has been taken from garments or fabrics previously manufactured, including perhaps garments that were already sold and handled by the public. Caring for Fabrics Made from Cashmere Knitting Yarn It is true that fabrics made with Cashmere knitting yarn will literally last a lifetime -- that's because the wool is extremely durable. But from time to time fabrics made from Cashmere knitting yarn may require some cleaning. In these cases we strongly recommend taking your garment or fabric to your local dry cleaner. If this is not possible, you can take a garment or fabric made from Cashmere knitting yarn and very gently wash it by hand using a mild detergent made especially for wool. After washing your garment made from Cashmere knitting yarn very carefully, the excess water should be carefully removed by rolling it into a terrycloth towel. You should allow your garment to dry while laying flat, in order to avoid the formation of wrinkles. It should be allowed to air dry completely -- under no circumstances should you cost any garment made with Cashmere knitting yarn into your dryer. Fabrics made with Cashmere knitting yarn can become flattened over time, and in these cases the nap must be raised -- this is called "fulling," and must be done very carefully using a very soft brush so as not to damage the fabric. Garments made from Cashmere knitting yarn can be damaged easily during the cleaning process -- so again, we recommend taking your soiled garment and having it professionally dry cleaned.
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