Today’s yarn-about is on Cashmere.

Considered as one of the most precious and prized commodities in the world, Cashmere is actually not wool, but hair obtained from cashmere goats.

The Cashmere goats produce a double fleece that consists of a fine, soft undercoat or underdown of hair mingled with a straighter and much coarser outer coating of hair called guard hair. For the fine underdown to be sold and processed further, it must be de-haired. De-hairing is a mechanical process that separates the coarse hairs from the fine hair. After de-hairing, the resulting “cashmere” is ready to be dyed and converted into textile yarn, fabrics and garments.

Cashmere has been manufactured in Mongolia, Nepal and Kashmir in India for thousands of years. Famous shawls are the Jamavar with the famous paisley pattern. The fiber is also known as pashmina for its use in the handmade shawls of Kashmir.

It is fine in texture, strong, light, and soft. Garments made from it provide excellent insulation.

Lion brand and Pepperberry Knits feature 100% cashmere yarns in their collections.