Cashmere

Cashmere: Premium Knitting Yarn from the Best Italian Manufacturers

Anyone who has ever worn a knitted garment made from cashmere wool will confirm: there is nothing softer and more pleasant to the touch. It feels like it wraps you in comfort and warmth. Italian cashmere yarn is famous worldwide for its high quality. Beautiful, prestigious items that we see in glossy magazines and fashion shows are knitted from such yarn.

Cashmere wool is obtained only from the undercoat (down) of cashmere mountain goats living in the northern regions of India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, and Mongolia.

It is precisely this undercoat that gives the yarn its unique properties:

• warmer than any other wool

• lightweight

• soft

• practically hypoallergenic

It is carefully combed out by hand in spring, during the goats’ molting season, and collected for further yarn production.

Interesting fact: cashmere is a year-round material. Garments made from it are pleasant to wear not only in cold autumn and winter but also on cool summer evenings.

What You Should Know About Cashmere Yarn Production

Mongolia, China, and Italy are the main exporters of raw materials for cashmere production worldwide. Italian manufacturers use advanced technologies to produce cashmere wool, considered among the best in the world.

Thanks to the harsh climate where the goats live, this yarn is eight times warmer than sheep wool by structure. The dense, lofty undercoat is very light because the fibers are hollow inside, which retains heat best.

Despite its considerable cost, cashmere is highly valued in the textile market. The down from highland goats is collected exclusively by hand. This tradition has remained unchanged for centuries. One animal produces only 200–300 grams of down per year, which directly affects the yarn’s price.

Types of Cashmere

Like any knitting yarn, cashmere differs by spinning method.

1. Carded Cashmere
   Rougher, thicker, and lighter. Fibers are carded using carding machines. The thin layer of fibers removed forms a ribbon, which is then stretched in drawing machines to a specific thickness. This method produces yarn with a linear density of 15–84 tex from short fibers and medium-length fiber raw material. It is the most optimal production method balancing price and quality. Finished knitted items from carded cashmere are covered with the beloved soft fluff after wet-heat treatment. This yarn doesn’t hold cables and ribs well but is very pleasant to the touch, which many knitters love. Thanks to Italian stock lots, it’s now possible to buy good quality cone cashmere yarn at affordable prices.

2. Combed Cashmere
   Silky, “heavy,” with very delicate fuzz or no fuzz at all. Producing combed cashmere is the most labor-intensive process and, in addition to carding, requires extra fiber combing. Short hairs are removed, and longer fibers are straightened and aligned parallel to the yarn axis, making the thread perfectly smooth and even. The finer the cashmere thread, the higher its quality and price. Such knitting threads are stronger, almost do not pill, hold cables and ribs well, but cost much more.

3. Eco Cashmere
   A popular trend in the Italian cashmere industry. Environmental protection is a top priority today. Leading manufacturers care for the environment by recycling cashmere products and production leftovers. Items are shredded on special equipment, turned back into raw material, and then spun into yarn. In terms of thermal properties, this yarn does not differ from expensive cashmere but is rougher to the touch, cheaper, and more accessible for customers.

Buying good cashmere yarn for knitting in Ukraine is not that easy! Our online store SAKWOYAG offers yarn from the best Italian manufacturers: Cariaggi, Biagioli Modesto, Loro Piana, and other leading brands. We provide direct shipments from Italy with delivery across Ukraine and worldwide.