Cashmere wool

From ArticleWorld

Cashmere Wool is a special type of wool obtained from the fur of the Kashmir goat and is classified by specialists as a special hair fiber. The most common application of cashmere wool are cashmere sweaters.

Characteristics

Cashmere wool can have three colors: white, brown and gray. It is a special wool because of the fact that it is very soft and has a high loft and napability. Another important advantage of cashmere is that the ending piece of clothing is very warm. This is because the Kashmir goat lives in mountain regions and needs a termally protective fur. Cashmere is very easy to obtain and can be derived in any thread thickness desired, making it a fiber that can be used to create clothing for any climate and with any insulation property desired.

Cashmere fiber is divided in two types:

• Virgin fiber – it has not been processed and has been used for the first time
• Recycled fiber – cashmere fiber that is obtained from fabrics that have already been woven or felted at least once.

How to get Kashmir goat

The winter coat of the Kashmir goat is naturally shed during the spring molting season, which can be seen between the beginning of March and the end of May (based on the location and the natural climate of the area). In most places the fur shed is used but the animal can also have the remaining hair clipped in order to obtain more usable Cashmere of higher quality than the one naturally shed.

Production

China is the most important producer of cashmere wool. Other countries also have highly developed industries of production like Mongolia, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, India, etc. Around 6.5 thousand tons of pure cashmere wool is produced every single year. Producing countries also have the capabilities to assemble the different pieces of clothing. Some countries have established themselves as world trade leaders in the production of cashmere outfits: Italy, England, Japan and Scotland.