Cashmere is a luxurious, soft fabric that is created from wool taken from the Cashmere goat. Cashmere came out of the early Mongolian empire. The Mongolians took Cashmere garments and goats with them when they conquered India. India was where it was first introduced to Europeans in the late 1700′s. The word came from the name of the Indian state, Kashmir, where Europeans first encountered the fabric.
The goats developed two types of hair to deal with the climates in which they lived. The soft undercoat hair is what Cashmere is made from. When hair is collected from the goat it must be separated. The long outer hair must be separated from the valuable, soft short undercoat hair. The cleaner this undercoat hair is when collected the more pure the yarn will be.
The undercoat hair is collected and spun into yarn. This yarn is used to make Cashmere garments. The spun yarn is dyed different colors to meet customers’ requests. The woven yarn is used to create luxurious Cashmere garments.
These garments are very, very soft. Throughout history, Cashmere has been associated with royalty. It was so treasured that Queen Victoria imported her own herd of goats and kept them in Wales. It became a valuable trade item and is just as posh today. Wearing Cashmere is a status symbol of Royalty and the rich.
Cashmere goat herding has become a very lucrative modern business. These garments are still very expensive, putting them out of the price range for most people around the world.
Jason Forthofer owns CuteBabyBlankets.com which sells cashmere baby blankets and other styles of unique baby blankets
L. Niger queen exploring the wool-water reservoir
