What silk is in summer, cashmere is in the cooler seasons: the ideal fiber to counteract the seasonal temperatures.
Silk is wonderfully cool on the skin in summer, but when it gets chilly in autumn and winter, I prefer cashmere. They also? Admittedly, sweaters or scarves made of this special material are not necessarily cheap, but they are definitely worth the price. Not just when you noble, fine look of the cashmere products considered, but also when you know where cashmere actually comes from and how it is obtained. Are you interested in a small educational trip? Then I would be happy to take you on a trip to the Asian highlands!
The higher the better for the cashmere
We have to aim very high, preferably in the mountain regions of the Himalayas and the Pamirs, Mongolia and China. The cashmere goats live up here, which can survive on the barren meadows and slopes and which do not mind the low winter temperatures of below -30 ° Celsius. It is their soft, downy undercoat that allows them to survive up here and forms a protective layer under the top coats. You guessed right: It is these fine, soft fibers that are processed into high-quality cashmere wool.
Normal shearing of the goats is out of the question so that only the cashmere fibers are obtained and they are not mixed with the top coat. In the spring, when the moult begins, the goats are carefully combed out by hand. A cashmere goat delivers a maximum of 500 grams of undercoat, which then has to be worked up. In the end, only 100 to 200 grams of cashmere wool are left over per animal - an amount that makes just about a scarf or half a sweater. Do you have any idea why genuine cashmere products can't be found cheaply in discount stores?
Careful care will bring joy for a long time
The sensitive downy hair of cashmere goats is not used to hot temperatures, so you should bear this in mind when caring for your cashmere products. You should only use lukewarm water for washing, always rinse out all residues of mild detergent, carefully roll the garment out in a towel and then lay it out to dry. So you can enjoy your valuable pieces for a long time and can be warmed by the cashmere that is so gentle on the skin.