The majority of my knit wear is spun and knit with cashmere or a cashmere blend. Cashmere is the down fiber that comes from a goat. One goat only produces approximately 4oz. of this down fiber a year, resulting in the luxury and higher price for this fiber. Cashmere is a very short fiber that requires a specific process when spun. I spin each bobbin by the long draw method resulting in a semi-woolen yarn. I then ply each bobbin in a 2 or 3ply skein.

The yarn then needs to be washed, fulled and whacked to set the twist and control shedding by locking the shorter fibers together. Each finished product that is knit goes through a washing and fulling process as well to further control shedding. Due to the shortness of this fiber some shedding is expected and will continue to decrease with wear. Placing your item in a plastic bag in the freezer for 2-3 hours prior to wearing it will help to control some of the shedding. Further fulling can also help in decreasing the shedding process. This is done by filling two tubs full of water. One with hot soapy water and one with plain cold water. Wearing gloves place the item in the hot soapy water and agitate it by moving it around in the hot water or using a plunger to help get more water movement.

Then remove from hot soapy tub and repeat the same process in the cold tub of water. Continue to do this in a controlled manner being careful not to over full the item. This process can also be done in the washing machine but is not recommended. The end result could be an item that no longer fits. This fulling process will cause a bit of shrinkage as the fibers further lock together, so it is important to take special care not to over full your item. After the fulling process lay the item flat and reshape allowing to dry. The above information pertains to other short luxury fibers such as: angora, yak, qivuit, camel, and alpaca.