How cashmere fabric is made?

Cashmere production is a cycle of extreme patience and precision. Unlike standard wool processing which is often highly industrialized, cashmere requires significant manual handling to maintain its luxury status.

1. Harvesting (Combing vs. Shearing)

The process begins in spring (March-May) when the Capra Hircus goats naturally shed their winter coats.

• Combing (Traditional/High-End): In Mongolia and China, herders use coarse iron combs to hand-comb the goats. This pulls away the loose undercoat without taking too much coarse guard hair.

• Shearing: In some regions (like Australia or Afghanistan), goats are sheared like sheep. This is faster but results in a lower-quality raw material with more coarse hair content that requires aggressive de-hairing later.

2. Sorting and Scouring

Once collected, the raw fleece (greasy cashmere) is manually sorted by color (White, Grey, Brown) and quality.

• Scouring: The wool is washed to remove dirt, grease (lanolin), and vegetable matter.

3. De-hairing (The Critical Step)

This is the most important mechanical stage. The raw material contains both fine cashmere down and coarse “guard hairs.”

• The Process: The fiber is passed through de-hairing machines that use centrifugal force to separate the light, fine down from the heavy, coarse hair.

• The Yield: This process removes the majority of the weight. It takes roughly 1kg of raw greasy fiber to produce just 200g of de-haired cashmere ready for spinning. This massive yield loss is a primary cost driver.

4. Dyeing

Dyeing can happen at different stages depending on the desired outcome:

• Top Dyeing: Dyeing the loose fiber before it is spun. This results in the most even color and softest hand-feel (common for mélanges).

• Yarn Dyeing: Dyeing the spun yarn on cones.

• Garment Dyeing: Dyeing the finished sweater (cheaper, but can affect the softness).

5. Spinning

The de-haired fiber is carded (aligned) and then spun into yarn.

• Woolen Spinning: Fibers are twisted loosely. This creates the classic, lofty, fuzzy cashmere yarn used in knitwear.

• Worsted Spinning: Fibers are combed parallel and twisted tightly. This creates a smoother, finer yarn used for lightweight suiting or scarves.

6. Knitting or Weaving

• Knitting: The yarn is fed into industrial knitting machines (like Stoll or Shima Seiki) to create panels for sweaters.

• Weaving: For scarves or fabric rolls, the yarn is woven on looms.

7. Finishing (Milling/Washing)

The fabric coming off the machine feels tight and rough. The “cashmere touch” is actually created in the final wash.

• Milling: The fabric is washed in industrial machines with specific soaps and softeners. The agitation causes the fibers to “burst” or bloom, creating the signature soft halo.

• Control: If washed too little, it feels like rope. If washed too much, it pills immediately. This balance is the manufacturer’s secret recipe.