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What is Cashmere?
Cashmere, after qiviut, is the softest fiber in the world. It’s easy, as a knitter, to tell by touch a soft yarn and a softer yarn. But over the years, those in the yarn business have come up with ways to measure softness by number. The most current way is to name a fiber’s micron count. The micron count gives the average diameter of a fleece’s fiber. (A micron is one-millionth of a meter). The lower the number, the finer the fleece.
Most cashmere averages around 14 microns. Compare that with extra fine merino that usually starts around 19 microns. There are other things that determine a yarn’s soft touch and lofty character, but micron count is a standard way to talk about and compare what we knitters recognize with our palms and fingertips.
How did Cashmere become so popular?
According to cashmere lore, it was the Empress Eugenie, second wife of Napoleon, who first made cashmere popular. The story goes that after Napoleon presented her with 17 of the finest cashmere shawls, they became a must-have for Europe’s aristocracy.
If you’d like to know what it’s like to raise your own cashmere goats, check out one woman’s story.
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