The annual world clip is estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000 tons (13,605 and 18,140 tonnes) (in hair). Mongolia follows with 8,900 tons (in hair) as of 2016, while Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian republics produce lesser amounts. The term "baby cashmere" is used for fibres harvested from younger goats, and has a reputation of being softer.Īn 1867 William Simpson painting depicting men manufacturing shawls using pashm woolĬhina has become the largest producer of raw cashmere, estimated at 19,200 metric tons (in hair) per year (2016). The process takes up to two weeks, but with a trained eye for when the fiber is releasing, it is possible to comb the fibers out in about a week. In America, the most popular method is combing. Animals in Iran, Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Australia are typically shorn of their fleece, resulting in a higher coarse hair content and lower pure cashmere yield. The long, coarse guard hair is then typically clipped from the animal and is often used for brushes, interfacings and other non-apparel uses. The collected fiber then has a higher yield of pure cashmere after the fiber has been washed and dehaired. In some regions, the mixed mass of down and coarse hair is removed by hand with a coarse comb that pulls tufts of fiber from the animal as the comb is raked through the fleece. In the Northern Hemisphere, the goats moult as early as March and as late as May. Ĭashmere wool is collected during the spring moulting season when the goats naturally shed their winter coat. Poor land management and overgrazing to increase production of the valuable fiber has resulted in the decimation and transformation of grasslands into deserts in Asia, increasing local temperatures and causing air pollution which has traveled as far as Canada and the US. Some yarns and clothing marketed as containing cashmere have been found to contain little to no cashmere fiber, so more stringent testing has been requested to make sure items are fairly represented. Both the soft undercoat and the guard hairs may be used the softer hair is reserved for textiles, while the coarse guard hair is used for brushes and other non-apparel purposes.Ī number of countries produce cashmere and have improved processing techniques over the years, but China and Mongolia are two of the leading producers as of 2019. Cashmere is closely associated with the Kashmir shawl, the word "cashmere" deriving from an anglicisation of Kashmir, when the Kashmir shawl reached Europe in the 19th century. It has been used to make yarn, textiles and clothing for hundreds of years. Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, is a fiber obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and some other breeds of goat.
0 kommentar(er)
