* F I B E R

Cashmere is the fine undercoat combed from a goat, most often from its belly. It has extremely soft handle and no crimp. Cashmere has a micron count of about 11-18. It ranges from 1-3 inches, although usually closer to 1-2 inches. Most cashmere under 15 microns is too short to be suitable for handspinning. It produces a extremely fine, sleek yarn with an elegant drape. It is less elastic than wool and has very little grease content, usually about 0.5%. Cashmere can absorb water more quickly than wool and is very receptive to dyes. Cashmere is various shades of white, brown and beige.

* C A S H M E R E G O A T S

There is no fixed breed of goat that is biologically named cashmere, but instead in the down that can be found in 68 breeds of goats found in 12 different countries. Most cashmere comes from Asia, particularly China. These goats have a courser outercoat and a fine undercoat, which is the cashmere. A goat only yields about 4 ounces of cashmere per year. This small yield combined with the time intensive process of dehairing it accounts for its high price. Goats are social animals with a normal life span of 10-12 years and a gestation period of 150 days.

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