It doesn’t matter how long you have been knitting or needlepointing, there are always nagging questions. We are going to address some of the most frequently asked knitching (knitting and needlepoint stitching) questions, adding a new one every few weeks. We hope the responses will help you understand and appreciate the fibers you admire.
#2: Frequently Asked Question: Why is there a goat on our web site?
That goat is no ‘ordinary’ goat. She may be wearing your next lacy scarf or sweater. She is a ‘cashmere’ goat.
Did you know that cashmere, mohair, and angora fibers do not come from sheep? Cashmere and mohair come from goats, and angora comes from angora rabbits. This month we will focus on cashmere and discuss other fibers later.
If you have ever seen photos of nomads or shepherds in Kashmir or Mongolia with goats, you were probably seeing goats wearing some of the world’s finest cashmere fleece. Cashmere is produced world-wide, especially in China, Australia, and now the U.S. 
All of these luxury fibers are gathered without hurting the animal. Just as sheep are shorn or clipped, cashmere and mohair can be shorn or combed off. In Mongolia, the goats also rub against fences or rocks and the shepherds collect the loosened fibers. 
‘Cashmere’ goats are not truly a breed of goat; rather, these goats have been collectively bred for many years because they produce high quantities of cashmere fleece. Goats’ fleece is made of two layers. The guard hair is the coarser long hair that covers the goat year round. The downy undercoat hair is the gorgeous soft, delicate, and kinky hair that grows during the colder months of the year an
d is shed or combed out in the early spring. Only the downy hair is used to produce yarn.
What makes cashmere fiber and yarns so special and expensive? It is uniquely soft, light (more than 30% lighter than wool), and has excellent insulating ability (8 times warmer than wool). Cashmere yarn and products are expensive because one goat annually produces only enough fiber for approximately one worsted-weight scarf or almost one third of a sweater! Therefore, most yarn producers blend cashmere with merino wool, silk, angora, or other lovely fibers.
What can I knit with cashmere? Almost anything you want, especially something soft to wear next to your skin. We sell lace, baby, worsted, chunky, and sock yarns with 5-100% cashmere and plenty of patterns. For February, all cashmere and cashmere blend yarns will be 20% off (15 different yarns to choose from).
For more information about these fun animals and their amazing fiber, stop by the shop for a unique learning experience. Feel real cashmere fleece with the guard hair and the downy fleece, see fun photos, and luxuriate yourself with the yarns. If you are unable to visit this month, be sure to read more and view the photos online.
#1 Will this yarn pill?
Pilling is the small ball of fiber found on the surface of knitted fabric and is the result of friction or rubbing of the fabric. All yarns have the potential to pill. All yarns, whether made of wool, cotton, silk, or a synthetic, are made of small fibers spun together. In the spinning process, the fibers tend to align and stick together based on how kinky and scaly they are.
Compare various yarns and notice the tiny fibers that may be sticking out. The final texture of the yarn is determined by the spinning process and depends on how long the fibers are, how tight the fibers are spun, how many strands are plied together, what kind of twist is given to the yarn, and which treatments (superwash, mercerized) it receives. As the yarn is handled and the fabric gets rubbed together, the loose fibers may separate out and roll together into pills.
If you love the yarn, knit it! Pet it and think of it as still alive! If it pills, carefully pull, cut, or shave off the pills.
Compare various yarns and notice the tiny fibers that may be sticking out. The final texture of the yarn is determined by the spinning process and depends on how long the fibers are, how tight the fibers are spun, how many strands are plied together, what kind of twist is given to the yarn, and which treatments (superwash, mercerized) it receives. As the yarn is handled and the fabric gets rubbed together, the loose fibers may separate out and roll together into pills.
If you love the yarn, knit it! Pet it and think of it as still alive! If it pills, carefully pull, cut, or shave off the pills.
Frequently Asked Questions:
