Cashmere wool: Difference between revisions
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The weaving of cashmere shawls using yarn produced in France had become an important Scottish industry and in 1830 the Scottish Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures offered a 300 [[Pound Sterling]] reward to the first person who could spin cashmere in Scotland based on the French system. Captain Charles Stuart Cochrane |
The weaving of cashmere shawls using yarn produced in France had become an important Scottish industry and in 1830 the Scottish Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures offered a 300 [[Pound Sterling]] reward to the first person who could spin cashmere in Scotland based on the French system. Captain Charles Stuart Cochrane |
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(Also known as ‘Senior Jean de Vega, a Spanish minstrel |
(Also known as ‘Senior Jean de Vega, a Spanish minstrel |
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collected the required information while in Paris and received a patent for the process in 1831. In the autumn of 1831 the patent was sold to Henry Houldsworth and sons of Glasgow. In 1832 Henry Houldsworth and sons commenced the manufacture of yarn and in 1833 they received the reward<ref name="Scotland">{{cite book |
collected the required information while in Paris and received a patent for the process in 1831. In the autumn of 1831 the patent was sold to Henry Houldsworth and sons of Glasgow. In 1832 Henry Houldsworth and sons commenced the manufacture of yarn and in 1833 they received the reward<ref name="Scotland">{{cite book |
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| author = The Ministers of the respective parishes |
| author = The Ministers of the respective parishes |
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Revision as of 06:54, 22 July 2008
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2008) |
Cashmere wool, usually simply known as cashmere, and sometimes known as Pashmina, is a type of yarn made from fibers obtained from the Cashmere goat. The word "cashmere" derives from an archaic spelling of Kashmir.
Cashmere wool is fine in texture, and it is also strong, light, and soft; when it is made into garments, they are extremely warm to wear, much warmer than the equivalent weight in sheep's wool.
Classification
The U.S. Wool Products Labeling Act of 1939, as amended, (U.S.C. 15 Section 68b(a)(6)) defines cashmere as the fine (dehaired) undercoat fibers produced by a cashmere goat (capra hircus laniger) with an average diameter of the fibers not exceeding 19 microns and containing not more than 3 percent (by weight) of cashmere fibers with average diameters that exceed 30 microns. The Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute have added the requirement that the coefficient of variation around the mean shall not exceed 24%. [1]
Cashmere is characterized by its soft fibers. It is noted as providing a natural light-weight insulation without bulk. Fibers are highly adaptable and are easily constructed into fine or thick yarns, and light to heavy-weight fabrics.
Natural colors
The original undyed or natural colors of cashmere wool are various shades of grey, brown and white.
Source of the fibre
Cashmere wool fiber for clothing and other textile articles is obtained from the Cashmere domestic goat. The goat (Capra hircus laniger) is a mammal belonging to the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae. The goats produce a double fleece consisting of the fine, soft undercoat or underdown of hair mingled with a straighter and much coarser outer coating of hair called guard hair. In order for the fine under down to be sold and processed further, it must first be de-haired. De-hairing is a mechanical process that separates the coarse hairs from the fine hair and after de-hairing the resulting "cashmere" is ready to be dyed and converted into yarn, fabrics and garments.
The word 'cashmere' is sometimes incorrectly applied to any extremely soft wool.
Gathering
Cashmere is collected during the spring moulting season when the goats naturally shed their winter coat. In the Northern Hemisphere the goats moult over a period beginning as early as March and as late as May.
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. The collected fiber then has a higher yield of pure cashmere after the fiber has been washed and dehaired. The long, coarse guard hair is then typically clipped from the animal and is often used for brushes, interlinings and other non-apparel uses. 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. In America, the most popular method is combing. The process takes up to two weeks but, with a trained eye for when the fiber is releasing, sometimes it is possible to comb the fibers out in about a week.
Production
China has become the largest producer of raw cashmere and their clip is estimated at 10,000 metric tons per year (hair in). Mongolia produces somewhat more than 3,000 tons (hair in), while India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and Central Asian Republics produce significant but lesser amounts. The annual world clip is estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000 tons (hair in). "Pure cashmere", resulting from removing animal grease, dirt and coarse hairs from the fleece, is estimated at about 6,500 tons. It is estimated that up to 500 grams of fiber is produced per goat on average, with 150 grams of under-down.
Pure cashmere can be dyed and spun into yarns and knit into jumpers, hats, gloves, socks and other clothing, or woven into fabrics then cut and assembled into garments such as outer coats, jackets, pants, pajamas, scarves, blankets and other items. Fabric and garment producers in Italy, Scotland, England and Japan have long been known as market leaders.
In the US, the town of Uxbridge was an incubator for the cashmere wool industry. It had the first power looms for woolens and the first manufacture of "satinets". Capron Mill had the first power looms, in 1820. It burned on July 21, 2007, in the spectacular Bernat Mill fire.
Types of fiber
- Raw — fiber that has not been processed and is essentially straight from the animal
- Processed — fiber that has been through the processes of de-hairing, washing, carding, and is ready either to spin or to knit/crochet/weave
- Virgin — new fiber which has been made into yarns, fabrics or garments for the first time
- Recycled — fibers reclaimed from scraps or fabrics that were previously woven or felted, and which may or may not have been previously used by the consumer.
History
Trading in Commercial quantities of raw cashmere between Asia and Europe began during the 19th century with Valerie Audresset SA, Louviers, France claiming to be the first to commercially spin cashmere.[2] The French imported the raw cashmere from India, spread it out on large sieves and beat it with sticks to open the fibres and clear away the dirt. After opening the cashmere was washed and children revmoved the course hair [3].
The weaving of cashmere shawls using yarn produced in France had become an important Scottish industry and in 1830 the Scottish Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures offered a 300 Pound Sterling reward to the first person who could spin cashmere in Scotland based on the French system. Captain Charles Stuart Cochrane (Also known as ‘Senior Jean de Vega, a Spanish minstrel [4] ) collected the required information while in Paris and received a patent for the process in 1831. In the autumn of 1831 the patent was sold to Henry Houldsworth and sons of Glasgow. In 1832 Henry Houldsworth and sons commenced the manufacture of yarn and in 1833 they received the reward[5].
Dawson International claim to have invented the first commercial dehairing machine in 1890 and from 1906 they purchased cashmere from China, but were restricted to purchasing fiber from Beijing and Tianjing until 1978. In 1978 trade was liberalised and Dawson International began buying cashmere from many provinces.[2]
See also
References
- ^ "Definition of Cashmere". Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ a b Bruce Allan McGregor (2001). "The Quality of Cashmere and Its Influence of Textile Materials Produced from Cashmere and Blends with Superfine Wool". Phd thesis submitted to the University of New South Wales, Department of Textile Technology.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ W. Newton (1836). The London Journal of Arts and Sciences and Repertory of Arts And Sciences and Repertort of Patent Inventions. Sherwood,Gilbert,and Piper. p. 423.
- ^ "Cochrane People". ScotClans. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ The Ministers of the respective parishes (1854). The New Statistical account of Scotland Volume VI. William Blackwood & sons Edinburgh and London. p. 168.
External links
