Natural fibres

Cashmere

Cashmere is the queen of wool fibres. Cashmere, also know as pashmina, is one of the most luxurious and rare fibres that exist.

Not all cashmere on the market has the same quality. Cashmere comes in three quality categories: A-grade, B-grade and C-grade. The highest quality cashmere should be thinner than 19 microns. The thinner the yarn, the better. Top quality cashmere is not mixed with any other fibres.

Counting Flowers only buys scarves woven from pure cashmere wool with a certificate of authenticity. The shawls are woven from A-grade cashmere - thickness only 15,9 microns, which make them pashmina quality!

Cashmere provides natural lightweight isolation without the scarf or shawl becoming too thick or robust. The fibre is harvested from the chyangra. This mountain goat lives high up in the Himalaya’s. To protect itself against the harsh and extremely cold weather conditions, it developed a very thin but highly insulating fleece.

Each year a chyangra grows only a little cashmere fleece. To weave a scarf or shawl, the fleece from several goats is needed. That is why the price for pure cashmere products is high.

Handwoven A-grade cashmere

Our cashmere scarves and shawls are handmade by weavers from Mahila Utthan Pashmina Udhyog in Nepal. We purchased the scarves from the local fair trade organisation Sana Hastakala.

Care instructions for cashmere

Like any other wool cashmere is a very delicate fibre - so it is advised not to wash your scarf too often. Just hanging the scarf in fresh air can be a good alternative. Of course you can also take the scarf to the dry cleaner.

• Hand wash separately in cool water;
• Use a drop of very mild soap;
• Remove any excess water carefully, do not wring out or twist the scarf;
• Leave the scarf to dry in a flat position;
• Avoid direct sunlight when drying;
• Do not use a tumble dryer.

This information does not offer any guarantees. However we know from experience that if you treat your cashmere scarf with care, you will be able to enjoy it for years to come.