Cashmere wool
The undercoat of the Chyangra goat from the highlands of Nepal – what makes it special, how it becomes our pieces and what it cannot do.
Where the fibre comes from
Cashmere is not the goat's coat but its undercoat: the fine layer that keeps it warm in winter beneath the coarse guard hair.1 The Chyangra goat lives in the highlands of Nepal, in the Mustang district.4 There the winters are long and dry, and the undercoat grows particularly fine.
In spring, when the animals shed their winter coat, the undercoat is combed out by hand.3 Combing instead of shearing preserves the full fibre length and keeps the coarse guard hair out; the raw wool is then dehaired until only the fine fibre remains.1 3 This leaves around 110 grams of pure undercoat per adult goat per year.3 A grade A scarf weighs 200 to 250 grams – the annual wool of two animals.
pure undercoat3
combed, not sheared3
What makes the fibre special
Mean diameter of our cashmere fibre, measured in 2024 by an independent testing laboratory: 15.26 µm.8
Upper limit set by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association for certified cashmere.2
Up to this point a fibre may be called "cashmere" at all.1
Fibre diameters compared, in micrometres
The axis is evenly divided up to 20 micrometres and shortened after that.
- Baby cashmere3≈ 13.5
- Our fibre815.3
- Chyangra, Mustang study415.4
- NPIA limit2≤ 17
- Cashmere definition1≤ 19
- Prickle threshold5≈ 30
- Human hair7≈ 78
Chyangra wool from Mustang was scientifically measured in 2022: on average 15.36 micrometres fine and 46 millimetres long.4 Our fibre was measured in 2024 by an independent testing laboratory: on average 15.26 micrometres.8 In diameter it therefore lies exactly within the range of the study – below the Nepalese certification limit of 17 and well below the 19 micrometres up to which a fibre may be called cashmere at all.1 2 For comparison: a human hair measures 78 micrometres on average.7
Why this matters: prickle occurs when fibre ends thicker than about 30 micrometres press against the skin.5 A 15-micrometre fibre bends away before that happens – even directly against the neck.
How many threads are twisted into one yarn.
How densely it is woven – threads per inch.
What the finished piece weighs.
These three values are shown on every product page under "Details".
How it becomes our piece
The yarn is turned into the piece on the hand loom in our workshop.8 A wrap stays on the loom for two to three weeks, a heavy scarf up to four.9 Fringes, patterns and embroidery are also made by hand.9
Three grades, one fibre. Our grades A, B and C describe the composition of the yarn – not the quality of the fibre. The cashmere fibre is the same in all three grades.8
In the trade, "Grade A, B, C" means something else: there it refers to the fineness of the fibre.10 To avoid confusion, we state it explicitly – our fibre is the same in every grade, on average 15.3 micrometres fine.
Pure cashmere
100% cashmere, certified by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association.
Cashmere with virgin wool
Wraps 85% cashmere and 15% virgin wool; scarves and blankets half and half. Certified by the NPIA.
The exact composition of each piece is shown on its product page under "Details".
Four colours come from the goat, all others from the dye bath
Cashmere grows in white, grey, brown and black – white being the rarer natural colour.3 Every other colour of our pieces is created in the dye bath of our workshop.8
There the shade is determined before the bath, not in it: dye powder is weighed on the beam balance and mixed, gram by gram. Whether a red will turn out the same red in the next bath is decided at this balance – with experience, not with a recipe from a catalogue.8
The Chyangra Pashmina standard requires certified pieces to be colourfast and free of harmful azo dyes.2 What does affect the colour nonetheless is direct sunlight – hence the care advice to protect cashmere from sunlight.
How to recognise it
Certified pieces of grades A and B carry the Chyangra Pashmina label of the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association.2 It is only awarded to businesses whose goods stay within the 17-micrometre limit and are colourfast and free of harmful azo dyes.
You can check the certificate number of your piece with us: Check authenticity.
So that it stays this way for a long time
The same advice as on every product page – collected here.
Care and storage
Care
The fineness of the cashmere fibre gives this piece its soft feel, its lightness and its drape. With the right care, these qualities will last for many years.
✓ Air regularly instead of washing often
Cashmere is often called "self-cleaning". That is not quite right – the fibre does not clean itself. But it binds odours inside the fibre and releases them again when aired, and odour-causing bacteria find poor conditions on its dry surface. That is why a cashmere scarf rarely needs washing: aired overnight, it is fresh again the next morning. Anything that has soaked into the fibre – red wine, oil, sweat – must be washed out.
✓ Gentle hand washing recommended
For cleaning, we recommend a gentle hand wash in cold to lukewarm water (max. 30 °C). Use only a high-quality wool or cashmere detergent or a pH-neutral shampoo.
✓ Machine washing only on a special programme
If your care label permits, the piece can be washed on the wool programme at a maximum of 30 °C. Use a laundry bag and a special wool detergent, and select the lowest spin speed.
✓ Do not rub, wring or stretch
The fine cashmere fibres should only be moved gently during washing. Vigorous rubbing, twisting or pulling can impair the fabric and the softness of the fibres.
✓ Remove moisture gently
After washing, carefully squeeze the piece without wringing it. Then roll it up in a clean towel to absorb excess moisture.
✓ Dry flat
Reshape the piece to its original form on a flat surface and leave it to dry flat. Do not hang it up, as the weight of the water can distort the fine fabric. Do not tumble dry.
✓ Protect from heat and direct sunlight
Direct sunlight, radiators or other strong heat sources can dry out the delicate cashmere fibres and impair the brilliance of the colour.
Storage
✓ Store carefully
Always store the piece clean and completely dry. For longer periods of storage, breathable fabric bags and natural moth protection, for example cedarwood or lavender sachets, are recommended.
✓ Cashmere pilling is natural
With high-quality cashmere products, small bobbles (pilling) may occasionally form, especially in the first weeks of wear. This is a natural process and not a quality defect. The bobbles can be removed carefully by hand or with a special cashmere comb.
✓ Professional cleaning if needed
For heavier soiling, professional cleaning by a cleaner experienced in handling high-quality cashmere products is recommended. Always follow the care instructions on the label.
What this fibre cannot do
A lot is claimed about cashmere. Some of it is not true – it was on our own website too, until 2026. What we do not say, and why:
"Six times warmer than sheep wool."There is no series of measurements that proves this.11 Cashmere keeps you warm because the fine fibre traps a lot of air; we do not state a factor.
"Water-repellent."Cashmere absorbs moisture and releases it – that is its strength against sweating, but the opposite of water-repellent.
"Tear-resistant and very strong."Among the fine animal hairs, yak is the stronger fibre.12 Cashmere is fine, not robust – hence the gentle care.
"Does not pill."It does. Over time cashmere forms small bobbles; the cause lies in the scales of the fibre surface.6 They can be removed and are not a defect.
"Self-cleaning."The fibre does not clean itself. It binds odours and releases them when aired; anything that has soaked in must be washed out.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission: Cachet of Cashmere – Complying with the Wool Products Labeling Act. Definition: undercoat of the cashmere goat (Capra hircus laniger), mean diameter ≤ 19 µm, no more than 3% of fibres over 30 µm.
- Nepal Pashmina Industries Association: Chyangra Pashmina Certification – fibre diameter ≤ 17 µm, colourfast, free of harmful azo dyes.
- Sustainable Fibre Alliance: What makes cashmere, cashmere? – usual commercial ranges 15–19 µm, fibre length 28–42 mm, around 110 g per animal per year, combing instead of shearing; natural colours of the herds grey, brown, less often black, white least common.
- Gorkhali, N. A. et al. (2023): Qualitative characteristics of cashmere fiber of Chyangra goat of Nepal. Journal of Nepal Agricultural Research Council 9(1), 114–125. doi:10.3126/jnarc.v9i1.61604.
- Garnsworthy, R. K. et al. (1988): Identification of the physical stimulus and the neural basis of fabric-evoked prickle. Journal of Neurophysiology 59(4), 1083–1097; Naylor, G.: Comfortable next-to-skin wool (CSIRO).
- Wu, Y. et al. (2023): Research on Pilling Performance of Cashmere Knitted Fabric Based on Fiber Frictional Properties. Fibers and Polymers 24(12), 4441–4455. doi:10.1007/s12221-023-00378-3.
- Human hair: overall mean 78 ± 10 µm across 823 subjects from 24 ethnic groups; European Journal of Dermatology (2015), doi:10.1684/ejd.2015.2726.
- SGS-CSTC Standards Technical Services, test report SL12401250023701TX dated 06.05.2024, commissioned by the workshop: fibre content 100% cashmere (AATCC TM20/TM20A), mean fibre diameter 15.26 µm across 602 measured fibres, 95% confidence ± 0.27 µm (ASTM D2130). Composition of the grades, dyeing process: information from the workshop and from Namaste Kids e. V., as on the product pages.
- Weaving times: information from the workshop, as on the product pages under "Details".
- "Grade A / B / C" by fibre fineness is an industry convention without a standard.
- On warmth: Yavuzkasap Ayakta, D. & Öner, E. (2020): The Effect of Cashmere Fibres on the Thermal Comfort Properties of Worsted Fabrics. European Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences 3(1), 1–4 – demonstrates an improvement in thermal comfort, not a factor.
- Strength: Liu et al. (2018), comparative study of the fine animal hairs cashmere, yak and camel.
Last updated: 17.09.2026. This page will be updated when new measurements or studies become available.
With every item sold, the women who wove it are paid. What remains after deducting all selling costs contributes substantially to the work of Namaste Kids e. V.
