How Not To Sweat It Out When Taking Care of Your Cashmere Sweater

Your cashmere sweater is an expensive garment, and you would want to enjoy its luxurious comfort for years and years to come. You can use cashmere in all seasons, so you probably will have it always handy. But there will be times when you have to care for it, to add years to its life.

Be Sure Of What You Buy

Cashmere is known for soft fibers. They give you natural insulation at very light weights and without bulk. Their high moisture content makes the natural insulation of cashmere adjust to the relative humidity in air; this makes it possible for you to use them in all climates, in all seasons. Few things feel more luxurious than pure cashmere sweaters. And you can feel the difference when you hold it in your hands. It should be smooth, not slick.

Most cashmere sweaters on the market are made from two-ply fiber. Still it does not hurt to make sure. This will assure you that it will be sturdy enough to withstand years of use.

Take Care of the Sweater

You will need to guard against piling, especially along the elbows and arms, by avoiding abrasive surfaces. If they do occur, it makes more sense to snip them off with a sharp pair of scissors; trying to brush the piles away will only damage the cashmere sweater further.

When washing your cashmere sweater, use warm water and mild soap. Hand-washing is the best way to take care of your sweater. If you must machine wash, put it inside a tied pillowcase and use the gentlest settings on the machine. Do not ever wring or twist the garment. Instead, lay it on a dry towel, position the sweater in its original shape and roll up the towel. Pressing the towel will remove the excess moisture. In drying it, lay it on a dry towel on a flat surface. You should never let the sweater hang by its own weight, especially when wet, so that it will stay in shape.

If you use lotions, deodorants and the like, have them dry out first before putting on your cashmere sweater. Avoid getting any chemicals to stick onto the fabric. If you cannot avoid that and stubborn stains develop, it may be necessary to dry clean.

When you wish to store your cashmere sweater, make sure it is freshly laundered and clean. You have heard it said that moths are attracted to the wool. The fact is, moths are attracted to soiled and stained sweaters, not to the garment itself. Putting it in a garment bag should be helpful. It should help, too, to add natural moth repellents like cloves or dried orange peel, but wrap these in a sachet so they don’t stain your expensive cashmere sweater.

Do It Yourself: Raising Angora Goats - Voice of America

Do It Yourself: Raising Angora Goats Voice of America 07 May 2012 Do It Yourself: Raising Angora Goats TO DOWNLOAD the MP3 of this story, click on the MP3 link in the upper right corner of the page. Double-click any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary.

Pagosa Fiber Festival this weekend in Town Park - Pagosa Springs Sun

Pagosa Fiber Festival this weekend in Town Park Pagosa Springs Sun With respect to the public, the aim of the Pagosa Fiber Festival is to educate everyone about the wide variety of fiber animals — alpacas, angora and cashmere goats, angora rabbits, llamas, Scottish Highlander Cattle, sheep and yak — and the ...

Snapp Shots: New lambs at Oakland's Fairyland will never seem like sheep - Contra Costa Times

Snapp Shots: New lambs at Oakland's Fairyland will never seem like sheep Contra Costa Times "And they've been raised with alpacas, llamas and goats, so they should fit right in with the other animals in our corral." The little guys, who were donated by Dr. Jamie Peyton of Elysian Oaks Farm in Winters, are chocolate colored with black faces ... and more »

Mineral-Rich Mongolia Rapidly Becoming 'Minegolia' - New Hampshire Public Radio

New Hampshire Public Radio

Mineral-Rich Mongolia Rapidly Becoming 'Minegolia' New Hampshire Public Radio The firm turns raw cashmere from Mongolian goats into sweaters, jackets and shawls, and exports them to more than 40 countries. Mongolia's new mineral wealth drove inflation to more than 12 percent last year, forcing Gobi to raise workers' wages by ... and more »

family fun in Corydon, Indiana - Dayton Daily News

family fun in Corydon, Indiana Dayton Daily News When health issues made farming difficult, he decided to raise alpacas. He brought eight alpacas to his New Salisbury farm in 2001. Ems welcomes visitors free of charge by appointment to meet the gentle creatures known for their cashmere-like fleece.