The largest producer of raw cashmere in the world is India.
In the 15th century, the ruler of the Kashmir principality, located high in the Himalayas, brought weavers from Turkestan and thus began the manufacturing of woolen cloth from local goats. Their special feature is their fleece, which is made of two layers to provide protection from the cold of the Himalayas. The lower layer is fine and very soft, and the upper is coarser. Cashmere wool is harvested in the spring when the goats change their winter coat. The soft layer is then separated from the coarser one, and the resulting wool is ready for dyeing and turning into yarn, fabrics and clothes. The coarser top layer of wool is used to make brushes. It is estimated that the average annual yield of pure cashmere per animal is about 150 grams, which explains the high price of cashmere clothing. Cashmere is also valuable for its softness and longevity, in addition to warming eight times more than ordinary wool. Cashmere fabrics should be washed carefully, as there is always a risk of shrinkage. It is best to do this by hand with lukewarm water and wool detergent, then dry in a horizontal position.
Another type of high quality wool is mohair, which is extracted from the fleece of angora goats.
The Angora goat is believed to have originated in Tibet, but also appeared in Turkey in the 16th century. Around 1820, the export of raw mohair began from Turkey to England, which gradually became a leading producer of mohair fabrics. Until 1849, Angora goats were bred only in the Turkish region of Ankara, but due to the great demand for mohair yarns in Europe, attempts were made to cross them with ordinary breeds of goats. Mohair yarn from younger animals is used to make clothes, and carpets and fabrics for outerwear are woven from the coarse fibers of older animals.
Mohair fiber is very elastic and strong. It has a luster that changes according to the weather, which is why mohair fibers are often used in textile braids to give them their characteristics. About 5-8 kg of wool is sheared from one goat per year. The world's largest producer of mohair is South Africa, followed by the United States.
Compared to cashmere, mohair is not a soft yarn, but it is durable, long-lasting, dyes extremely well, has a natural shine and does not step. Due to these qualities, it is considered a luxury item and its price is higher than the price of most sheep wool.
Cashmere is one of the leading fabrics in the collections of a number of world designers for the Autumn - Winter seasons, and mohair is preferred nowadays for knitting various woolen clothes such as: sweaters, cardigans, scarves, even dresses.
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