How a Cashmere Sweater being made, from the undercoat of cashmere goats to a finished garment
All Pictures and information are from CH Cashmere Factory, who is a professional cashmere factory to produce cashmere knittings, like cashmere sweater, scarves, pants,etc.
Cashmere is one of the most luxurious and coveted fibers in the world. It is soft, warm, lightweight, and durable. But how does a knitting factory turn cashmere fibers into a cozy sweater? In this blog post, we will explore the process of making a cashmere sweater, from the raw material to the finished product.
The Source of Cashmere
Cashmere comes from the fine undercoat of cashmere goats, which are mainly raised in North of China. The undercoat grows during the cold winter months and is shed in the spring. The cashmere fibers are collected by combing or shearing the goats, and then sorted by color, length, and fineness. Usually, combing fabers is better than shearing fabers. The finer and longer the fibers, the higher the quality and price of the cashmere.
The Spinning of Cashmere Yarn
The cashmere fibers are then washed, carded, and combed to remove any dirt, grease, and short hairs. The resulting product is called cashmere tops, which are ready to be spun into yarn. Spinning is the process of twisting the fibers together to form a continuous strand of yarn. Now all yarn will be spun by variety machines, depending on the desired thickness and texture. The yarn can also be dyed at this stage to achieve different colors.
The Knitting of Cashmere Sweater
The cashmere yarn is then knitted into a sweater by using a flat-bed knitting machine This machine can create different types of knit structures and patterns by varying the needle actions and yarn feeders. For example, plain knit, rib knit, cable knit, Jacquard and intarsia are some of the common knitting patterns for cashmere sweaters.
A cashmere sweater is not knitted as a whole piece but rather in different panels, such as front panel, back panel, sleeves, and neck. After knitting is finished, these panels are taken for linking, where they are sewn together to form a full sweater. Linking will be done by hand and assisted by machine. The accuracy and quality are highly required.
The Finishing of Cashmere Sweater
The final step of making a cashmere sweater is finishing, which involves washing, drying, pressing, trimming, and inspecting the sweater. Washing removes any excess dye and oil from the yarn and softens the fabric. Drying can be done by tumble drying or flat drying to maintain the shape and size of the sweater. Pressing smooths out any wrinkles and enhances the appearance of the knit structure. Trimming removes any loose threads or yarn ends from the seams and edges. Inspecting checks for any defects or flaws in the sweater and ensures that it meets the quality standards.