Problems with cashmere

[pillowmysticals]

I'm presuming it's me? Since it is such a popular material at diverse price ranges..

I have never had a good experience with it. Do you have to pay a fortune to avoid that?
I buy only a few items each year, some in summer, a few in winter, so am not averse to the occasional flutter. But history proves me wring with cashmere. So far over the years I have purchased from Whistles (£170 range), M&S (£100), COS (£150 ish), White Company (£150) and Uniqlo (can't recall).

Considering many of these are still very expensive, almost all of them were problematic even though I took very good care of them. The Whistles for example became unwearable within 2 months, and I only wore soft things over it, kept it in a mothfree bag and tried to avoid it being chafed by anything. Sadly it shed and bobbled badly almost immediately, and now looks like someone indiscriminately attacked with a lady shaver.

The COS example formed two holes at the neck seam, the White Co forming a hole in the back and shedding which made me sneeze. The others just looked fed up quickly and never felt warm. I took care, as said, and very gently handwashed, lied flat, etc etc.

The only cashmere items I have ever had that kept it's beauty is a hat from Brora. This is used constantly through winter, handwashed and thrown around and STILL looks as plush, unbobbled and lovey as it did new.

Any advice? Would you avoid all high street cashmere? I would love a cardi from Poetry but am afraid of the same thing. Is there a price point where it doesn't degrade quickly?

Agree with PestorPeston. I don't really understand how we've come to view cashmere as everyday knitwear. Well OK I know the history, but I still think of it first and foremost as a luxury product that some of my posher friends got for their 21st birthdays that was stored in tissue paper and saved for best. I know it's beautiful and feels great but, as I've already said once today, if I want knitwear that's warm, hardwearing and that I can wash on a wool cycle (and not even very often) then I'll go for something like lambswool every time.

@pillowmysticals it's not brilliant. But it does depend on the garment, as the quality seems to be variable. I have a Cashmere biker cardigan from Wrap ( same company as Poetry ) & it's worn brilliantly. In contrast the lightweight cashmere jumpers from there need stretching into shape after each wash.
I think there's a move towards inferior quality Cashmere. Old M&S Cashmere was fantastic quality, compared to the more recent models. Again I have Whistles Cashmere that's a few years old & it's fine after being de-bobbled with a battery operated Phillips device.
I also have a Cashmere Coatigan from Daddy's Daughters that's a few years old and it's fantastic heavy quality Cashmere.

I agree lambswool is very nice and easier to take care of, but it makes me itch and sneeze. Merino is better, but it never feels soft on the skin.

It's not really a chore to handwash cashmere. I use Eucalan or The Laundress wash then roll in a towel. It doesn't seem to get dirty very quickly, so socks every 2 days and jumpers when I can be bothered! I tried socks in the washing machine but it did not go well.....

I love knitwear. Lambswool is a great option too and overlooked. It’s not always easy to find lambswool, as often it’s just regular wool.

I had some fabulous knitwear from Pringle which I got discounted from their outlet store about 10 years ago. My ex husband was passive aggressive and put it in a regular wash. My daughter wore it for a few years. He thought Merino wool was like polyester so I’ve always bought that. He didn’t put it in the regular wash. Now he is gone I’m saving up for proper cashmere.

I was going to link to the same Twitter thread that @PestorPeston has. I came across this the other day and it explains a lot. I've got a beautiful Brora cardi. I've got cheaper H&M, Gap, Uniqlo and M&S cashmere and it's still lovely but it's definitely lighter weight and more prone to bobbling. I've got some Boden and Pure Collection cashmere too which has lasted well (must stop buying knitwear 😳).
Merino is soft too and is easier to maintain in my experience.

Thank you for sharing the link- it’s really interesting.

I buy the John Lewis and Pure, both have been good but Pure is better

I've had a Costco one for over 10 years' and no bobbling

Thing is, I doubt we need 'lots' of knitwear anyway. For those of us who say we prioritise quality and ethics then buying much less is the only answer. I currently have 3 knits (non cashmere) and two underlayers. Technically speaking, since they are high quality and don't need a lot of washing, it makes sense to actually not buy anymore.
If we are purchasing expensive, high quality items we shouldn't need to buy new each year. I suppose that is the point. Reading the link and thinking about it, I will just give it a miss.

Around 10 years ago when people were still blogging instead of instagram, I used to follow some ethically minded 'minimalists' who oddly enough found a reason to throw stuff away each year and buy new. Took me a while to catch on to the farce. The excuse was always 'buy better, buy less' which oddly enough never seemed to work out quite as it should

I’m a knitter. My hand knits don’t get washed that often, especially the 100% wool from the likes of Jamieson and Smith.

Mongolia has been over grassed, cashmere is probably over .
Alpaca is warm and soft, not incredibly robust but not bad.

The fibres I would look to in the future are blends that contain luster wools, Bluefaced Leicester, Wensleydale, Romney and Masham. Celtic and co have some, other outlets are available. www.celticandco.com/womens/clothing/knitwear

I have M & S and Darmart cashmere, I wash in the machine, it bobbles under the arms but otherwise no issues. Bobbling doesn't bother me though as I tend to wear it under bigger jumpers for warmth. I've tried merino and new wool, but find them too itchy. My cashmere jumpers are old though so maybe the quality has gone down hill.

Are you buying cashmere for the soft plush factor or warmth?

ice breaker Merino is the best wool product I have found high priced but longest wearing/ easy care woollen layers ever brought.

other cashmere layers for evening lush feel- Brodie or Denner Both have worn fabulously- all depends on your style or budget.

Most of my knitwear is cashmere. I can't deal with scratchy fabrics or manmade stuff and ordinary wool drives me mad. I've been collecting it slowly for years and buy good quality but in the sale.

I generally buy a size or two up and wash on a very cool wash. John Lewis is worth a look - got a gorgeous jumper there a few weeks back.

I buy vintage Jaeger cashmere and never disappointed.

Dinner cashmere is fantastic, the sales are great too.

I have a cardigan from Pure that’s wearing well, but only a year old. No shedding or bits, lovely and warm.

I have quite a few cashmere jumpers and cardigans- I wash them in the machine in a normal cycle. But all mine is second-hand from charity shops. I only pay a few quid for them. Even if it’s not a style or colour I particularly like, I would still buy it to use as a base layer in winter. Nothing has bobbled or shed. One does have a moth hole, but it had that before I bought it.

Always machine wash my cashmere at 30. My DH started doing the laundry and destroyed my cashmere collection by washing at 40 😒 but at 30 it was fine, and I used a debobbler to get rid of bobbles (£10 or so).

The only cashmere I’ve had that didn’t bobble at all was a dressing gown from cynthia rowley aka tkmaxx. Otherwise debobble regularly.

The thin items may go out of shape but thicker cashmere items generally keep their shape for years.

Anyone else find it very hard to part with old cashmere? I have a cedar chest where I save the worn out jumpers etc for repurposing. I tell myself that the unworn parts are too nice to throw away, and intend to make a patchwork blanket one day....although I haven't so far!

I have made a few wristwarmers, infinity scarves etc from accidentally felted items, they are so easy to sew. Turtledoves sell similar, but diy is a doddle.

There is so much secondhand cashmere out there, and it is hard to pass up a bargain. My adult DD found me a Hermes sleeveless top for £1 a few years ago! I loved it, it was so delicate and feather light. Eventually it got attacked by moths grr but I cut out the good bits and made myself the tiniest ever neck warmer....very luxurious. I am (not) ashamed to say I snipped out and re attached the Hermes label! Short of a lottery win that is the only Hermes knitwear I will ever own.

Oh dear, reading that back it sounds a bit mad............but S&B is a safe space!

You’ve inspired me- I’ve just purchased my first second hand Pure cashmere jumper on eBay!

I have quite a lot of cashmere, from various sources (not Brora though!) and it does indeed vary massively. I think just about the best thing I have is a beautiful plum coloured cropped cardigan which had the label removed - charity shop find. (Pretty much all my favourite jumpers are from charity shops!) I adore it and wear it with dresses all the time. Have never had to debobble it. I also have a Boden cropped cardigan which DH bought me as a birthday present, worn carefully, not that often - and it's already looking shoddy. Supermarket cashmere (eg Tesco) ought to be crappy but I have a navy blue Tesco jumper from a charity shop that's worn very well (but the moths love it!).

It's not just the material that dictates how well the fabric will wear, it's the yarn twist and the knitting technique and tension. DH has a beautiful red cashmere jumper from Fat Face (so, cheap cashmere, but it was so lovely I couldn't resist it) and it's a very loose knit (i.e. lots of 'space' between the stitches/yarn). Looser fabrics will wear away faster as there's more friction. The staple (length of wool fibre in the twisted yarn) makes a huge difference too, so a shorter staple will feel less cushy and soft than a longer one, on the whole. I think I remember reading that cheaper cashmere uses less luxe grades of fibre.

Pilling happens to even the best woollen garments though, but I've learned that a sign of a good quality knitted jumper (cashmere or other natural fibre) is that when you remove the bobbles, it still looks like new. I do have a debobbler (Phillips) but remember part of the attraction of cashmere should be that it has a 'bloom' of gentle fuzz and if you're too zealous with the shaver gadget you'll lose the bloom and your nice jumper will look cheap and shaven.

Nothing wrong with that, TeaAndStrumpets (brilliant username BTW)! Cashmere is a luxury fabric so why wouldn't you want to save it? I buy old cashmere jumpers in charity shops (if not stupidly priced) expressly to make hot water bottle covers/wrist warmers/heat pillows. We all have to reuse a lot more and I think it's great to be able to get more use out of something that a lot of people would throw away.

I just unpacked all of mine, carefully stored over the summer and every single item has been moth eaten. About 8 jumped and cardigans.

This. Mine is mostly from Pure and TKMaxx. Apart from a new red jumper i got in TKMaxx a couple of weeks ago, it's mostly years old. And cashmere socks from Waitrose. It all goes in the washing machine. Handwashing is definitely a chores compared with chucking it in the machine and setting the program to woollens.

I have an Alpaca cardigan, which I've had to sew round the neck, where it was starting to fray, but otherwise it's lasted well (it's well over a decade old, as my mother was with me when I bought it, and she find in 2009, and I'd had it a few years then.) I also have some Merino and lambswool, which won't do for those who get itchy in wool (I'm fine as long as it's not directly against my skin.)

And it all goes in the machine.

As the twitter thread says the quality is all about the length of the cashmere strands - short is soft and fluffy generally when you are in the shop but can wear like cotton wool. Brora however use long strands and the cashmere genuinely lasts for years as long as you keep away from moths. I keep each jumper in a separate zip lock bag all the time and that has worked. Second hand brora is I think a huge bargain particularly for classic styles and colours. Of course brora is made in Scotland by actual adults paid a living wage. Also worth looking at aethel also UK made they break down the manufacturing cost of each item on their website so you can see how price is built up