Question 1

Is the throw really 100% cashmere?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every strand is cashmere from the Hanshan white goat, with no wool, nylon or polyester blended in. That matters, because a label can say 100% cashmere and still describe thin yarn spun for yield rather than quality. Ours is four strands of cashmere twisted into one yarn and knitted at 720 to 1500 grams per square metre, so the throw feels full and substantial in the hand.

Question 2

How can you tell good cashmere from cheap cashmere?

Accepted Answer

Look at three things: the fineness of the fibre, the number of plies in the yarn, and how densely it is knitted. Fine cashmere measures around 14 to 16 microns. A yarn of two or more plies keeps its shape, while single-ply yarn tends to thin where it rubs. A dense knit also wears better than a loose one, which can feel soft at first and then slacken with use. Our throw is spun from 14 to 16 micron cashmere, four-ply, and knitted at 720 to 1500 gsm.

Question 3

What does four-ply cashmere mean?

Accepted Answer

Four-ply means four fine strands of cashmere are twisted together to make each yarn. The finished yarn is fuller and rounder than a single strand, so the knit is denser, holds its cables crisply and is less likely to stretch or thin with use. It is also what gives the knit its substantial weight, from 720 to 1500 grams per square metre.

Question 4

Where does Sensoire's cashmere come from?

Accepted Answer

Our cashmere comes from the Hanshan white cashmere goat, raised on the grasslands around Chifeng in Inner Mongolia. The goats grow a fine, downy undercoat through the cold winter, and in spring it is combed out by hand. That undercoat is the only fibre in the throw.

Question 5

Why does a cashmere throw cost more than a wool one?

Accepted Answer

Because there is far less of it. One goat gives roughly 50 to 200 grams of cashmere a year, combed by hand in spring, while a sheep can give several kilograms of wool from a single shearing. Our throw holds more than a kilogram of four-ply cashmere, so each one carries the yearly undercoat of several goats.

Question 6

Is cashmere warmer than wool?

Accepted Answer

Weight for weight, cashmere usually feels warmer than ordinary sheep's wool. Its fibres are much finer, so a light knit holds plenty of still air close to the body and feels warm without feeling heavy. Wool is sturdier and costs less, which suits a bed blanket or a throw for a busy family room. Cashmere is the one to wrap around yourself, next to bare skin.

Question 7

Is cashmere itchy?

Accepted Answer

Fine cashmere feels soft rather than prickly against bare skin. The prickle people associate with wool comes from thicker, stiffer fibres pressing on the skin, and cashmere fibres are far finer than ordinary wool. A new throw can release a few loose surface fibres at first, which may tickle until they work free; this settles with use.

Question 8

Will a cashmere throw make me too hot?

Accepted Answer

It is unlikely to feel stuffy. Cashmere is a natural animal fibre that breathes and lets moisture move away from the skin, so it keeps you warm without the clammy heat that polyester fleece can trap. That makes it comfortable through a long evening on the sofa, or as an extra layer at the foot of the bed in winter.

Question 9

Can I use the throw on my bed?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as a finishing layer rather than a full blanket. At 90 × 180 cm it is sized for one person: laid across the foot of a double or king-size bed, its length runs across the width of the mattress, or you can pull it over the duvet on a cold night. It will not cover a whole mattress the way a bed blanket does.

Question 10

Cashmere, alpaca or mohair: which should I choose for a throw?

Accepted Answer

All three are warm natural fibres, and the choice comes down to feel. Alpaca is dense and warm, and is often chosen by people who find sheep's wool itchy. Mohair, from the Angora goat, is lustrous, springy and hard-wearing. Cashmere is the finest of the three, so it is the lightest for the warmth it gives, with a soft, slightly brushed surface that sits gently against bare skin.

Question 11

How do I wash a cashmere throw?

Accepted Answer

Hand wash it in cool water with a gentle wool detergent, or have it dry cleaned. Choose a detergent made for wool with no enzymes, because the protein-digesting enzymes in everyday detergents can weaken animal fibres. Squeeze the water through gently without rubbing or wringing, press it out between towels, and dry the throw flat away from direct heat and sunlight, since a wet knit stretches if it is hung.

Question 12

Can I machine wash or tumble dry cashmere?

Accepted Answer

We advise against both. Heat and agitation make cashmere fibres lock together and felt, and a dense knit can shrink and lose the shape of its cables. Cashmere sold as machine washable has usually been given an anti-shrink finish that smooths the natural scales on each fibre. Our throw is made to be washed by hand instead, which is gentler and keeps it soft and true to size. Never tumble dry.

Question 13

How often should I wash it?

Accepted Answer

Only when it is actually soiled. Cashmere tends to resist odours, so between washes it is usually enough to shake the throw out and air it for an afternoon by an open window or outdoors in the shade. Brush off any dust once it is dry and spot-clean small marks with cool water. Fewer washes keep the fibres soft for longer.

Question 14

Does cashmere pill?

Accepted Answer

A little, in the first weeks. Loose fibres on the surface roll into small pills where the throw rubs against a sofa or a sleeve, and this eases once they have worked free. Lift them gently with a cashmere comb rather than pulling them off by hand. A four-ply yarn in a dense knit pills less than thin, loosely knitted cashmere.

Question 15

How do I store cashmere and keep moths away?

Accepted Answer

Store it clean, folded and somewhere dry. Clothes moths are drawn to natural fibres that carry traces of skin oils or food, so wash or air the throw before putting it away for the warmer months. Keep it in a breathable cotton bag rather than plastic, add cedar blocks or lavender sachets if you like, and take it out to air every few months.

Cable Knit Cashmere Throw · 90 × 180 cm

The Cashmere Throw

From the Hanshan White Goat

Knitted with Depth

Sized for One

Product Details

Cashmere Questions, Answered

Reviews