Is cashmere worth it?

I use something called Soak for my bras and it is also good for cashmere I'm told. I don't know as I'm wary of cashmere not being certain of its provenance. You don't need to rinse it out which I know goes against the grain. Works a treat on my bras anyway.

eccentric tell her to put them in a plastic bag and then into the freezer fo a day. It kills any moth eggs. Then keep them in lidded storage boxes with the modern, nicer smelling moth repellents.

X

Actually I bought my old man one (one only) which he really loved, but he eventually killed when he wore it cutting grass (with no grass-catching thingy on) and then the very thorny hedge.. not good.

I've gathered cashmere (and have worn it constantly in chilly times) for years. If I liked it and had the cash, it was mine to love and cherish. I wash it in the machine, in a mesh laundry bag, on the cold wash cycle. No problems. Dry on the pulley. Perfect.

I only ever had one cashmere sweater. It was red and very soft and cuddly. It was hand wash only, but I did spin it in the washer. I bought it at Gretna Green and wore it until it had holes in the elbows. Never had another though.

"Smell disgusting" ..... well they do. She's 23,imagine going on a romantic date smelling of those! Ha

Mothballs?

My young daughter lives in Paris. She has had a terrible problem with little holes in her woollen clothing. Any tips I can pass on to her please?

Well I love cashmere but not the price tag ,so I always search in second hand shops for it, I get some real bargains. Just recently bought a size 20 autograph m and s, cream cashmere sweater. I'm size 8, so it's all soft and big and cozy. My old landsend cashmere I bought full price 18 years ago is the best quality I've ever owned.

Only ever had one cashmere cardi, a John Lewis own brand. I love it as it is so warm and I have had it several winters. It did shrink a bit on first washing - which I did carefully by hand - but it stretched back to fit. Can't afford Cashmere now though as I am retired so hope my cardi lasts a few more years.

Some years ago I bought a stripy cashmere jumper from M&S and it has been fabulous, as good as the day I bought it and I just wash it on a delicates setting. Encouraged by that I bought a cardigan last year from the same store. Disaster? Lots of bobbling even after using a cashmere comb. Nothing like the quality of the original garment so I won't buy their cashmere again.

Was it you thatbags who bought a beautiful cardi/jacket/jumper from that South American company? (Peruvian Connection, or some such?)
I wonder if they still exist?

Yes, well worth it. Love cashmere cardigans, had one for nine years and still looks good. Some say you can machine wash now, but it's easy to hand wash, spin in a bag and dry flat. ( Cashmere dries very quickly ) None of my cardigans have ever 'balled' , I think thatbags is right about the various quality of the fibres.

Cashmere is a wool which is spun into 4 threads and the wool which is used now has two or even 1 thread. It can't have the quality which pure cashmere has. I have a 'Windsor' jacket which I bought at a Rotary Club 2ndhandSale and it is 100% Cashmere and is wonderful. Warming and cooling- it adapts to temperature. Unfortunately I have outgrown it sizewise but the perfect quality puts me off buying M&S cashmere things.

I think they only use treated wool just like nobody uses real heavy silk nowadays. These fabrics are worked to death and spun out as thin as possible. Of course if you are wealthy or the Duchess of...... you will get the real thing.
If you do have it then wash it by hand, rinse and then just a slow spin.
not a lot of effort to keep a loved garment looking nice.
Cashmere and pure wool do resist dirt, they don't often need washing.

Cashmere is gorgeous and well worth the hype. However, it is the very devil to care for. My cool wool wash shrank my lovely jumper to dolly's size. I don't bother with it now. Life's too short.

love cashmere expensive best wears well machine wash no moths but my daughter has stores hers in freezer .

I love my cashmere jumpers and cardigans of which I have several but the moths love them too. They ignore pure wool and alpaca and just go for the cashmere

I love cashmere, but it does require care. I always hand wash my jumpers any way. Don't use fabric conditioner on it, the fibres clog.

Also, after the final rinse gently squeeze the water out then lay it flat on a towel and roll up, like a Swiss roll! This removes most of the moisture. Then dry on an airer.

I store mine in a plastic box with a lid to keep the moths away! Moths love cashmere.

Whether it's worth the bother is a personal thing!

x

I buy cashmere, wash it on wool setting with silk and wool wash, dry it flat-ish on dryer or line. All of it as good as new. Do the same with all wool and alpaca all with brilliant results

It makes me itch! Luckily!

If you wear a shirt or T under your cashmere, you won't need to wash it more than once a year unless you spill food down it. Wool likewise. Wool, including cashmere, does not hold onto dirt.

Quality varies, as with most things. If your cashmere balls with wear, it is wool off various parts of a Kashmir goat rather than what is real cashmere, which is wool taken from the underbelly of the goat only, and the underneath wool at that.

I had a cashmere jumper from Orvis that had obviously been cheaply made because seams started to come apart and stitches started to come undone at the neck even before I had washed it. I sent it back and they refunded my money.

I also have a cashmere tunic that I've had for years and worn a lot. It still looks perfect. So, yes, if you get good quality cashmere, it is worth it, so long as you intend to use it for years.

My washing machine has a hand wash setting which processes my cashmere jumpers perfectly well. But tumble drying is fatal. I put a cardigan in the drier at a low setting and had to pass it on to my DiL as it lost at least two sizes.

I agree about the bobbling (the word just came to me Charlygirl ), although those shaver gadgets do work for that. It's also too expensive for something I could easily ruin washing it. Even if you can dry clean cashmere, that's expensive too.

But tbh, as a vegetarian I would not buy cashmere because of how the goats are treated.

I've always been put off by the price, but think I might one day treat myself to one, just for the hell of it. You have to live, dammit!