Cashmere fabric is a type of cloth made with the application of animal hair for retaining body heat. It has always been one of the most expensive materials with exclusive properties. The luxury of cashmere is still perceived as a sign of high social status.

In different world regions, particular cashmere fibers traditionally enjoyed the highest popularity: in Europe, that was sheep, goat, mohair and angora, in the Middle East, people preferred camel, in the foothills of the Himalayas — cashmere, while in the region of Andes — llama, alpaca, guanaco and vicuña. The production technologies and logistics have advanced with time — these days, we have access to any cashmere fabric type. That is why it is important to know some important features of each one to make the right pick for your outfit.

Today I will share with you what is the number of stitches and what is the number of counts.

First of all, the number of needles refers to the density of cashmere sweaters. The common ones are 1.5G, 3G, 5G, 6G, 7G, 9G, 12G, 14G, 16G (G needle number symbol), that is, how many needles are there between 1 inch? For example, if there are 12 needles, there are 12 needles within 1 inch, as shown in Figure 2. That is, the higher the number of stitches, the denser the knitting. Of course, the number of stitches to choose is also determined according to the yarn count or design requirements.

What is that number?

Count refers to the fineness of cashmere yarn, for example, 26 refers to the length of 1 gram of cashmere woven into yarn 26 meters. By analogy, 36 counts mean that 1 gram of cashmere is woven into 36 meters. The higher the count, the finer the yarn.

What does single-ply, double-ply, and triple-ply cashmere yarn mean?

For example, 1 gram of cashmere spinning is 26 meters long and is a single strand of cashmere yarn. The double-strand is to twist together two yarns of the same count and specification, which is 26 double-strands, and the three strands are added together.

Then combined with the number of stitches, it is common that the thickness of the 26 double-strand 12G is just right, and most of the bottoming shirts you buy are of this specification. The double-strand 48 uses 14G, which is slightly thinner.

Of course, the 14G needle type can also be used for the double-ply 26-count yarn, so that the knitting will be tighter than that of the 12G needle type, and the cashmere sweater is relatively heavier in weight and warmer.

In addition, generally less than 36 counts are called cashmere spinning, and more than 48 counts are called worsted spinning.

Well, now you know all about the beautiful natural material that is cashmere!

Here at our store, we have a lovely range of cashmere clothing to buy online, with a selection of sweaters, vests, coats and hats to browse.

If you have any questions about our cashmere clothing, then feel free to email us at: customerservice@realsilklife.com