Knitwear
For some of us who love the winter, have one jumper and don't feel the cold , the intensity some people feel towards their knitwear is beyond belief. If we feel the cold and need layer upon layer to keep warm in winter our knitwear is our first love…after our furry boots! If you are the cold blooded type, in our opinion, knitwear is worth investing in for year on year enjoyment. The good news is that high street woollens have improved tremendously over the last few years. These days you can buy woollens at any price and quality but we want to help to steer you through some of the issues to consider when buying yet another jumper for your winter wardrobe.
Cashmere
"Cashmere is a great fabric because it glides over problem areas, can be dressed up or down and makes you feel good and luxurious" Anne Hankey
Although Cashmere is a wonderful yarn, unfortunately not all cashmere is created equal! Cashmere is a rare fibre that comes from the under down of the cashmere goat. It usually takes a goat 4 years to grow enough cashmere for one jumper! Each goat is hand combed every Spring. The fibres are collected, sorted by hand and knitted on hand operated machines. The scarcity of the fibres, the work involved in collecting, sorting and knitting the fibres, mean that cashmere has traditionally being a very expensive commodity. 
Cashmere comes in three different colours, grey, brown and white. The quality of the fibre differs from area to area. The white fibre is the finest and most expensive. The coarser, darker Mongolian fibres are less expensive. Cashmere fibres also differs in length. The longer fibres are better quality because of their strength. Ironically, the finest fibre is produced from goats who have a poor diet and live in the most adverse weather conditions. Good quality cashmere is traditionally a two ply yarn.
This sounds all very complicated when trying to work out if a cashmere jumper is good quality! Don't worry, we have a few tips to help you.
Choosing Your Cashmere..a few tips!
Let your fingers judge the quality
Cashmere should feel very soft, smooth and luxurious to the touch. Cashmere should also snap back to it's original shape when it is pulled apart. Limp fabric is a sure sign of cheap knitwear.
Check out for pilling
Cheaper cashmere knitwear will have a lot of surface fibre, which will look fuzzy and feel initially soft. As we said before, cashmere should be smooth and soft. Cashmere made from longer fibres should not pill. Pilling is caused from shorter fibres forming into small balls on the surface of the knitwear. You can expect pilling to occur in most new knitwear. This is will not be a problem for good quality knitwear after the first wash.
A great website for invaluable advice is www.cashmereshopping.co.uk. Grab a helpful pilling comb from this site to help maintain your woollens!
Look closely at the weave
Manufacturers will cut the cost of making cashmere knitwear by loosely knitting the cashmere.
Check out the colour. Remember that the lighter cashmere fibre was the higher quality? Dying harms the feel of the fibre. The smoother the fibre at the outset of dying the smoother it will be as a darker colour. You will be able to tell a cheaper fibre that has been dyed as it will not feel particularly smooth or soft.
Where is it made?
Knitwear made in Europe has traditionally been of the highest quality with the highest price tag! Definitely a Fur Coat item! Knitwear made in China varies in quality. Provided that it has been well made with quality cashmere, you needn't worry. It pays to read the label with anything that says that it is made in China, Mongolia or any of the traditional sweat shop countries. If the label warns that it may pill, this is a sure sign that it is made from cheaper quality cashmere.
Fur Coat Cashmere
The lesson for us all is to follow the tips above, NO MATTER what the price tag is.
No Knickers Cashmere
FCaNK Recommends:
Fur Coat Cashmere £ 75+
Simply Cashmere for accessories and home furnishings
Marilyn Moore for cashmere
Mautitian made cashmere knitwear. It is usualy labelled Cashmere on Maille Street.
No Knickers Cashmere £35+
In Summary
Only pay Fur Coat cashmere prices if you know that it is good quality. Follow our tips to ascertain this. Manufacturers are wise to the marketing ploy; using the word cashmere on the label to add 30% onto the price. Always read a knitwear label to be sure of what you are getting. See Know Your Fabrics. You can take this with you to the shops!
All Other Knitwear!
When choosing quality knitwear, whatever the price tag, it pays to follow the same rules for choosing cashmere. In other words, let your fingers and eyes judge the quality. Knitwear should be soft and feel luxurious. Depending on the type of wool or fibre, it should also pass the softness test! Sheep's wool is by far the most popular and versatile fibre. It ranges from very coarse to very fine fibre. Look at Know Your Fabrics for more information on choosing knitwear.
Having some statement knitwear pieces in your wardrobe is very useful and snug. FCaNK loves cable knit cardigans. They are a wonderful no brainer statement that can be slung over skirts or jeans. The online store Toast are particularly good at knitwear and cable knits. Zara and Gap often produce gorgeous cable knits in a range of colours. John Lewis sometimes sneakily hide fabulous cable knit shrugs and poncho's in their scarves section and are priced at around £25. Uniqlo is great for throw on knitwear in all sorts of styles and colourways.
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