The Cashmere story

Cashmere is one of the rarest and most precious natural fibres in the world.

Cashmere’s remarkable story begins in one of the world’s most desolate high plateaux of Mongolia and Xinjlang in China, where nomadic tribesmen comb out, by hand, the fine underfleece from the wiry mountain goats which thrive in the icy temperatures.  Rarity of this fibre is underlined in the fact that it actually takes the underfleece fibre from three goats to produce enough yarn for one sweater.

The very complicated processes of transforming the fibre into knitting yarn was pioneered and developed in the UK.  The course and protective outer hair is removed, leaving a white inner hair with a soft, ‘fluffy’ texture.  A sophisticated dyeing process follows, and the fibre is spun into a yarn which is used for kitting cashmere garments.

A combination of Barrie’s renowned knitwear development skills, a heritage of unique traditional handcrafted workmanship, and the ability to bathe cashmere garments in Scotland’s clean and clear waters ensure that the finished garments have a unique softness and luxurious beauty in the final step of The Cashmere Trail adventure.