Cashmere wool

Cashmere wool is a fine natural fiber from the soft undercoat of cashmere goats. Its low weight, softness, and warmth make it prized for clothing and textiles.

Cashmere goat: A domesticated goat breed raised for its fine undercoat and, in some regions, meat. Its seasonal undercoat is the source of cashmere fiber.
Moulting: The seasonal shedding of an animal’s coat as old hair is replaced. Cashmere goats naturally shed their undercoat as temperatures rise.
Cashmere sweater: A knitted garment made wholly or partly from cashmere yarn. Sweaters are a familiar use of cashmere’s soft, insulating fibers.
Kashmir shawl: A finely woven or embroidered shawl associated with the Kashmir region of South Asia. Kashmir shawls helped make cashmere textiles renowned in global trade.
Pastoralism: A livelihood based on raising and moving livestock to use natural grazing resources. Cashmere production often depends on herding goats across rangelands.
Guard hair: Long, coarse outer hairs that protect an animal’s finer undercoat. Cashmere must be separated from these coarse hairs before spinning.
Combing: A process that removes and aligns fibers by drawing them through teeth or pins. Combing can collect the shed undercoat while leaving much guard hair behind.
Cashmere scarf: A neck or shoulder wrap made wholly or partly from cashmere textile. Scarves use cashmere’s warmth and softness in a lightweight accessory.
Kashmir: A region in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, divided among India, Pakistan, and China. The region gave cashmere its name through the historic shawl trade.
Overgrazing: Grazing pressure that removes plant cover faster than vegetation can recover. High livestock pressure can contribute to grassland degradation in cashmere regions.

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