Why knit with cashmere?

I love cashmere.  I love the look and feel of a cashmere sweater, and I love how it makes me feel when I’m wearing it. Unlike logo-covered bags and highly visible designer goods, cashmere is quiet luxury. It whispers rather than shouts. 

There is a timeless elegance of a cashmere sweater.  The foundation of many a capsule wardrobe is a quality basic sweater. Capsule wardrobes are about investment pieces that go with everything and always look great. Knit in a lovely flattering neutral color, a cashmere sweater is equally at home with jeans or a silk evening skirt. You will get tons of wear out of it, because it’s pretty much the perfect thing to wear to every event. Maybe it’s my imagination, but I always feel a little more confident in a cashmere sweater.

And as a knitter, it’s not just about the thrill of wearing the cashmere, but the luxurious experience of working with it.  We get to spend hours and hours with our cashmere, holding it in our hands and feeling it glide through our fingers.  Stitch by stitch we learn its ways, and by the end, we know this cashmere quite intimately. We’re in love with it.

I know, I know, cashmere is expensive.  I get it. I certainly wouldn’t recommend it for your first project.  But once you’ve got some knitting chops, you should totally treat yourself.  The satisfaction of knitting with cashmere is 10x anything else.  It’s an incredible experience you should have once in your life.  It’s kind of like going to Paris.  You don’t do it every year, but you will never forget that time that you did.  

I could go on and on about why cashmere is so soft with a micron count below 16, or about how it takes 6-8 goats a whole year to produce enough high quality cashmere for a sweater, but I’ve written about the technical details already  here.  

The point is that cashmere is a luxury fiber that’s actually worth the luxury price.  Especially if you’re doing the knitting. As Henry David Thoreau said about chopping wood warming you twice, cashmere is a yarn that thrills forever.  

If you’re not ready to knit a sweater in cashmere, that’s totally fine. You should still indulge yourself a little.  Maybe an elegant poncho or a lovely little scarf.  

Do treat yourself. Especially for Mothers’ day–your mom would want you to.