Step Two
Making the transition from the GOAT to the COAT
No, we haven’t started making COATS, but this a a term found in a lot of British literature talking about Cashmere Production, and in case you didn’t know, cashmere is produced ONLY by goats!!
This week we started the intense 60 days or so of actually combing our goats in preparation for making yarn, and then onto the finished product.
Consider it takes from 1 to 3 hours to harvest one goat’s cashmere, you can understand that it is not something you do in a week - we have a hundred or so goats to comb this year, and little or no help. I try to do 2-3 goats everyday, taking into consideration that life (and rain!) also happens along the way, and it’s pretty unrealistic to try for more:
First, you have to CATCH the goat (don’t underestimate this part !!)
Then, you carefully comb, untangle, trim off knots or thistles, and each animal reacts differently - some will take only half an hour and others, much more…every once in a while I’ve got a wild one, and those will test anyone’s patience.
By mid-April we should have finished this year’s harvest, then each sample is picked over to remove seeds, twigs, etc, sealed in an airtight bag and weighed…I’ve found that storing all the cashmere in vacuum bags is the safest way to store; once this part is complete, we send to our first mill for:
Dehairing: separating the hair (outer coat) from the cashmere (undercoat) - since we love the natural colors, at this point we separate the light/medium/ dark, so that we will have different colored yarns, without dying.
Carding: aligning the cashmere fibers in one direction in preparation for spinning
Spinning: and at this point you need to know what you will be creating as a finished product, since the choice of the yarn makes the difference in what you can make as a finished product!
Knitting: this year we have LOTS of yarn for new knitters (and wonderful opportunities to visit our farm alone or with other knitters), and some gorgeous KIT patterns ready to sell using our 100% undyed Cashmere!
Weaving: 2026 will be challenging - my principal weaver has closed (as have many of our small artisans), and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find artisans who can do the quality of work we try to offer. All of our products are produced in Italy, and I personally know every one of my producers.
Support your local producers - from farmers, to artisans to small shops - a vibrant local economy is a healthy one, and to tell the truth:
ITALIANS DO IT BETTER!
And not to forget! You can join us though mid-April for GOAT CAMP (Goat Combing), and spend a day with us in the countryside; check out this link for a description: GOAT CAMP
A presto!!!
Nora