Cashmere yarn counts explained: what Nm 26/2 means

Our cashmere is spun two-ply at Nm 26/2, and as singles at Nm 14.5/1 and Nm 16/1. The 26/2 is the knitting count — every garment we make runs on it. The singles are spun as 100% cashmere for yarn supply and fabric, not for garment production.

That surprises buyers who expect a spinner to offer a spread, so this guide explains what the notation means, why cashmere sits at a single count here, and what the other fibres do.

Reading the notation

Nm is the metric number: how many thousand metres of yarn you get from one kilogram. Higher means finer.

In Nm 26/2, the first figure is the count of the single strand and the second is the number of plies. So 26/2 is two strands of Nm 26 twisted together — the resulting yarn behaves like Nm 13, because you have doubled the weight per metre.

Two things worth fixing in your head, because both cause real confusion in quotations:

• Count first, plies second. We write 26/2 — the count, then the number of plies. Some suppliers, particularly in the hand-knitting trade, reverse the order and put the ply figure first. If a quotation reads the other way round, confirm which convention is meant before you compare it with ours.
• Nm is not Ne. Ne (English cotton count) is a different system entirely. A number without its system attached is not a specification.

Our counts, by fibre

A useful property falls out of that table: each count identifies its fibre. 26/2 is cashmere and nothing else. 22/2 is camel or yak. If you are reading a spec sheet and see a count without a fibre named, the count often tells you anyway.

Note too that sheep wool is spun singles only — all three of its counts are /1. If a specification calls for plied sheep wool, that is a conversation to have before quotation rather than an assumption to carry into it.

Why cashmere sits at one count

Cashmere is a short, fine fibre — ours measures 15–16.5 micron with a 39–42 mm staple length. Both figures are measured at an accredited laboratory rather than quoted nominally, which matters when you are comparing suppliers.

A fibre that fine and that short has a narrow window in which it spins well. Nm 26/2 is the count where our lines produce a yarn that is even enough for consistent knitting and strong enough to survive finishing without pilling excessively. Spinning cashmere finer costs you strength; spinning it coarser wastes the fineness you paid for.

Offering one count is therefore not a limitation we are apologising for — it is the count that works, run consistently, on every lot.

What this means for your specification

If you are used to specifying yarn count as a design lever, the lever moves. With a single cashmere count, the variables that shape the finished hand are:

• Gauge — the same Nm 26/2 knits very differently at 7GG than at 16GG. This is where most of your range lives.
• Ends — how many strands are fed together at the machine.
• Construction — rib, jersey, cable, links-links; each changes weight and drape independently of the yarn.
• Finishing — washing and pressing move hand substantially.

In practice, a brand wanting a heavier cashmere piece does not ask for a coarser count. It asks for a lower gauge, more ends, or a denser construction.

Blends

Blended yarn is quoted on specification rather than drawn from a standing list. Our current standard blend is 70% wool / 30% cashmere, and we develop others to your requirement.

Two things to plan around: blended yarn is never stocked — it is made to order every time — and the minimum is 100 kg per blend, per colour. Dyeing a blend adds a further one to two weeks.

How the yarn is verified

Yarn count and twist are tested at an accredited laboratory at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology in Ulaanbaatar, as standard — on our own production, whether or not a customer asks. The same standard set covers mean fibre diameter by OFDA and light microscope, fibre length, coarse-hair content to MNS 3913:2009 and MNS 2949:2008, quantitative composition, and colourfastness.

So when a spec sheet from us says Nm 26/2, that is a measured figure with a test behind it, and the per-lot records are available on request.

Ordering yarn on its own

Yarn is sold independently of garment production. It ships immediately from stock in a colour we hold, or takes about a month to produce; the minimum for a produced colour is 100 kg per colour. A 100 g yarn swatch is $50; larger cone quantities are quoted on request.

Send your target count, fibre and colour through the quote request and we will confirm availability within two working days.

Related guides

• Cashmere manufacturing MOQs: what to expect, and why
• What cashmere samples cost, and why the fee comes back

See also our cashmere yarn specifications and the glossary.