We knit at five gauges: 3GG, 5GG, 7GG, 12GG and 16GG. That is the complete set — a discrete list, not a range you can pick any value inside.
Gauge is the single largest lever on how a cashmere piece looks, weighs and drapes, and it is the specification buyers most often leave blank. This guide explains what each one is for.
What gauge actually measures
Gauge (GG, for "gauge") is the number of needles per inch on the knitting bed. More needles means finer, denser fabric from the same yarn.
The critical point: gauge is a property of the machine, not the yarn. Every cashmere garment we knit runs on one count, Nm 26/2, and that same yarn produces everything from a chunky 3GG outerwear knit to a featherweight 16GG layer. Gauge and ends are how you move weight, not yarn count.
This is why "I want a heavier sweater" is a gauge conversation, not a yarn conversation.
The five gauges
3GG — heaviest
The chunkiest we run. Bold stitch definition, substantial weight, strong sculptural cables. Suits statement outerwear-weight knits, oversized silhouettes, and anything where the stitch itself is the design. Uses the most yarn per piece, which shows in the unit price.
5GG
Still visibly chunky but more wearable indoors. A common choice for cardigans and heavier crews where you want visible texture without the bulk of 3GG.
7GG
The workhorse mid-weight. Enough stitch definition for ribs and cables to read clearly, light enough for year-round knitwear. If you do not have a reason to choose otherwise, this is usually where a first sweater programme starts.
12GG
Fine gauge. Smooth surface, fluid drape, minimal visible stitch. The gauge for refined crews, polos, dresses and anything worn close to the body. Cashmere at 12GG is where the fibre's softness reads most directly, because there is less structure competing with it.
16GG — finest
Ultra-fine. Featherweight, near-fabric drape, almost no visible stitch structure. Layering pieces, fine-gauge tops, lightweight travel knits. The most technically demanding gauge to run well, and the least forgiving of yarn inconsistency — which is part of why we spin to a measured count.
Choosing one
A practical way in, working backwards from what you want the piece to do:
- Should the stitch be visible? Yes → 3GG or 5GG. No → 12GG or 16GG.
- Worn over other layers, or against the skin? Over → lower gauge. Against → higher.
- Is it a transitional or year-round piece? That usually lands at 7GG or 12GG.
- Is unit cost sensitive? Lower gauges use more yarn per piece.
If you are building a range rather than a single style, gauge is also how you create visible variety without multiplying your colour count — and colour, not gauge, is what drives your minimum order quantity. Three gauges in one colour is one yarn lot. One gauge in three colours is three.
Why the list is discrete
Each gauge is a physical machine configuration. We run German Stoll flat knitting and Japanese Shima Seiki whole-garment machines, and each is set up at a specific needle density. There is no intermediate setting between 7GG and 12GG any more than there is a gear between third and fourth.
So a specification calling for a gauge outside the five cannot be met as written — it has to resolve to one of ours. If you have inherited a tech pack quoting something else, send it over and we will tell you which of our gauges is closest and what the difference will be in the finished piece.
When we describe a single product family, you may see a span written like 7GG – 16GG. That means the family is made across those gauges; it does not mean intermediate values exist.
Gauge and sampling
Gauge is difficult to judge from a photograph and easy to judge in the hand, which is what fabric swatches are for. A 10 × 10 cm swatch is $20, ships immediately from stock, and we can send the same construction across several gauges so you can compare directly.
That is usually a better first spend than a full garment sample, because it settles the gauge question before you commit to a prototype at from $80 a piece.
What we need from you
For an accurate quotation, gauge should appear alongside composition, construction and colour. If your tech pack does not state one, our design team will propose a gauge with the sample and explain the reasoning — but naming it yourself removes a round trip.
Send your specification through the quote request and we will respond within two working days.
Related guides
- Cashmere yarn counts explained: what Nm 26/2 means
- What cashmere samples cost, and why the fee comes back
See also our machinery and technology and the glossary.