Glossary

The soft undercoat of the cashmere goat (Capra hircus laniger), primarily raised in Mongolia, China, and Iran. Cashmere is graded by fineness (micron), length (staple), and colour. Mongolian cashmere is generally considered among the highest grades.

The first fleece combed from a cashmere goat in its first year of life. Rare (~30 g per animal), extremely fine (typically under 13.5 micron), and significantly softer than adult cashmere. An industry term for a fibre grade we do not claim — our standard is adult Mongolian cashmere at 15.5–16.5 micron.

Fibre sheared from domestic sheep. Micron varies widely by breed and climate: superfine apparel wools run 17–23 micron, while the hardier native fleeces of Mongolia and Central Asia run 26–30 micron and are valued for durability and structure rather than next-to-skin fineness. Unlike cashmere, sheep wool has pronounced crimp, giving it elasticity and memory.

Fibre combed from the double-coated Bactrian camel during its spring moult. Warm, with a distinctive tan-to-brown natural colour range. Typically 18–22 micron in premium grades. Often left undyed because its natural tones are part of its appeal, though it can be brought to white first and dyed to any shade from there.

The soft down fibre combed from domesticated Himalayan yaks. Slightly coarser than cashmere at 16.5–20.5 micron, with exceptional thermal properties. Naturally available in a range of browns; dyeing can only take it darker, to black, navy or charcoal. An emerging premium fibre.

A protein fibre produced by silkworms. Often blended with cashmere to add lustre, strength, and fluidity. Common in fine-gauge knits and lightweight fabrics.

Fibre from the South American alpaca, similar to fine wool but with less crimp and more lustre. Naturally available in a wide colour range. Used for knitwear and heavy outerwear.

Fibre from the Angora goat. Long, lustrous, and silky; often used in blends for a brushed, airy surface. Kid mohair from young animals is the softest grade.

The thick, straight outer hair of a cashmere goat, as distinct from the soft down beneath it. Dehairing separates the two; the residual coarse-hair content is what determines whether a yarn feels soft or prickly, and it is the measurable behind a claim of combed rather than sheared fibre. Measured under Mongolian national standards MNS 3913:2009 and MNS 2949:2008.

The standard unit for fibre diameter, measured in thousandths of a millimetre. Lower micron = finer, softer fibre. Premium cashmere is typically 15.5–16.5 micron; sheep wool is considerably coarser at 26–30 micron.

The length of an individual fibre, measured in millimetres. Longer staples produce stronger yarns with less pilling. Mongolian cashmere typically has a 39–42 mm staple.

The natural wave or curl of a fibre. Sheep wool has strong crimp, giving it loft and elasticity; cashmere has much less. Crimp affects yarn bulk, memory, and drape.

The tactile quality of a fibre or fabric — how it feels in the hand. Subjective terms like soft, crisp, dry, fluid, or papery are used to describe it. Hand is influenced by fibre, twist, and finish.

The thickness or “spring” of a fibre or fabric when at rest. High-loft materials feel airy and insulating. Cashmere is inherently lofty due to its hollow fibre structure.

The washing process that removes grease, dirt, and impurities from raw fibre before further processing. Specialised for cashmere because its lanolin and soil content differ from sheep wool.

The word is also used in finishing, where scouring a knitted or woven cloth clears the oils and lubricants left behind by spinning and knitting. That is the sense in which our knitted fabrics are described as scoured.

The mechanical process of separating the soft down fibre from coarser guard hair. Critical for cashmere — the finished product should be 100% down, with guard hair below 0.5%.

Traditional Mongolian method of gathering cashmere: fibre is combed by hand from the goat during the spring moult, rather than sheared. Preserves staple length and animal welfare.

Optical Fibre Diameter Analyser. An instrument that measures the diameter of thousands of individual fibre snippets by image analysis, giving a mean micron value and its distribution far faster than manual microscopy. The standard method for reporting fibre fineness, and usually cross-checked against a light-microscope count.

The proportion of clean fibre recovered after scouring, expressed as a percentage of the greasy weight. Raw cashmere carries grease, soil and vegetable matter, so yield determines how much usable fibre a given lot actually contains — which is why it is priced on clean weight rather than greasy weight.

Degradation of the protein structure of an animal fibre caused by over-aggressive scouring, dyeing or finishing. Damaged keratin weakens the fibre, dulls its handle and makes it pill sooner, and it is not visible on inspection — it has to be tested for. An unusual test to run, and a direct check on whether processing has been gentle enough.

The metric yarn count: the number of 1,000-metre lengths per kilogram of yarn. Higher Nm = finer yarn. Our cashmere is spun two-ply at Nm 26/2 and as singles at Nm 14.5/1 and 16/1. Garments are knitted in Nm 26/2; the singles are supplied as yarn and 100% cashmere fabric. Singles counts — Nm 12/1, 14.5/1 and 16/1 — are spun in sheep wool, camel and yak; camel and yak also run Nm 22/2.

The number of individual yarns twisted together. Single-ply (1) is one strand; two-ply (2) is two strands twisted together for strength and balance; multi-ply combines three or more.

The number of turns per metre given to a yarn during spinning. Higher twist = harder, stronger, less hairy yarn; lower twist = softer and more voluminous. Expressed in turns per metre (TPM) and direction (S-twist or Z-twist).

A spinning method where fibres are combed parallel before spinning, producing smooth, clean yarn with high twist. Ideal for suiting and fine-gauge knits.

A spinning method where fibres are carded but not combed, leaving them aligned in all directions. Produces bulkier, softer, hairier yarn with more loft. Used for flannels, soft knits, and brushed fabrics.

The standard package yarn ships on. A typical cashmere cone holds 0.5–1 kg. Mill-level orders are priced and shipped by cone weight.

The number of needles per inch on a knitting machine. Higher GG = finer knit. We run 3GG, 5GG, 7GG, 12GG and 16GG. 3GG and 5GG are heavy (chunky cables); 7GG is mid-weight (cable knits, outerwear); 12GG and 16GG are fine-gauge (tailored knits, 16GG being our finest).

Garments knit to exact shape panel-by-panel (front, back, sleeves) and then linked together. No fabric is cut. Cleaner finish, less waste, but slower and more expensive than cut-and-sew.

A garment knit as a single seamless piece directly on the machine (Shima Seiki technology). No sewing or linking required. Minimal waste, premium finish.

Knitting on machines where needles lie in a flat bed (typically two beds, front and back). Used for shaped pieces, cables, intarsia, and fully-fashioned garments. Stoll machines are the industry standard.

Knitting on machines where needles are arranged in a cylinder, producing a continuous tube. Used for jersey, rib, and interlock fabrics by the metre.

The simplest knit structure — a single plain-knit face. Light, fluid, with distinct front and back. The basis of T-shirts and many knit dresses.

A knit structure alternating vertical columns of knit and purl stitches, creating raised ridges. Stretchy and structured. 1x1, 2x2, 3x3 describe the stitch alternation pattern.

A double-knit structure where two rib fabrics interlock face-to-face. Denser, heavier, and more stable than jersey, with the same face on both sides.

A decorative knit pattern where stitches are crossed over each other to form twisting “ropes.” Traditionally associated with heritage knitwear like Aran sweaters.

A knitting technique that creates multi-colour patterns with blocks of solid colour (no floats on the back). Used for logos, geometric designs, and illustrative motifs. Requires skilled operators or whole-garment machines.

A stranded colourwork technique using two or more colours per row, with unused yarns carried behind the work. Produces small, repeating geometric patterns. Named for the Scottish island.

A production method where flat knitted fabric is produced by the metre and then cut to pattern and sewn into garments — the same way woven fabrics are assembled. Faster but produces more waste than fully-fashioned.

The hand operation that joins knitted panels stitch-by-stitch along their edges. Produces a nearly invisible seam. Skilled linkers are a key craft in quality knitwear manufacturing.

A textured knit with a honeycomb or waffle surface. Denser and more structured than jersey. Traditional fabric for polo shirts.

The set of longitudinal yarns held in tension on a loom, running the full length of the fabric. The warp provides the fabric’s backbone.

The yarns that run crosswise, passed over and under the warp during weaving. Also called the filling.

The simplest weave: each weft yarn passes alternately over and under each warp yarn. Produces a flat, balanced fabric. Used in shirtings and lightweight suitings.

A weave where the weft crosses two or more warp yarns before going under one, creating diagonal ribs. 2/2, 2/1, and 3/1 are common variants. Produces stronger, more drapey fabrics. Used in flannel, gabardine, and denim.

A broken twill where the diagonal pattern reverses direction at regular intervals, producing a distinctive V-shape. A heritage pattern for outerwear and suiting.

A loom technology that allows each warp yarn to be controlled independently, enabling intricate woven patterns. Named after Joseph Marie Jacquard (1804).

A fabric woven with textured, looped yarns that create a bumpy, irregular surface. Associated with Chanel-era tweeds and heritage outerwear.

A soft, brushed or milled fabric — usually a 2/2 twill in wool or cashmere. Raised to produce a slight nap. The classic suiting and trouser fabric.

A fabric woven with two distinct face structures that can be joined or separated. Popular for reversible coats — two usable sides, no lining needed.

A colour matching system (TCX for textiles) widely used in apparel. Custom Pantone matching allows brands to specify exact colours outside the mill’s standard palette.

A small test sample dyed to match a target colour reference. Approved by the buyer before bulk dyeing. Typically about 10 days.

A batch of fibre or yarn dyed together in a single run. Two dye lots of the same colour can vary slightly — production orders should specify whether garments must be cut from a single lot.

A fabric’s resistance to colour change or transfer under a given condition, rated on a 1–5 scale per ISO and AATCC methods. Each condition is a separate test: washing, rubbing (dry and wet), perspiration, water, dry cleaning, ironing and light are all reported independently, so a single “fastness” figure means little without knowing which condition it refers to.

A finishing process where fabric is agitated in warm water to cause controlled shrinkage and felting. Produces a denser hand and cleaner surface. Standard for flannels and double-face wools.

Lifting individual fibre ends out of the body of a cloth with fine wire teeth or teasels, to create a soft surface pile. Raising is what gives flannel and brushed cashmere their loft, and it is run where the construction calls for it — a brushed flannel takes it, a flat twill does not. A distinct operation from brushing, which lays the pile that raising has lifted.

The process of mechanically interlocking fibres through heat, moisture, and agitation — producing a stiff, dense, non-woven fabric. Wool and cashmere felt readily; silk does not.

The wet finishing operation that shrinks and consolidates cloth under warmth, moisture and mechanical action, so the fibres bed into one another and the cloth gains density, body and handle. In the woollen trade fulling and milling describe the same operation. It is done before raising, because a raised surface needs a closed ground beneath it.

Working the raised pile with brushes so the fibres lie in a consistent direction, and clearing the loose fibre. Worked wet, straight after raising, it lays the surface with less loss of good fibre than working dry alone; a second dry pass then refines the lie and takes out what is loose. Brushing lays the pile; raising lifts it.

Abrading the cloth surface with fine emery rollers rather than wire teeth, producing a short, dense, suede-like handle instead of the longer pile that raising creates. Flatter and tighter than a raised nap.

The layer of fibre ends standing proud of the body of a cloth, lifted by raising and then laid and levelled by brushing and shearing. Nap usually implies a surface laid in one direction; pile is the more general term. A cloth with nap has a direction, which is why pattern pieces have to be cut the same way up.

Carrying cloth flat and at full width through wet processing, rather than gathered in rope form. Knitted fabric distorts under load in a way woven cloth does not, so open-width handling at minimal tension protects the structure and keeps the width consistent along the piece.

Steam applied to cloth under controlled pressure to set the fibres and take out residual shrinkage, so the finished cloth holds its measurements and does not move again after it is made up. Also spelled decatizing. It is what makes woven cashmere dimensionally stable — and it is a cloth operation: a fully-fashioned knit is shaped on the machine and steam-set instead.

Cutting the raised pile to a precise, even height with rotating blades, so the surface reads level and refined rather than fuzzy. Traditionally called cropping in British woollen mills. It is the main contributor to low pilling in wear: a level pile leaves fewer loose fibre ends to work their way out of the cloth.

Not to be confused with shearing an animal. Our cashmere is combed, not sheared — this entry describes an operation performed on cloth, at the opposite end of the process.

Minimum Order Quantity. At Blue Sky Cashmere it turns on whether the colour is already in stock. In a stocked colour, knit garments start at 10 pieces per size — sweaters, cardigans, tops, vests, dresses and trousers; accessories 20; home textiles 25; scarves 135. In a colour that must be produced, the minimum is 100 kg of yarn — one fibre, one colour — which splits across designs and sizes. Woven pieces (coats, tailored trousers) follow the same model against fabric: from 10 pieces in stock or 50 m of fabric to produce. Scarves follow whichever input their construction uses. Yarn is 100 kg per colour.

A detailed document specifying everything needed to produce a garment: measurements, construction notes, trim specifications, stitch diagrams, composition, care labels, and packaging. Supplied by the buyer or produced in collaboration with our design team.

Original Equipment Manufacturer. The mill produces to the buyer’s specification — the buyer supplies the tech pack, branding, and design. We manufacture to that spec.

Original Design Manufacturer. The mill co-develops the design with the buyer, from sketch or brief through to production. Common for clients who don’t have in-house design capacity.

A production model where the mill manufactures to the buyer’s brand specification — labels, packaging, care tags, and country-of-origin compliance all under the buyer’s brand name.

International trade terms defining who is responsible for transport, export clearance, insurance and import duty at each stage of a shipment. The terms that can apply to air freight are EXW (Ex Works — the buyer collects from the seller's premises and handles everything onward), FCA (Free Carrier — the seller clears the goods for export and hands them to the buyer's carrier), DAP (Delivered at Place — the seller delivers to the named destination, the buyer clears import) and DDP (Delivered Duty Paid — the seller handles everything including import duty). Blue Sky Cashmere quotes EXW Ulaanbaatar; the others are defined here because buyers meet them, not because we offer them. FOB, CFR and CIF apply only to sea and inland-waterway transport, so they cannot be used for shipments out of landlocked Mongolia.

The time between approving your sample and shipment. It turns on stock: knitwear, accessories and outerwear run 1–2 months in a colour we hold (add a month if it must be produced); home textiles 4–6 weeks; yarn and fabric ship from stock or take about a month to make. A full custom programme is 10–12 weeks. Peak season runs June–October; the added time depends on the quantity ordered and is confirmed with your quotation.

The iterative process of producing test samples before bulk production. Typically includes yarn swatches, fabric swatches, fit samples, and pre-production samples. Each revision round adds 1–2 weeks.

Mongolia’s national standard for sustainable textile production, approved by MASM (Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology) in July 2021. It sets 34 environmental requirements — water, wastewater, energy, chemicals, industrial waste and packaging — and 27 social requirements covering labour relations, child and juvenile labour, discrimination and harassment, wages, occupational health and safety, and animal welfare. Certification is issued by the Mongolian Wool and Cashmere Association’s accredited body. It governs how a mill operates, not what it makes — product quality sits under MNS 6809:2019 and MNS 5820:2007.

Mongolia’s national standard for woven and knitted finished products made from goat cashmere, camel wool and yak down. Sets the technical and quality requirements a finished garment has to meet. Distinct from MNS 6926:2021, which governs how a mill operates rather than what it produces.

Mongolia’s national standard for cashmere yarn — the technical requirements for spun cashmere. Conformity is certified on accredited laboratory testing of the yarn itself, alongside MNS 6809:2019 for finished goods.

Forest Stewardship Council. Certifies that paper and wood products come from responsibly managed forests. An industry term — we are not FSC-certified.

A certification testing textiles for harmful substances (formaldehyde, heavy metals, allergenic dyes). Used across the apparel industry as a baseline safety standard.

Sustainable Fibre Alliance. A global NGO promoting sustainable cashmere production. Their Clean Fibre Standard covers herd management, animal welfare, and land stewardship.

Documentation linking finished products back to their origin fibre lots. We keep per-lot and per-stage records from spinning through finishing and issue them on request. We hold no third-party traceability certification.

Global Recycled Standard. A certification for recycled content in textiles, covering tracking, processing, and chemical use. An industry term — we do not hold GRS certification.