Our Know-how
Producing our cashmere garments follows ten stages, from spinning bespoke yarns to designing our models :
Cashmere harvest
Cashmere is traditionally harvested by nomadic herders. Herders must constantly keep track of their goats’ molting stage, since their coats should neither be combed too soon (or fibers will be too short and thick), nor too late (or fibers will be too long, without the ripples required for the right weft).
Delivery and sorting of fibers in our plant
Once the harvest is complete, fibers are sorted in our plant, to select only the finest ones. Yarn is measured in microns, a technical name that refers to a fiber’s thickness, and which must not exceed 18.5 microns. At Kujten, the fineness of our fibers is 16.8 microns, with a 46 mm length. Longer strands make for softer, higher quality yarns.
Washing
Once these downy fibers have been sorted, they are washed to remove any impurities such as sand, grit, dust, or plant fibers
Combing
Next comes the combing stage, which involves running fibers through a series of finer combs, producing two results: short fibers are separated from longer ones, since these are kept to spin the yarn, and tugging on the fibers to make them parallel for the thread count.
Dyeing
Before fibers are dyed in the mass, our dyes are tested in a laboratory. Of course, we don’t process our 100% natural line of organic cashmere wear this way.
Carding
This stage consists of disentangling and fluffing fibers using a range of raw materials. Before they can be spun, natural fibers must first be carded or combed, depending on the material and on the desired result. This process uses either a pair of hand carders or a drum carder.
Spinning
This involves twisting fibers together to obtain a continuous, resistant thread.
Winding
Once a spool has been formed on the machine, threads are doubled and are ready to go onto the knitting machines.
Knitting
Making a cashmere sweater involves a knitting stage; here, spools of cashmere yarn are inserted into fine-tuned knitting machines. Pattern pieces that will form the cashmere sweater are “fully fashioned.” This type of knitting adds and reduces stitches in order to form pieces such as armholes, collars and indents. It produces high quality finishes with discrete seams and guarantees a garment’s quality.
Overlocking
This stage of producing a cashmere sweater takes about an hour: knit pattern pieces are assembled by seamstresses in our workshop. Each edge is painstakingly overlocked, sleeves are attached, and the sweater starts taking its final shape! To ensure top-end resilience, reinforcing stitches are also used. Next the collar’s ribbing must be overlocked and symmetrical. The endpoint of V-neck sweaters is double-stitched.
Our 8 favorite stitches : Kujten works with several knitting techniques and stitches that bring our collections to life and make our cashmere garments even more beautiful.
Stockinette stitch
This is the basic stitch for a 2-ply cashmere sweater. Our basics are knit using 2-ply stockinette stitch, but this stitch can be knit using up to 18 threads.
Garter stitch
This stitch creates small textured horizontal waves on both sides of a knit. It is used a lot for making baby clothes. Kujten mostly uses the garter stitch for its accessories.
Moss stitch
This stitch is knit both front and back, to produce a solid stitch that reduces the likelihood of pilling.
Cable stitches
Originally, these stitches represented the rigging of fishermen and symbolize luck. They were originally produced on the islands off the coast of Ireland.
English rib stitch
Double stitches form the basis of English rib stitches, since they are knit “twice.” Visually, they create a 3D effect, and give knits a cozy, fluffy feel.
Fair Isle knitting
This knit alternates several colors using the stockinette stitch, producing geometrical patterns that follow a grid.
Intarsia
Intarsia creates solid color knit patterns using blocks of stitches in another color.
Weaving
In this technique, fibers are not knit together, but woven. It is often used to make coats.
The number of yarns in cashmere causes numerous questions, here are some explanations from our co-founder Stéphanie who cans answer it :
A cashmere’s ply corresponds to the number of threads that are used to knit a sweater it defines its weight and thickness. The higher the ply, the thicker and warmer a sweater will be, also increasing its weight and cost.
Cashmere sweaters can have as many as 24 threads. Contrary to what might be believed, the number of threads is not a token of quality, but a question of thickness, and therefore, of warmth.
Two-ply cashmere is the “basic” sweater thickness, these sweaters can be worn in any season, even in the summertime, since cashmere is a thermo-regulating fiber, and is therefore very pleasant to wear both on warmer days and in the winter.
4-ply or higher cashmere sweaters are chunky and best suited to winter.
No result found : {{searchStr}}
Some advice to help you
- Be less specific, you can then filter your results
- Check the spelling seized words
- If you are looking for a product from the catalog, type directly its reference (ex: 123778)
- If you still cannot find your product, do not hesitate to contact us or visit one of our stores
Discover our choices