What does "2 ply 100% cashmere" mean?

[lhowlett]

I have a cashmere sweater that says 100% 2 ply cashmere. It isn't a thick sweater. What does the 2 ply part mean?
Anyone ever felted cashmere? How did it do? Does it affect its softness?

[Kari_mom]

I'm not a knitter, but I am pretty sure that ply refers to the strands that are twisted together to make yarn. So 2 ply would be two strands twisted together. Cashmere is so soft in part because the fibers are so fine, and fine fibers=fine yarn=thin knit, does that make sense?

I have felted cashmere for recycled sweater pants. It really seemed more matted than felted, that is after I ran the sweater through a hot wash/cold rinse cycle and a hot dryer cycle. I prefer the pants that I've made from unfelted cashmere.

I've been thinking about your other thread. I think that a two layer cashmere wrap would work fine for most babies. We regularly use our cashmere pants for overnight. Maybe test it, and if it isn't enough you could put a layer of lambswool between the cashmere layers in the wet zone.

[lhowlett]

Thanks!
Do you use single or double layer cashmere at night? Longies or a wrap?

[Kari_mom]

I use single layer pants at night, and if his diaper is fully soaked the pants do wick. His other pants, also single layer, are fine, as are his two layer wool jersey covers.

Helpful?

[lhowlett]

Yep, very helpful! Thanks!

I've never put cashmere on my son, just a thinner merino wool which is probably as thick as this cashmere, but tighter woven, and a thick lambs wool. Both of those are single layer and I've never had any issues except like you said if the diper is totally soaked. I've just been curious how cashmere compares to the other wools.

The sweaters I have are much much too big for me and would make cute pants, but I almost feel bad for cutting them up, like I'm hurting or destroying them. Isn't that silly?

[Kari_mom]

Originally Posted by lhowlett

The sweaters I have are much much too big for me and would make cute pants, but I almost feel bad for cutting them up, like I'm hurting or destroying them. Isn't that silly?

I don't think so. I have sweaters that I bought to make pants that seem too cute or nice or just not ready to be pants yet. So they aren't.

[lhowlett]

Good to know I'm not the only one in this club!

So I was going to post this as a new thread, but I thought I'd posted too many as it was! How do almost all wool sweaters work? I found a pretty one that was like 90% wool, 10% nylon. Do they absorb as well? Do they still retain the antibacterial properties including the no stink effect 100% wool does? How do you wash them? Do they require lanolizing?

[newlywaaz]

I've heard you can go up to 30% something else, but that the time between washings goes down, and probably the no stink factor as well. Might be more flexible for a crawler or really active walker though...Wash and lanolize as usual, it just won't stick to what's not wool.

[lhowlett]

"Wash and lanolize as usual, it just won't stick to what's not wool."

Huh, that's interesting. Good to know, Thanks!

I've heard of mom's using like all synthetic sweaters. How do those work? Do they absorb well? I've heard you can just wash them in the washer like anything else. True? If so, what would be their dissadvantages to all/mostly wool?