Fabrics and their Care
Alpaca
Alpaca are indigenous to South America at an altitude of 10,000 to 16,000 feet.
98% of Alpaca worldwide are in Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. Peru is the source for our shawls.
The fibre has good thermal insulation and moisture absorption.
It is warmer and lighter than sheep wool and resists pilling.
Care: Hand wash or dry clean - no bleach, dry flat, don't wring or hang.
Baby Alpaca
Baby Alpaca is the first clip of the Alpaca - a featherweight and finer fibre then regular Alpaca and therefore more expensive.
It is rarer than Cashmere.
Alpaca is often refered to as being as soft as cashmere with the smoothness of silk.
Care: Hand wash or dry clean - no bleach, dry flat, don't wring or hang.
Cashmere
The downy undercoat of the capra hircus goat.
A luxurious fibre - the same as pashmina.
"Cashmere" is a Western marketing invention - used synonymously with pashmina.
Care: Dry clean only.
Cotton
A plant based fabric. Cotton has been used for at least 7000 years. It is grown in warmer climates from Turkey to China, Brazil to Uzbekistan and in the southern tier of States from Virginia to California.
Care: Fully launderable. Withstands high temperatures while washing.
Rayon
Rayon was first made as a silk substitute and is often made from reprocessed wood pulp. It is a versatile fabric which can have the soft flowing qualities if fine silk, cashmere or wool.
Care: Most rayon should be dry cleaned but many of our shawls can be hand washed gently and dried flat. See each product label.
Silk
From the silk worm cocoon. Silkworm is the common name for the silk-producing larvae of any of several species of moths. The larvae is not actually a worm at all, rather it is a caterpillar. Bombyx mori is the most common of the species of silkworm that are used in commercial silk production.
Care: Only prewashed silk is washable. Generally dry clean.
Pashmina
The downy undercoat of the capra hircus goat. From the Persian word "pashm" meaning finest wool fibre.
Pashmina is made from the finest cashmere wool in the world. It is combed from the underside of the Himalayan Mountain Goat, which are indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia.
Care: Dry clean only.
Merino wool
The wool from the Ovis Aries breed of sheep.
Care: See wool below. Most of our shawls should be dry cleaned.
Shahtoosh
The undercoat from an endangered Tibetan antelope or Chiru. We do not sell this. The Chiru antelope is killed to remove its fleece.
Wool
From many different sources and countries. Treated with care, wool is very durable.
Care: Wash or dry clean per instructions on shawl. Hang in bathroom with steam to remove wrinkles. Iron on reverse side on iron setting. Use a pressing cloth.
The following links are very helpful for fabric care basics:
- Fabric link - an educational resource for fabrics, apparel, home furnishings, and care.
- Vegan Society - silk production
- Cotton care
- Wool care
- Silk care
