tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post8094196872936830837..comments2024-03-28T10:25:39.069-04:00Comments on Comptonia: Must be Spring...somewhere.Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-63719626895212351352013-03-01T13:55:59.074-05:002013-03-01T13:55:59.074-05:00Thanks for sharing this info, Ann! I admit I have...Thanks for sharing this info, Ann! I admit I have never considered shearing my goats, but that decision was made from the goat-comfort angle than from any processing issues. Now I can understand the negative processing aspects from someone who knows firsthand.<br />I think the micron count is one thing that varies a bit; the ECA calls for 18.5 instead of the industry standard of 19, but I don't know if it's lower (or higher) anywhere else.<br />Again, thanks! Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-19441630192794961342013-02-28T23:09:20.361-05:002013-02-28T23:09:20.361-05:00Please don't even consider shearing your goats...Please don't even consider shearing your goats! You end up with way too much guard hair, and if you send it to a mill to be dehaired, it costs a lot more! Not to mention the cashmere has to be run through the machine more times, possibly shortening the fibers. I know this first hand, since I have a machine and I've dehaired quite a bit of shorn cashmere. Not cost effective for the producer at all. Plus, it takes a lot more time to dehair shorn as opposed to combed. Then there is the fact that you have a bald goat that feels very exposed to the world, and cold. :(<br /> Also to the comment above about the fiber off the boer goat:, if it's at least an inch and a half long, and the micron count is under 19, it's cashmere. It probably is cashmere, I had some boer/nubian crosses a few years ago that had excellent cashmere! Anyway, even tho shearing only takes a few minutes compared to an hour or more spent combing, it's better for the goat and your pocketbook to comb. ☺Ann Keenanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12298587401555306348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-14662986844103767052013-02-25T04:05:29.589-05:002013-02-25T04:05:29.589-05:00Oh I do love posts like these ... lovely jubbly fi...Oh I do love posts like these ... lovely jubbly fiber harvested by someone who cares about how it's done.Annie Cholewahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17608057589525908147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-60968436852290395652013-02-24T15:06:02.582-05:002013-02-24T15:06:02.582-05:00Thanks Quinn!Thanks Quinn!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18204291906401193716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-27577564783038050122013-02-24T09:05:54.478-05:002013-02-24T09:05:54.478-05:00Technical definitions of cashmere vary somewhat, I...Technical definitions of cashmere vary somewhat, I think. The Eastern (US) Cashmere Association webpage has a brief description of "what exactly makes this fiber 'cashmere'?" (scroll down) and for more info, check out the "Standards" page. <br />http://easterncashmereassociation.org/cashmere-industry/<br /><br />A couple of goat people on rav have mentioned cleaning small amounts of cashmere by hand, but I haven't tried it. And several people have mentioned spinning goat undercoat (whether it's technically "cashmere" or not, I don't know) so if you have fiber you like, it may be worth giving it a go? If you do a search on rav and come up empty, let me know and I'll try to find the posts for you - I'd love to see your experiments!Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-40135132520172930492013-02-24T01:36:02.178-05:002013-02-24T01:36:02.178-05:00Beautiful puffs of cloud you are about to comb! :)...Beautiful puffs of cloud you are about to comb! :)<br /><br />So here is the thing...<br />I have a basket of goaty fibre undercoat generously provide by one of our Boer girls last spring, is this cashmere too or a different type of fibre? <br /><br />The other question is..how on earth does one remove all of the individual outer hairs from the cloud harvest? Tweezers? We parted ways with our goats last week and I would love to make something from the fibre I have sitting here. Any ideas?Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18204291906401193716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-59896257111079782842013-02-23T10:19:26.699-05:002013-02-23T10:19:26.699-05:00I know...I'd feel silly putting a scarf on a g...I know...I'd feel silly putting a scarf on a goat. And besides, she would probably expect a cashmere scarf! :)Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-11646560211926261382013-02-23T10:11:49.033-05:002013-02-23T10:11:49.033-05:00Gosh had no idea it was so manually time consuming...Gosh had no idea it was so manually time consuming to harvest the cashmere..........I assumed it would be a shearing like sheep. <br />Hope that the chill winds keep the undercoat firmly where it is for now, hate to think that black goat will end up with a chill! lolliniecathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15643986273499722414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-20954330092729405772013-02-23T08:49:13.164-05:002013-02-23T08:49:13.164-05:00I never knew how cashmere was harvested, Quinn. Wh...I never knew how cashmere was harvested, Quinn. What a process.Granny Suehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01129064020727041161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-1993326152505063652013-02-22T09:13:00.064-05:002013-02-22T09:13:00.064-05:00It takes lots of patience (and sometimes frequent ...It takes lots of patience (and sometimes frequent short sessions) but most of them enjoy or at least tolerate gentle combing. It can be kind of a meditative bonding time. :)Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-65055599675714456012013-02-22T08:06:41.011-05:002013-02-22T08:06:41.011-05:00I am surprised that your goatie would allow you to...I am surprised that your goatie would allow you to brush him/her. Love that he's able to eat the invasive plants without your having to use chemicals. Goats are very useful :)Naperville Nowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00296122047332309181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-10593947242053373272013-02-22T06:30:08.281-05:002013-02-22T06:30:08.281-05:00Ugh, that's tough! Snow makes things difficul...Ugh, that's tough! Snow makes things difficult but ice makes things downright dangerous :( Be careful!Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-51338189534335154032013-02-22T05:56:13.983-05:002013-02-22T05:56:13.983-05:00I was thinking exactly that and then read your las...I was thinking exactly that and then read your last sentence :-)Kathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04003521059890699861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-76864076036437443522013-02-21T23:52:02.877-05:002013-02-21T23:52:02.877-05:00This is so cool, I did not know any of it. Must be...This is so cool, I did not know any of it. Must be a lot of work though.Umme Yusufhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17340326855329177957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-55166667534510297702013-02-21T19:20:35.589-05:002013-02-21T19:20:35.589-05:00here I am putting ON my clothes...this morning, my...here I am putting ON my clothes...this morning, my undershirt was a cashmere sleeveless tee then I started layering. we're expecting 1 to 2 inches of ice tonight/tomorrow...WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH.<br />That's me crying.Thistle Cove Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15722295191884810953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-47467614835975340462013-02-21T18:26:13.690-05:002013-02-21T18:26:13.690-05:00Neat! I learned something new today :)Neat! I learned something new today :)Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04738934059756079283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-40772203644334761922013-02-21T16:40:49.311-05:002013-02-21T16:40:49.311-05:00The goats have a second job, which is knocking bac...The goats have a second job, which is knocking back the invasive plants that have taken over here. They are VERY good at that, and require no toxic chemicals or special tools. Oh, and they are my Home Entertainment System. I think that is their specialty! :)Quinnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17292701509476856967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2204374863752308898.post-90570361945424915472013-02-21T16:36:19.590-05:002013-02-21T16:36:19.590-05:00What an interesting post Quinn - but what an awful...What an interesting post Quinn - but what an awful amount of work to get your cashmere! I loved the line about it not being the weather for removing your underwear! xxLocket Pockethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16689704503844595835noreply@blogger.com