2/28 cashmere represents a unique level of quality in which two strands or ‘plies’ are spun into a top-class yarn. Production of such high-quality yarn is restricted to a particularly exclusive circle of manufacturers, among whom the Italian cashmere professionals are first among equals. They set rigorous quality standards. In one-ply yarn, it takes between 13,000 and 16,000 metres of thread to make up one kilogram. In the two-ply yarn used by buttertea it takes a stunning 28,000 metres of thread to make one kilogram. That’s why it’s commonly referred to as two-ply 28,000 or 2/28. Consider one of our hoodies: With a weight of 750 grams, we’re talking about 10.5 kilometres of processed cashmere yarn. The two threads are so finely spun that even when plied the volume is no greater than that of one-ply cashmere yarn, but its properties are far more desirable.
Two-ply 28 yarn calls for very long fibres of the finest quality, lowest cross-section and extreme purity. 2/28 yarn is not only softer but also stronger and more elastic than one-ply cashmere. Added to which, two-ply-cashmere is far less susceptible to pilling, although a certain degree of pilling is inevitable in carded yarns.
The final product is a durable and robust yarn that is eminently suited for use on a handknitting machine. And the ultimate owner can look forward to garments that are far easier to care for, less likely to pill and more elastic, so they keep their shape when washed.
