What It Takes to Make a Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater

Ten steps, several specialists, close to four hours.

The price of a cashmere sweater is set long before it reaches a shelf. It comes from the yarn, and from the hours of skilled work between a tech pack and a finished, folded garment.

A plain crew neck looks simple. Behind it are at least ten steps and several specialists, each with their own know-how. This guide follows a fully fashioned cashmere crew neck through our ateliers in Mongolia, step by step, with the approximate time each stage takes.

Once a style is developed, a basic sweater takes close to four hours of hands-on work. If you are a brand comparing quotes, this is what you are paying for.

Fully fashioned vs cut and sew

There are two ways to make a knitted sweater, and the difference shows in the cost, the waste and the way the garment ages.

In cut and sew, the machine knits a large piece of fabric. Pattern pieces are then cut out of it and sewn together, like a woven shirt. The offcuts are lost, and the cut edges must be overlocked to stop them unravelling.

In fully fashioned knitting, each panel (front, back, sleeves) is knitted directly to its final shape. The machine adds and drops stitches to form the armholes, the neckline and the cuffs. Nothing is cut, so almost no yarn is wasted. With cashmere, that matters.

At HYPECHASE, we work fully fashioned only. It takes longer to set up, but for a fiber as precious as cashmere, it is the only approach that respects the material.

The steps, one by one

Ten steps from tech pack to packing. The first three happen once per style. The other seven happen for every single sweater.

Spotlight

The linker

A good linker does more than join panels. They control the tension between the parts, so that the shoulder, the sleeve and the collar move together without pulling or puckering.

Too tight, and the seam loses its stretch. Too loose, and it opens. The right balance is a matter of eye and hand.

Where the time goes

For one basic crew neck, once the style is developed:

Washing is done per batch: about 30 minutes, then the pieces are laid flat to dry. Development time is shared across the whole order, which is one reason larger runs cost less per piece.

Washing: where the hand-feel is made

Straight off the machine, cashmere feels firm and slightly oily. Washing opens the fibers and gives the garment its softness. It is part chemistry, part craft, and it is where each atelier leaves its signature.

• Italian soapsWe import our soaps from Italy and use them with filtered water and selected softeners, in the same way in every partner atelier.
• Trained ateliersWe train each atelier that washes for HYPECHASE to follow the same method, so a reorder feels like the first order.
• A light washOur house style is to underwash slightly. The garment leaves us with a firmer hand and softens with every wear.
• Your choiceSome brands want a softer finish from day one. The wash level is a choice we make together, at sampling stage.

There is more to it. Like every atelier, we keep a few finishing secrets of our own, refined season after season.

How to judge a well-finished cashmere sweater

Extreme softness sells. Many garments are washed hard precisely for that reason, because a buttery feel in the shop makes the sale. But softness alone says little about how long a sweater will last. Whether you are a brand reviewing a sample or a customer in a shop:

• Look at the surface. If a very soft sweater is also hairy, it has probably been overwashed. The fibers are already damaged, and pilling will follow.
• Be wary of a slippery feel. Heavy softeners can create a softness that fades after a few washes.
• Do not fear a firmer hand. A well-made cashmere sweater can feel slightly crisp at first. It will soften and relax with you, wear after wear.
• Check the seams. Linked seams are flat and elastic. Thick, overlocked seams usually mean cut and sew.
• Look for fashioning marks at the armholes and shoulders, the small signs that each panel was knitted to shape.

The best cashmere is not the softest on day one. It is the one that is still beautiful after ten winters.

Five finishing details to agree with your manufacturer

The same sweater can feel completely different depending on how it is finished. Before production, agree on these five points:

1. Wash level: soft from day one, or a firmer hand that softens with wear.
2. Pressing or steaming: full pressing, light pressing, or steam only.
3. Linking tension: how much give you want at the shoulders, armholes and collar.
4. Labels: brand label, care label and swing tag, and who supplies each.
5. Packing: folding method, polybags or eco packaging.

At HYPECHASE, we settle each of these with you at sampling stage, so production matches the sample you approved.