About KOGANE thread (Part 2)
We will now talk about the four materials we are proposing at the launch, which we were unable to discuss in the first part about KOGANE threads. A deeper understanding of the materials will make choosing threads even more fun. Please take a look.
(Click here for the first part)
First of all, we named it after the material itself to simply convey the material itself.
Introducing "cashmere", "YAK" and "BLUE FOX WOOL".
- cashmere -
Cashmere, with its meltingly soft and smooth texture, is found primarily in high-altitude mountainous regions and dry desert areas where there are large temperature differences between day and night, such as China, Tibet, Mongolia, India, Iran, and Afghanistan. Its population is small, and it only sheds its fur once a year, making it a highly rare material. KOGANE uses carefully selected cashmere from Inner Mongolia, China, which is highly regarded for its quality.
It's not often that you feel "This is great yarn!" when you touch a ball of yarn, but KOGANE's "cashmere" has a comforting quality that you can feel the moment you pick it up, making you want to try knitting with it. And both while you're knitting and in the finished product, it brings a warm embrace to the knitter. I'm very happy to be able to share this yarn with you all.
The yarn is medium-thick, but it's a little thicker because it's been finished with lots of air inside, making it light and suitable for a variety of items, from small items to sweaters. I like thin cashmere items because they feel like a second skin, but personally I much prefer cashmere items knitted with thicker yarn, as they offer a sense of security and ultimate satisfaction with their strong protection.
Please try "cashmere" to add a special touch to your everyday life.
Open the cashmere product page
- YAK -
Yaks are a type of bovine animal that live in harsh highlands, mainly on the Tibetan Plateau, at altitudes of 3,000 to 6,000 meters. They have gradually been introduced into Japan over the past dozen years, but their rarity rivals that of cashmere. Yak hair has a two- layer structure: a long, hard outer layer and a dense, soft downy layer on the inside. It is this inner downy layer that is used as fiber. This down is extremely valuable, with only 100g of wool being harvested from one yak per year. ( By comparison, one sheep can produce about 4kg of wool per year. )
Yak fibers have a similar fiber structure to cashmere and boast excellent heat retention. It is more breathable than cashmere, so you can create items that are less stuffy and more comfortable to wear.
Another major feature of KOGANE 's " YAK " is that all of the colors are natural and not dyed. The colors are changed by mixing brown and white yak hair in a balanced way. Please enjoy the beautiful natural colors of yak.
Feel the warmth that gently envelops you and enrich your daily life.
Open the YAK product page
-BLUE FOX WOOL-
Fox hair has been farmed and used primarily for fur in Scandinavia and China, but in recent years there has been an increasing trend to comb the hair without killing it and use it for yarn.
Blue fox, characterized by its pale grey fur with a slight bluish tint, is said to have the smoothest fur of the several fox species. It has almost no prickly hairs, resulting in a soft and fluffy yarn, making it ideal for creating items that are extremely comfortable to wear. Its fiber structure is also porous, like a sponge, allowing it to trap warm air, providing excellent heat retention and a very light feel. The length of the pile is also key, adding elegance to items.
Blue fox is a material that is so popular, but if you make yarn using only blue fox, it will be soft but lacking in firmness and will end up being quite limp. So, at KOGANE, we've mixed it with high-quality merino lamb's wool to create a supple yarn that is both strong and soft. This is a special yarn that combines the best of both blue fox and wool.
The product tag is also inspired by blue fox, which is my favorite material!
Open the BLUE FOX WOOL product page
Finally, we'd like to introduce the "Thank You" yarn!
- Thank You -
"Thank You" is an original mixed color design, and is actually made by twisting together a total of seven strands of two types of yarn, cashmere and wool, which differ in thickness and blend ratio.
By changing the thickness, we are able to adjust the proportion of color visible per thread, which is why we are able to express complex, deep hues such as subtle blue, white, and beige within the main color.
The pop colors make it fun to knit, and since it's not a solid color, you might make some interesting discoveries by trying colors you don't normally use.
The reason we named it "Thank You" is because we wanted to convey our gratitude to everyone who picked it up, to those who knit it and give it to someone, and to all kinds of people, but there's a story behind it, and the secret lies in the blend of the yarns. (If you've already figured it out, you're in luck...) Great things are born from chance encounters, aren't you...!
I am grateful for this coincidence and hope to continue working hard on making KOGANE thread.
Open the Thank You product page
That's all for now, and I've given you a quick rundown of the materials. Were there any materials that caught your eye?
If you're interested in a material, you'll want to see it in person, right? We'll be shipping out the sample materials we're showing you soon, so look forward to it!
We will also be holding events in October and November where you can meet us. We will be announcing these soon, so please follow us on social media!
Well then
A good life with knitting.
Text: Mitsu