Silk
The production of silk, sericulture, has a rich history dating back several thousand years. Today, sericulture has been mastered by many countries although China still produces about half of all silk, more than any other country.
They are true masters at the process of raising silkworms, harvesting their cocoons, retrieving the silk filament from each of the cocoons, spinning it into silk threads, weaving it into silk cloth, dying it and/or lavishly embroidering it.
The Chinese silk system is divided into grades 4A/3A/2A/A/B where 4A is the best and B is the poorest. The fibers in higher grade silk are longer, approx. 6-7 cm compared to a lower grade silk which is approx. 2 cm, giving the yarn a finer and smoother appearance. No knots will appear in the higher grade silk. Grade 4A silk produces a purer colour compared to the lower grade which comes out more grayish/yellowish.
Rosemunde uses only grade 4A silk from the Jiangsu province in a mix of 70% silk and 30% cotton – added to keep the shape while wearing and washing. Cotton also gives the tops a softer and thicker hand feel. Cotton has a natural ability to absorb moisture and heat from the body where silk provides coolness.
The silk/cotton combination keeps warm when it is cold and cold when it is hot. Rosemunde silk tops are knitted as tubes with no side seams, resulting in a great fit no matter the body shape.
Cashmere
Kashmir goats roaming the high, frigid plateaus stretching from northern China into Mongolia produce more than half of the world’s production of cashmere.
The goats have an unusually fine undercoat and once a year the under-hairs are separated from the coarser guard hairs, which is a labor-intensive process done almost completely by hand.
The harvested fibers are sorted by colour, length and fineness before washing. The fibers are now ready to be spun into yarns – and then finally knitted into different garments.
It takes each goat four years to produce enough cashmere for one sweater!
The longer the fiber the higher the quality. Rosemunde uses good quality cashmere with medium length fibers
(32mm-36mm) with a diameter of 14.50-15.50 micron. To understand the fineness of the fibers a human hair
is on average 75 microns. However, some pilling will likely occur even in new and high-quality sweaters but after a few shaves with a small textile shaver the pilling will stop.
Cashmere does not need much care and airing out the garment is actually better than washing it. If washing is required it should be gently hand-washed in lukewarm water using special wool detergent.
Cashmere is the ultimate luxury – it is warm, light, soft, smooth, moisture absorbent and is extremely comfortable to wear.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have alow impact on the environment. Organic production systems replenish and maintain soil fertility, reduce the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers, and build biologically diverse agriculture. Third-party certifi cation organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials allowed in organic production.
• Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
• No chlorine bleaching or dyes which are suspected of being disruptive or allergenic.
• In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming.
• In growing cotton organically, the fertility of the soil is guaranteed long term and water sources are better preserved.
Rosemunde is collaborating with The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) which is the worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fi bres, including ecological and social criteria, backed up by independent certifi cation of the entire textile supply chain.
For more information please see:
http://www.global-standard.org/
Requirements for these certifications
