Gobi Cashmere Tour

Well, yes, it has been awhile. No need to go into details other than all the distractions have been good ones. :)

Yesterday I went along with some 20 fellow members of the International Women's Assn. of Mongolia to a behind-the-scenes tour of Gobi Cashmere!!

Yikes

I love, love cashmere. Soft, light, warm, timeless. Gorgeous and practical. What's not to love?

But after 10+ years of "collecting" ;) Gobi cashmere, I had never been to that building. Where it's actually made. Until yesterday.

The tour was CRAZY COOL.

The place was massive and busy as a beehive.

My silly pictures don't do it justice. ...and speaking of pictures...If I had any doubt that phone pics are NOT as good as my old Sony point & shoot camera, I doubt no more. (OK, I have a iPhone 4S and we were a group of 20 being herded along pretty fast) Still, I'm so glad I replaced my camera on the way back to Mongolia. However, I forgot to take it along on the tour. Grr.

Anyhoo....

Stage One: picking out all the straw, poop, etc.

The grades of and natural colors of the cashmere

Stage Two: combing

Gossamer fine

Stage Three: spinning

Despite all the machines, a lot of hands-on still required

Bobbins

The computerized silk screening room. Gobi will actually print to order. I just happen to own a silk-screened cashmere scarf, thanks to Randy. :)

The room where I would find my husband in a different place & time :) Mr. Fix All The Machines is stuffed into this windowless room. He gave me all smiles--he seems very happy in his work. That's a Gift.

Here's where garments are made to hang on the showroom racks and also made-to-measure orders are filled.

On to the Room Where They Make the Fabric (didn't catch the name :/) It seemed like the center of the hive to me. A blur of activity.

Look at this--she is hand setting the loom to make the b/w cashmere fabric

The Dying Room:

Resulting in a bunch of colors

The Finishing Room.

Amazing color & texture

This lady is straightening the grain and then trimming scarves

oohh...ahh

Someone has transformed a Soviet manikin--ha ha! Still...we're all being watched...right?

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