CASHMERE KNOWLEDGE · FIBER SCIENCE SERIES

What "Nm" Actually Measures

Metric count (Nm) is the simplest yarn specification in the world: it is the number of metres of single yarn that one gram of fibre can be spun into.

• 26Nm = one gram of fibre spins into 26 metres of single yarn.
• 36Nm = one gram spins into 36 metres — finer, lighter, more delicate.
• 48Nm = one gram spins into 48 metres — ultra-fine, requires top-grade fibre.

The higher the Nm, the thinner the yarn, the more delicate the knit, and (usually) the higher the price. But Nm describes the single yarn, not what is actually going through the knitting machine. That is where the "2/" prefix comes in.

The "2/" Notation: Ply Explained

Manufacturers rarely knit with single yarn: it is weak, uneven and pills fast. The standard practice is to twist two or more singles together. The notation 2/28Nm means "two strands of 28Nm singles, plied together."

• 2/28Nm ≈ 14Nm effective thickness. The workhorse count for luxury cashmere knitwear worldwide.
• 2/26Nm ≈ 13Nm effective thickness. Slightly thicker, slightly cheaper, slightly more durable.
• 2/48Nm ≈ 24Nm effective thickness. Finer, lighter, more expensive.
• 1/14Nm single-ply ≈ 14Nm, but with weaker twist — handles soft but pills earlier.
• Cabled 4-ply (2/2 construction) = two 2-ply yarns twisted together. Used for chunky 5–7GG knits.

The Five Counts That Cover 95% of Cashmere Programs

Most cashmere knitwear collections run on a small handful of counts. The table below maps the counts we see most often at our factory to the products they suit and the gauge they need.

Numbers reflect industry-published benchmark ranges. Confirm final yarn choice with your factory based on the target gauge and finished weight.

Yarn Count × Gauge = The Knit Your Customer Feels

Count tells you how fine the yarn is. Gauge tells you how densely the machine knits it. Together they drive three things the customer actually feels: weight, drape, and hand.

Why the pairing matters

Push 2/48Nm yarn through a 7GG machine and the knit comes out open, gappy, and structurally weak — the gauge is too coarse for the yarn. Push 2/14Nm yarn through a 14GG machine and the fabric packs up, loses drape, and feels boardy. The gauge and the count have to be matched, or the result falls apart in the wash or on the body.

How the pairs translate into fabric

GSM is the number to actually ask for

Yarn count and gauge together drive finished fabric weight (GSM). GSM is the single most useful spec a buyer can request because it cannot be faked without changing the hand — a thin yarn knit loosely will not match the GSM of a thicker yarn knit densely. For a men's M, 28GSM: that is the gate. Get the range.

What Finer Actually Buys You — And What It Costs

"Finer is better" is the most common mistake cashmere buyers make. Finer counts buy you refinement and lightness. They cost you durability, price stability, and tolerance for sloppy knitting.

The Three Yarn Specs That Belong On Every Tech Pack

The single biggest quality upgrade in cashmere sourcing is writing a clearer tech pack. Most disputes between buyer and factory come from one side filling in the gaps the other left empty. Three specs settle almost every disagreement:

1. Yarn count, metric. "2/28Nm" — not "fine cashmere" or "premium cashmere." Those phrases mean nothing on a PO.
2. Ply construction. "True 2-ply twisted yarn" — not "2-ply at knit." Otherwise the mill can feed two singles at the knitting machine and call it 2-ply.
3. Finished weight tolerance per size. "Size M 280–320g, ±5%" — measured on the finished, relaxed, blocked garment, not on the knitting machine panel.

Add fibre spec from the previous guide (Grade A vs. Grade B cashmere) and gauge, and you have a tech pack that any reputable factory — including ours — can quote against without ambiguity.

What an Industrial Knitting Bay Looks Like

Modern cashmere knitting is done on computerised flat-bed machines — Stoll, Shima Seiki and similar. Each gauge is a different machine: a 14GG machine physically cannot knit 2/14Nm chunky yarn without damaging the needles, and a 5GG machine cannot knit 2/48Nm fine yarn tightly enough. That is why a factory's gauge range is one of the first things to verify when you brief a new supplier: a mill running 7–12GG cannot produce 14GG ultra-fine knitwear regardless of the yarn they source.

Ewsca insider note: At Ewsca we run 100+ computerised flat-bed machines spanning 3GG to 14GG, which is what lets one factory quote across the whole yarn-count table above. When a new client asks for 2/48Nm at 16GG, we tell them we can spin and knit the yarn, but the resulting garment will pill faster per single yarn than a 2/28Nm equivalent — and we offer them the better choice before quoting.

Spec Writing for Different Product Categories

These ranges assume 100% cashmere. If you move to a 70/30 cashmere–wool blend, expect the yarn price to drop 25–35% and the abrasion resistance to climb; if you move to a 90/10 cashmere–silk blend, expect a finer surface and a higher price per kilo. Both moves change the optimal count slightly — talk to your factory before locking the spec.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does 2/26Nm mean in cashmere?

The "2" is the ply — two individual yarn strands twisted together. The "26" is the metric count, meaning one gram of cashmere fibre spins into 26 metres of single yarn. "2/26Nm" therefore means: two 26-metres-per-gram singles plied together, producing a finished yarn whose effective thickness is roughly equivalent to a 13Nm single. It is the workhorse mid-gauge count for crew necks, V-necks and relaxed cardigans on 7–9 gauge knitting machines.

What is the difference between 2/26Nm and 2/28Nm?

Both are two-ply, but 2/28Nm uses finer singles (28 m/g vs 26 m/g), giving a slightly thinner, smoother, more expensive yarn that handles 12–14 gauge knitting best. 2/26Nm is slightly thicker and more abrasion-resistant, which suits 7–9 gauge mid-gauge knitwear. The yarn price gap is roughly 15–25% — most luxury programs run 2/28Nm; the mill or factory picks 2/26Nm when the budget tightens or the gauge drops.

Is 2/48Nm better than 2/28Nm?

Not necessarily — finer is not always better. 2/48Nm uses very fine singles (48 m/g), requires top-tier fibre at ≤15 microns to spin stably, and is designed for ultra-fine 14–16 gauge knitwear (180–220 GSM). It is more expensive per kilo, more delicate to knit, and pills faster per single yarn unless the ply and twist are correctly engineered. Use 2/48Nm when the brief calls for a refined, lightweight layering piece — not for everyday mid-gauge pullovers.

How do yarn count and gauge work together?

Yarn count (Nm) tells you how fine the yarn is. Gauge (GG) tells you how densely the machine knits it. Together they drive fabric weight, drape and handle: 2/26Nm at 9GG gives 250–320 GSM mid-gauge knitwear; 2/28Nm at 12GG gives 280–320 GSM year-round premium pullovers; 2/48Nm at 14GG gives 180–220 GSM travel-weight layers; 2/14Nm at 5GG gives 400–550 GSM chunky winter pieces. Mismatching them produces an open, unstable knit that bags out within a season.

What GSM should a 12-gauge 2-ply cashmere sweater be?

A men's size M 12-gauge, 2/28Nm 2-ply cashmere crew should weigh 280–320 grams finished. If a vendor quotes a "premium 100% cashmere crew" at 12GG and the finished weight is 200 grams, the likely explanations are single-ply where 2-ply was specified, lower yarn count than quoted, or undeclared blending. Weight is the single most reliable quality signal in cashmere buying — it cannot be faked without changing the hand and the drape.

What should I write on my tech pack for yarn count?

Specify four things in writing: (1) yarn count in the metric system, e.g. "2/28Nm"; (2) ply construction, e.g. "true 2-ply twisted yarn (not two singles fed at the machine)"; (3) gauge, e.g. "12GG"; (4) finished weight tolerance per size, e.g. "M 280–320g". Do not write only "2-ply" or only "cashmere yarn" — those phrases can be satisfied by an inferior construction. The clearer your tech pack, the more comparable the quotes you will receive.