Money printing

No, Mypashmina is not a license to print. quite the opposite. I just wanted to moan about how difficult it is to run a business when all the governments are having a money printing race to support the banks who bribe them. Fiat money is losing value, in some countries quicker than others. British pounds has had a terrible run, especially since so called 'Quantative Easing' (money printing) really got started in 2008.

Use #Bitcoin. We offer a 20% discount, and it is an alternative to government/bank fiat money.

https://www.mypashmina.co.uk/bitcoin-pashminas/

Travel Agents Love Pashminas

Travel agents love pashminas, after their phone and their wallet, it is the most important travel accessory according to this blog.
http://www.travelpulse.com/news/features/don-t-leave-home-without-this-when-traveling.html

“Apart from being a great accessory—adding a pop of color to your outfits—they are very versatile,” said Patty Monahan, founder at Our Whole Village, in Birmingham, Michigan. “You can use them for warmth—whenever you need an extra layer, for covering your shoulders—when visiting sacred sites or being mindful of the local culture, on the beach—as a cover up, or on the plane as a blanket.”

I totally agree with this point.

Stephanie Serino has used her pashmina in a unique way too.
“My black pashmina goes everywhere with me,” said Serino, a Luxury Cruise Specialist with Tzell Travel Group in New York City. “It is a shawl, scarf, travel blanket, head cover for churches, sun shade, pillow or seat cushion, towel, etc. I've even used it as a basket when picking oranges in Valencia, Spain.”

Stephanie hit's the nail on the head, and we do ship to Spain.

Marianne DeIulio said that some people may laugh at her, but her favorite product is her ‘blankie.’
“I am always cold on an airplane and love to be cozy under a blanket and reading a book or watching a movie, so I never travel without it,” said DeIulio an Independent Travel Consultant with Just Travelin’ in Mohegan Lake, New York.

Marianne calls her pashmina a 'blankie'. I find this a bit wierd for an adult travel agent... but at least she appreciates the utility of the pashmina.

www.mypashmina.co.uk

I searched for an image of a travel agent wearing a pashmina, but the best I could find was a cruise website suggesting that all their guests bring pashminas with them!

https://cruiseline.com/advice/before-you-cruise/what-to-bring/our-editor-s-picks-what-to-pack-for-your-flight

Cashmere test report

From time to time, we send a sample of our stock to a professional testing company to look carefully at the fibres under a microscope. It is essential so we can guarantee consistently high quality at all steps of the supply chain.

Cashmere fibres have a different structure to wool fibres, which is why they feel so incredible soft. You can see it clearly at high magnification.

This test was carried out by one of our customers, so i have blurred the name on the report.

Our customer checks us, we check the factory, the factory checks the cashmere yarn supplier, the yarn supplier checks the fibre supplier, the fibre supplier checks the cashmere farmer.. all in one simple test.

Mypashmina pashminas are the real deal

Here is a nice comment we received today :)

I just received my pashminas from you. I have purchased two others elsewhere but they are nothing compared to the quality of these. The softness is unparalleled and the quality and colours are outstanding. I finally feel like I have true pashmina!!! 

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these and if anyone is looking, you won’t regret this purchase from here but you will regret it from elsewhere! These are the real deal! 

Thank you so much!!

23rd September 2017

https://www.mypashmina.co.uk/testimonials/

Bitcoin infographic for Mypashmina

We always like to promote Bitcoin. That's why if you pay with Bitcoin at www.mypashmina.co.uk, we will give you a 10% discount on your cashmere knitwear or pashminas. Someone sent us this fascinating infographic, so I thought that anyone who's curious (after all we mention bitcoin on all our newsletters), can quickly find out more.

Most popular colour pashminas back in stock now

Hurrah.. all the pinks , blues and greys that are so popular.

Hopefully we have enough of each to last until the next delivery!

https://www.mypashmina.co.uk/pashminas-restocked/

Moronic new rules from Nepal - only a tiny thing.

Well they don't make it easy for themselves.

The Marxist-Leninist president of Nepal might well be the worlds 52nd most influential woman, but these marxists love to make stupid rules.

The people of Nepal constantly suffer.

New law: shipping over $5000 our of Nepal can not be with a courier like DHL, but must go with an air cargo firm.

Possible reasons for this law:
1. Got some mates that work for the air-cargo company
2. Something vaguely related to carbon.
3. Want to further damage Nepal cashmere industry because  ????
4. Stupid

I reckon it's 1. Communism leads to corruption 100% of the time.

 What can be done ?
Not a lot. This is obviously a trivial law in the scheme of things, but it is the scheme of things that is the problem. Switching to Bitcoin and other cryptos is a step in the right direction.

Details about yarn count and cashmere fibres

(Numero) Metric Count - nm (Metric)

This is a term used for many yarns as an alternative to a wc (much
like stating km and miles). The count is based on the number of 1000m
(metre) units in a kg (kilogram) of yarn.

All counts have two numbers - one is the count and one is the number
of strands (or ends) that have been twisted together to create that
yarn. A single yarn where you can't untwist it may not be listed with
a second number, but would technically be /1 as there is just one
strand. Roving yarns, some slub yarns or loop yarns would fall into
this category, but most yarns have a number of single ends twisted
together to create a thicker yarn and they will be stated as /2, /3,
/4 etc.

As a general rule of thumb the finer the yarn the higher the count
number (see below for why) and metric counts usually are expressed
with the count first then the ends - 30/2nm whereas cotton and worsted
counts tend to have the ends first then the count - 4/8cc or 3/9wc.

Without putting any of the above into context it doesn't really help,
so here is more of an explanation (and it's much easiest to explain
with metric counts as the numbers are nice and round - 1000, but the
same principle applies to cotton and worsted counts too):

If a yarn is stated as 60/2nm (such as our Regency Silk) it means that
there are:
60 lots of 1000m per kg (see nm count above) i.e. 60,000m per kg. If
the yarn was expressed as 60/1nm then a kg cone would have 60,000m
wound onto it.
But it has a /2 which means there are two strands twisted together so
the length is halved - it has 30,000m per kg. If it had a /4 then the
60,000 would be quartered and there would be 15,000m* per kg.

In a nutshell that's it!

*Some of the meterages may not half or quarter down exactly as there
is a bit of "take-up" widthways across the yarn but at thinner weights
this is negligible.

The above information explains why it's so important to have the count
terminology (cc, nm or wc) when asking of referring to a yarn
otherwise it's almost impossible to ascertain the correct yarn.

For a very comprehensive explanation of counts here is a link to a
fabulous book called "Yarn Counts & Calculations" by Thomas Woodhouse
1921 that someone has taken the trouble to scan and upload. It is
extremely detailed and I must admit that I have just had a bit of a
skim read of some sections and there is a lot of algebra and maths,
but it just goes to show how complicated counts, twists and plys are.

Whilst I was scouring the internet for information for this page I
also came across the brilliant article (find it here) which helps
weavers to calculate yarn requirements for plain weave weaving
projects. It also shows how and why ends per inch is important and is
written in a very simple, funny way - well worth a look.

For an "at a glance" guide here is a table of how we have split the
yarns on our website. It gives you a rough idea of counts, how many
metres to expect per 100g and what the ends per inch will be:

COUNTLENGTH (PER 100g)ENDS PER INCH
121/2nm & Finer6001m +100 +
61/2nm-120/2nm3001m-6000m63-99
31/2nm-60/2nm1351m-3000m42-62
16/2nm-30/2nm720m-1350m28-42
9/2nm-15/2nm351m-719m24-27
5/2nm-8/2nm220m-350m16-23
4/2nm & Thicker< 219m< 11

New website launched!

We have just put up the new website, with easier navigation and more payment options. We hope you like it and would love to hear from you what you think.

Have a look at www.mypashmina.co.uk

Ethical pashminas and cashmere

I always read any comments our lovely customers write on their orders. This is a fantastic source of information and tips on how to improve our business.

I noticed in the last few days a few comments about how our company trades ethically.

This is true, but it is not particularly due to altruism. In our business it happens to be necessary to have and keep skilled workers at each stage of production. Skill takes time to accumulate. If you are always changing staff , which happens quickly if they can find a better deal elsewhere then you lose this skill.

In this little bit of the free market all the incentives are in the right place. The farmers have to treat the goats well to get the best wool. Stressed or ill goats make low quality and low quantity of cashmere wool. The people who sort the fibres do an incredibly skilled job. 

The staff in Kathmandu who actually make the pashminas and clothes nearly all have skilled jobs. Knitting, weaving, dyeing, quality controlling. Also these people have to be trusted to handle and not waste high value materials. The guy in charge of the factory is also a very nice person. Maybe that's why our staff have never taken part in the regular general strikes organised by communists in Kathmandu.

There is currently no import duty when importing things from Nepal to the UK, as opposed to between 6 and 12% from countries such as India and China. If this was to change it would cause a huge problem in Nepal. A lot of their industries have suffered from all the general strikes and the natural disasters a few years ago.

When we have been in Kathmandu, we have implemented rubbish sorting only to see the rubbish be collected and all mixed together, so that's a waste of time.. but it does get sorted at the other end by extremely poor rubbish scavengers! 

Easter pashminas

The warmth of spring has come to stay. Yellow daffodils, crocuses and laburnum are in full bloom. Easter is soon approaching and then it's time to pick up a yellow pashmina shawl to feel a little extra festive. If you dont have a yellow pashmina shawl you can find it and all colours you could imagine on www.mypashmina.co.uk

Pashmina large scarf 70% cashmere 30% silk, 45x200cm, in the colour "Buttercup"

So what do you think of a pashmina large scarf in 70% cashmere and 30% silk for only £32.45? We have kept the same prices for years. Its really time to for us to change it for todays price level, so we will do it when we launch our new website soon. You can buy pashminas at these (much too) low prices until Easter. Dont miss our offers. You can subscribe to our mailing list to receive very generous offers on www.mypashmina.co.uk so you dont miss any of them. 

Scientific Reason Cashmere Keeps You Warm

Cashmere is a form of wool that keeps sheet and people warm and comfortable in the cold, harsh weather of the winter in four season climates. There are solid scientific reasons why cashmere delivers such comfort in cold climates and how it delivers the look and warmth for which it is famous.

Where Does Cashmere Come From?

Cashmere is a softer form of wool, which is legendary for keeping both sheep and people warm. Wool keeps you warm because it is composed of a scientifically sophisticated organized web of fibers on a sheep’s back. Sheep are sheared during spring months after their wool has grown in thickness over the cold winter months.

The average weight of a sheep’s fleece is around 3.7 kilograms; but, some larger sheep can have up to 13.6 kilograms. Even when a sheep’s wool gets wet from heavy rain, the sheep stays warm and comfy thanks to this amazing fiber.

Why Does Cashmere Keep Sheep, Goats, and Humans Warm?

Wool from a sheep’s or goat’s underbelly or chin and neck is the prime ingredient in cashmere. The highest quality cashmere contains the longest and finest hair closest to the skin of the animal. Genuine cashmere includes fibers, the diameter of each must be less than 19 microns.

The finest cashmere products are made from even smaller diameter fibers, around 14 microns, which is ultra-thin by any measurement standard. According to the Los Angeles Times, genuine cashmere is eight times warmer than sheep’s wool. It is also much lighter than wool, because of the thinness of the fibers used.

Genuine cashmere come from the Capra-Hircus goat, which lives in the Himalayan Mountains and Mongolia. It is cold much of the year in these locales. Quality sellers, such as MyPashmina.co.uk, regularly test the quality of the cashmere they offer customers. In MyPashmina’s case, we test our products every few months for quality consistency.

Since these goats have two layers of wool, if you were to “pet” a Capra-Hircus goat you would feel the rough wool on its outside. But, if you examined it further (assuming the goat would let you do so), you would be impressed with the softness of its wool closest to its skin, which keeps the goat warm and cozy in the coldest of weather. This is the wool that we use for our cashmere products.

Conclusion

While cashmere is much lighter than traditional wool, it keeps you eight times warmer than wool. Whether you have a cashmere scarf or sweater, you will remain fashionable and cozy wearing genuine cashmere garments.

The reason cashmere keeps its host animal – and you – warm, is because its fibers trap natural body warmth, which makes it “breathable” to help cool you down in the summer. While you might think of wearing wool in the summer heat, you’ll remain comfortable wearing cashmere.

Visit MyPashmina.co.uk to see the genuine cashmere products we offer. The only thing you’ll miss is feeling the plush difference in cashmere versus rougher wool. However, both will keep you warm in winter, cool in summer, and always looking fashionable.

How to Choose Pashmina Colors that Suit You

Every colour of pashmina is available from www.mypashmina.co.uk

Deciding which colours flatter you can be important and, often, confusing. However, you should always choose colours that bring your skin tone, hair, and eyes to “life.” Picking the wrong colours can make you appear “washed-out” and do nothing to enhance your look.

Choosing the “Right” Colours for You

The often-confusing question: How will you know that a colour enhances your appearance to make you look your best? Follow this fundamental rule to choose colours that enhance, not detract, from your appearance.

Whenever you are out shopping or visiting an e-commerce website, place the garment under your chin or place the pashmina colour (on your monitor) next to your face in daylight, not artificial lighting, neon or otherwise.

You will see if the colour livens and brightens your features, including your eyes. If your answer is “Yes.” You can now be comfortable buying or ordering a wearable product in this or closely-related colour.

However, if the colour causes your skin to look dull and washed-out, disregard the colour as it is “wrong” for you. Also, disregard colours that shows your wrinkles, makes you look like you added pounds, or makes you look tired.

Don’t panic if a colour does not suit you, but, you love it. You can wear this colour with different accessories in colours that do suit you.

Know Your Colour Season

Most experienced colour experts believe that each season is a complimentary combination of three “primary colours” (red, yellow, and blue). Every human exhibits strong variations of red.

Human “undertones” should include either blue or yellow hints, depending on your natural skin colour season.

Spring Colour Season

You probably have dark brown hair with red, chestnut, or gold hues. Your skin may be pink beige, peach, creamy ivory, or golden. You also tan easily. You may have green, hazel, or blue eyes.

You should like warm colors (brown, yellow, gold, ivory, dark blue, turquoise, or pastels).

Summer Colour Season

You will be a natural blonde, with fair skin, complimented by blue or green eyes.

Ten Weird and Crazy Ways to Use a Pashmina

Pashminas are versatile and a garment staple for fashionable women. A cashmere pashmina may be the most versatile garment in your closet. Whether you wear it in winter or summer, there are many ways to use pashminas in interesting or weird ways to enhance your appearance.

Some Creative (Sometimes Crazy) Ways to Use a Pashmina

You can unlock your creativity with a pashmina (scarf or shawl). You can be as creative as you like since this garment will adapt to your whim.

1. Wrap yourself in a “twist” or traditional knot.
   
   
   The “twist” involves wrapping the pashmina around your neck once. After you tighten your neck loop, choose to hang your tails in front or on your back. You also could use the knot by hanging your tails in front and tying a knot. You can tighten the knot at your throat or make it loose for more casual wear.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. The “chain link” displays a more creative look.
   
   
   You can start with a traditional knot. Then make another loose knot at the front of your neck. Take the ends and make another loose knot so your pashmina looks like a chain with links.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. The “twisted knot” is always interesting and a little weird.
   
   
   Wrap the garment around your neck, with both tails hanging in front. Keeping the scarf loose tie an equally loose knot with both tails. Then wrap the tails around the loop you made 2 or 3 times.
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. The “double hacking knot.”
   
   
   Make a single hacking knot, with a loop and two tails. After, pull one tail through the original loop, twisting it to make a ring. Then pull the other tail through the ring.
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Braid your pashmina.
   
   
   Make single hacking knot with its loop and 2 tails. Pull one tail through the loop; then twist the loop, making a ring, Pull the second tail through the loop, twisting it again to make a new ring. Then pull the first tail back through the new ring, continuing this pattern till you run out of braid material.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. The “knotted loop.”
   
   
   Drape the pashmina loosely at the front of your torso, with the two tails hanging on your back over your shoulders. Let the loop drop slightly below the top of your chest. Tie the tails in a tight double knot in the back, with your tails hanging along your spine. Then pull the pashmina forward to drape it fashionably.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. The pashmina “bow.”
   
   
   Yes, this is a little weird and crazy. How do you tie your shoes? You probably don’t even think about it anymore – but think about how you might teach a child. Wrap your neck and tie your pashmina in a loose knot. Make two half-loops with your tails. Then cross these to make an “X.” You should have a mega bow which you can adjust to suit you.
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. The pashmina “tie.”
   
   
   This is weirder than #7. Tie your pashmina as you would a men’s tie. It’s OK to get help if you’re a woman. Use the right tail to fashion the tie knot. You don’t need to slip the knot tightly around your neck if you’re going casual today.
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. The pashmina “faux bandana.”
   
   
   You can make your pashmina into a bandana by draping it over your chest with the tails down your back. Cross the tails around your shoulders, draping them down the front. Tie the ends together in a tight knot at your bust. You can drape it rather loosely across your neck or chest.
   
   
   
   
   
   
10. The pashmina “belt.”
    
    
    This a bit bizarre, but easy to make. Just wrap it around your waist and tie your pashmina in a knot. You can leave the tails hanging loosely or rewrap it around your waist again while tucking the ends into the knot loop.
    
    
    
    
    
    

There are many other possible ways to use your pashmina, such as hair tie-backs, head scarfs, as capes and shawls, and even as skirts and beach cover-ups. When we say pashminas are versatile, we mean it! Visit http://www.mypashmina.co.uk/ to get some other creative ideas to create different looks.

5 reasons to buy Cashmere and Pashminas with bitcoin

Five Reasons to Use Bitcoin to Make Your Cashmere Purchases

Bitcoin, the newest type of currency, is becoming more than a curious form of payment system. Since it no longer commands media “trending headlines,” as a curiosity, you can be confidant when using it as more merchants accept this currency. There are some good reasons you should consider using bitcoin as your payment for purchases. Some of these solid reasons are noted below.

Some Reasons to Use Bitcoin to Make Cashmere Purchases

• MyPashmina.co.uk offers a 10 percent discount for customers purchasing cashmere garments from us with bitcoin.
  
  We offer only genuine cashmere products. You can see and feel the difference from lower quality “cashmere” imitation pashminas, including other garments and accessories, you can buy and wear our high-quality cashmere garments.
  
  While bitcoin is still considered “alternative virtual currency,” it’s becoming more acceptable by many merchants around the globe. There are good reasons that bitcoin makes customers more confidant to take advantage of the many important features of this currency.
  
  
  
• Bitcoin is fast, cheap, and easy to use.
  
  Unlike cheques, banks need not place “holds” on your payments because you present a non-local cheque for the product(s) you want to buy. Instead of waiting for or paying bank fees for international wire transfers, bitcoin transactions are faster.
  
  Since merchants (maybe, even you) pay for credit card transactions, merchants often charge higher prices for using credit or debit cards for e-commerce purchases. Paying with bitcoin involves no “swipe fees,” common with most card transactions, you enjoy minimal transaction fees or find that using bitcoin is free-of-charge.
  
  
  
• Black hat hackers cannot steal your private, sensitive credit card information from merchants.
  
  This is a critical advantage of using bitcoin for purchases. As hackers become more sophisticated, they often stay ahead of the most current security procedures offered by many merchants.
  
  Black hat hackers cannot steal your card numbers, expiration dates, or CSV numbers, since you did not offer them to merchants. Hackers, therefore, have nothing to steal. Since the ‘Net was never designed for credit or debit cards, it is impossible to totally secure your private information. Since using cards (even, chip cards) are “card not present” transactions, merchants pay slightly more for your purchases and even temporarily need your private information for transactions. Efficient hackers have software that can create breaches in merchant security, leading to your sensitive information being stolen. Using bitcoin means your private information stays private and protected.
  
  
• Bitcoin is a “private” currency platform.
  
  Blockchain allows you to know what your balance is and track your bitcoin use and purchases. No one knows the name of the owner of an account. While people can see into your clear plastic wallet, it’s impossible for outsiders to know it’s yours.
  
• Unlike bank or PayPal accounts, you own your bitcoin account.
  
  If a bank believes you misused your account, they can “freese” your balance without discussing it with you. Since bitcoin involves both a “public” and a “private” key for your bitcoin address, unless you publish your private key information, no one can take away funds from your bitcoin account. It is safe, since you own it.
  

These are but five reasons (there are more) using bitcoin is more secure than using credit or debit cards for purchases. If you want genuine cashmere garments, visit mypashmina.co.uk and use bitcoin as your preferred payment. You’ll get a 10 percent discount and protect your sensitive card information.

Handmade unique cashmere scarves for winter

These lovely cashmere scarves are so soft and light. They dont itch. Each one are made individually so what you is totally unique. Made in Nepal in our small factory by people that are happy and have worked with us for a long time. You can buy them and thousands of beautiful items in cashmere on www.mypashmina.co.uk 

Perfect for yourself for the winter cold, or as an appreciated gift for xmas.

Did you know that www.mypashmina.co.uk accepts bitcoin? And that you get a 20% discount right

now if you choose to pay with bitcoin?

So what is bitcoin? To put it out easy - its a digital currency that is not controlled by the state. It is the modern way of paying. You dont need banks for it. You are your own bank. And its easy to use once you have had a look into how to start using it. As we see it, the increased use of bitcoin will put the power with the people instead of the banks and will make the world a better place. We at the Mypashmina, want to help promote bitcoin, so therefore we offer a 20% discount for people that choose this payment option. (for a limited time)

For those of you that are not familiar with bitcoin - check out the video below

Our pashminas and cashmere knitwear is made in our factory in Nepal where the workers are happy. We deliver for free next day within the UK and we also deliver worldwide. To find out more please visit www.mypashmina.co.uk

Autumn is here - time to be cosy in amazingly soft cashmere scarves again

Handmade 180x45 cm cashmere scarf from www.mypashmina.co.uk

Autumn is here for sure now. Gone are those lovely summer days. But not to worry - autumn is colourful and cosy! Its now its time to meet up with your friends over a warm cup of tea, and take beautiful walks in parks with leaves coloured in beautiful orangey shades.

Our favourite scarf for the autumn is this one - a completely hand made cashmere scarf - each one is unique - made in different colours. Its so warm and soft. It doesnt feel heavy or itch. Cashmere is a very thin fibre - only about 20 microns - so it shouldnt. Cashmere also lasts for year. So to buy a cashmere scarf from www.mypashmina.co.uk is an investment for the next decade or so.

6 reasons to be addicted to a pashmina

1. A pashmina shawl feels wonderful and light
2. A pashmina shawl is so beautiful
3. A pashmina shawl keeps you warm
4. A pashmina shawl lasts for years
5. A pashmina shawl from Mypashmina is produced ethically in Nepal. Our workers are happy and so are the cashmere goats.
6. A pashmina shawl is reversible. It can be worn as a shawl in various ways, a scarf, a headscarf, a blanket..only your imagination will set the limits..

You will find thousands of pashmina and cashmere shawls and garments on www.mypashmina.co.uk - we offer free next day delivery.

Pashminas for summer

Which is the best pashmina for summer? We think the ring shawl is, because a ring shawl is a very fine pashmina suitable for warmer weather. It is single ply and amazingly soft, warm and light. It looks beautiful and feels so nice, perfect for cooler summer evenings. We have them in two sizes and many colours. Order ring shawls on www.mypashmina.co.uk for next day delivery.

You will find our full range of cashmere knitwear and pashminas on www.mypashmina.co.uk