JOURNAL

In this issue, we will talk about the dyeing and processing of cashmere knitwear, and the stone process by dyeing shops in Toyama Prefecture

Toyama Prefecture is one of the most precipitation-prone areas in the country, due to its climate with high rainfall and snowfall, which is characteristic of the Sea of Japan coast. In particular, there is a lot of snowfall in winter, and the snow in the mountains forms snow dams, and the water from the Tateyama mountain range, which is covered with snow all year round, is the source of abundant water resources as a natural large reservoir that supplies cold drinking water even in mid-summer.
Because this meltwater flows down the mountains all at once, the difference in water temperature is remarkable compared to other counties and cities in Japan, and is quite low, around 15°C even in summer.

The richness of the water and the pumice stones are used for the stone processing of ATON cashmere.

The pumice used in the processing is from the Etna volcanic lava from Sicily in southern Italy, which was ejected by the eruption of the Etna volcano, which has been active for about 500,000 years and is considered the finest product in Europe.

This Italian pumice rises from deep underground during the eruption and becomes porous as a result of decompression, which causes water and other volatile elements dissolved in the magma to foam. The pumice is vitreous, fragile and brittle.

This soft, porous (numerous small holes) pumice stone is drawn into a large drum, into which the cashmere knitwear is placed together and slowly processed in a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction for several hours, making a sound like an earth-shaking landslide, 'goron, goron'.

As it rotates in the drum, it removes tiny fluff from the cashmere in countless tiny holes.

Unlike thicker cottons such as denim, the process is applied to delicate cashmere fibres, for which soft Italian pumice stones are ideal.

This process gives the knit a delicate, raised surface texture like the surface of a peach and a slightly rough, ink-dyed, three-coloured grey gradation.

A high quality cashmere knit is dressed down to give it a rough, sweatshirt-like look.