Yep, you read that right. Machine. Washable. Cashmere. Not only is it easy to care for, but EWSCA signature "technical cashmere" is lightweight, stretchy, and deliciously soft. And now, for the first time, it's available on line,..........COM.

As much as we all adore the luxury and softness of cashmere, we also know it is a headache to care for. Get it wrong and your cardie will develop gorilla arms, go bobbly or, worse, shrink to a child's size.

Many of us would like nothing better than to wrap ourselves in cashmere this Christmas, but it often seems too much of a gamble, especially as it can be three times dearer than sheep's wool.

However, there is a new type of cashmere that it is claimed you can machine-wash because it has been treated with a chemical coating to prevent the ultra-thin fibres from tangling.

This makes it more shrink-resistant, though it will not protect the garment against extremes of temperature or repeated agitation.

Ewsca have started bringing in these lines and suggest you can pop them in the machine on a delicate wash at 30c.

After it is combed from the animals, the softest hair is separated out. Cashmere is much finer than sheep's wool. The most delicate can measure just 15 thousandths of an inch in diameter, or 15 microns, while wool is in the mid-20s. This makes it vulnerable to heat, agitation and prolonged washing; these force the fibres more tightly together, making the garment shrink.'

When you touch a cashmere garment, it will feel like stroking a cat. Cashmere fibres are collected from the soft underbellies, backs and sides of goats in harsh mountainous places in China and Mongolia.

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