About Månestråle and how to care

Månestråle was founded in 2001 after Marise and Nikolaj Østergaard met some of the best cashmere artisans in the world. This turning point was the beginning of their future business ventures and the beginning of the now well-known Danish brand Månestråle.

All Månestråle items are made of carefully selected yarns. We use Vicuna cashmere from Inner Mongolia, the finest Italian wool and an exclusive mix of Italian Mohair. The Italian wool and Mongolian cashmere are of the highest quality in the world and are known for being exceptionally soft and for its remarkable insulation capacities. To uphold the wonderful craft of cashmere and wool and support the tradition, Månestråle works solely with small farmers and factories in Mauritius. These have been perfecting their production through a long history of know-how and craftsmanship.

Månestråle cashmere yarn comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats, who lives in the mountains of Inner Mongolia. This area is characterized by wide temperature fluctuations, which spans between 25° and -40°C. To survive the harsh climate, the cashmere goats have developed double wool layers. The outer layer protects the goats from rain and other external factors, and the inner undercoat keeps the goats warm during winter and cooled down during summer. It is the ultra-fine and very rare yarn from the undercoat, which is used for Månestråle knitwear.

The process of harvesting the yarn is utterly harmless to the goats.

If you love something you want to hold on to it forever. The same goes for your favorite cashmere sweater and your new Månestråle knitwear can easily last for many years if you take good care of it.

Wash by hand 

Cashmere and wool have natural antibacterial properties, meaning that it doesn't need to be washed as often as synthetic materials. It will often be sufficient to skip the wash and instead air it outside. The fresh air and moist works wonder for the cashmere fibers and as a bonus, it also brings down the environmental impact.

However, if necessary we recommend washing by hand inside out in lukewarm water (30°C). Any form of heat will shrink cashmere, so make sure you only use lukewarm water if you don’t want to turn your sweater into a crop top.

Add a few drops of a liquid wool detergent or baby shampoo as this is the gentlest method on your clothes and the environment. Rinse thoroughly and press out excess water by rolling your cashmere sweater in a dry towel like you would fold a sleeping bag. Lay flat to dry away from sunlight.

We do not recommend use of washing machine or dry cleaning.

Avoid misshaping

It is crucial not to hang your knitwear on a hanger as you can end up with an unnatural shape and sagging sleeves – everything you want to avoid in a precious piece. Instead we recommend that you fold your knitwear and store it in a drawer or on a shelf to avoid misshaping. 

Due to the nature of the yarn, you should expect a small amount of pilling to occur on your new knitwear. This is inevitable but you can easily remove pilling with a cashmere comb or shaving machine.

FIVE tips for cashmere care

Taking good care of your new product should be easy if you just remember these five tips

1) Hand wash only in lukewarm water
2) Wash with few drops of a liquid wool detergent or baby shampoo
3) Dry your cashmere sweater in a dry towel
4) Store it in a drawer or on a shelf to avoid misshaping
5) Remove pilling with a cashmere comb or shaving machine

All Månestråle cashmere and wool knitwear is due to the nature of the yarn biodegradable. This means that you could technically bury it in the ground, where it will disappear. However, if you do not want your Månestråle item any longer, we recommend that you hand it over to your local charity shop and make someone else very happy.