It's a Girl. A new Royal Baby!

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  The wait is over.

Congrats also to Her Majesty The Queen who's gained a fifth great grand-child.  And of course to Prince George too who now has a little sister.  He himself came to our world just 21 months ago.

And congrats to me who's won a bet with my husband.

The Duchess Catherine gave birth to a baby girl this morning, with the Duke by her side, we've been told.

Weighing in at 8 lbs 3 oz., the new addition to the royal household is fourth in line to the throne. 

Congrats all round.  Now what will be her name, the nation and indeed the world await.

Caption for above picture:- Soft 100% cashmere knitted baby blanket with a delicate cable knit design running through from Plum & Ivory Cashmere.  It measures 80cm square.What a lovely gift and keepsake this luxury cashmere baby blanket makes....fit for a Royal princess!

When cashmere becomes fur. Italian company Motta Alfredo explains.

Renowned for its softness when it is knitted or woven in its pure form or blended with wool, cashmere fibre had never before shown as fur. This is due to a tanning process that was too stiff. 

Cashmere furs by Motta Alfredo Iberia

Today, thanks to the expertise of the hundred-year-old Italian company Motta Alfredo, cashmere is now a worthy rival to sheepskin. Chrome-tanned, abundantly nourished, the skins, which “come from the north of China” according to a tannery manager, become soft enough to be used for clothing with the hair either on the outside or the inside.  This is even truer because the skins are light, as they come from small goats that are barely a year old. “We remove the bristle to obtain an even softer fur and we only keep the down that is less than 14 microns thick. The curl is regular and therefore very attractive visually,” adds the specialist which exhibited at Cuir A Paris in September.

Luxury Italian designer Brunello Cuccinelli is very keen on this product for his luxury collections, particularly for decorating a collar or cuffs.  Natural colours like beige, ecru and grey are perfect. “We can also dye them in bright colours,” says the designer. But, as a luxury product, this is still very much a limited edition, and no more than 10 - 15 thousands skins per year are produced. All the more to make this luxury fibre an object of desire!