Yak knitwear needs less washing than you'd think. The fibre resists odour on its own, so airing a sweater overnight usually does what a wash cycle would. Every wash you skip is wear you don't put on it.

When it does need washing, do it by hand in cold water, or use your machine's wool programme at 30°C or below. A mild wool detergent, nothing with bleach or enzymes, and no fabric softener: it coats the fibre and flattens the loft that makes yak warm in the first place.

Don't wring it. Press the water out gently, roll the piece in a towel to take up the rest, then lay it flat to dry, away from radiators and direct sun. Hanging a wet knit stretches it out of shape permanently.

Store folded, never on a hanger. If you're putting winter pieces away for the summer, fold them clean — moths go for the residue on worn wool, not the wool itself — and keep cedar or lavender in the drawer.

Small pills on areas that rub, like under the arms, are normal on any natural fibre. A comb or a fabric shaver takes them off in a minute and the piece looks new again.

Looked after this way, a yak cardigan will outlast most things in your wardrobe.