kashmiri shawls

FACTS ABOUT KASHMIRI SHAWLS

Kashmiri Shawls: Feel of royal status

The “Kashmiri shawls” are considered to be antique and a sign of royalty even today. It is a fact that Kashmiri fabrics in Jammu & Kashmir are ten times warmer than normal sheep wool. Most pashmina shawls are of natural cream colour. These shawls have a high demand in the international fabric industry, especially in the Gulf, Canada, US and European markets.

 Woollen Kashmiri shawls have become a status symbol over the past few years. The people who wear Kashmir shawls are considered to be from the high class. We cannot avoid the fact that a lot of people are earning their livelihood by engaging themselves in different stages of the production of these shawls. It takes a lot of time to weave one pure pashmina shawl.

Making of Pashmina Shawls needs highly skilled workers

Pashmina is handwoven by skilled and expert artisans of Kashmir. These shawls are not a cup of tea for any other craftsmen. They require expertise and adept skills to perform such a magnificent piece of work. This art of weaving finest Kashmiri embroidery is passed on from one generation to other and has now become a tradition in Kashmir.

Kashmiri Shawl needs proper care and storage

Ideally, Pashmina should always be dry cleaned using organic solvents. It not only removes soil and stains from the fabric; but also maintains the shape, colour, and look of the garment. If that isn’t an option, use cold water to hand-wash your Pashmina in a separate container/bucket/sink. You may add a mild detergent such as baby shampoo, and make sure that it fully dissolves in water before you soak your garment in it. Later wash the Pashmina accessory softly while being extra careful of the hand-woven trusses.

To dry a Pashmina scarf, we must hang it out in shade, away from strong wind and let it dry out slowly. Bigger/heavier garments can be kept in a towel and rolled in to drench extra water before drying.

Dry Cleaning

Pashmina is an unusual fabric that becomes softer with each use. With good care, you not only make it gentler to use but also add to the life of the garment. The fine weaving of Chyangra goats’ wool by Kashmiri artisans is an age-old tradition that brings out the best of Pashmina. Such a cloth must always be protected with the right care. It is advisable to dry clean the garment after a season’s use to maintain its durability. Natural wool and silk dry clean beautifully, helping to return your precious Pashmina to a “like-new” condition. It also prevents loss of colour and change of texture or finishing due to extensive use.

 

Storage

Store your Pashmina in a muslin cloth to avoid the development of lint or short fibres that separate the surface of cloth or yarn. Fold it neatly inside out in moth-proof stuff. Keep the Pashmina in a drawer or storage box with dried Lilac sachets or lavender sachets to repel moths. If you want to store your Kashmiri Shawl over a longer seasonal period, you can also consider getting plastic zip storage bags so that moths can’t penetrate it.

Do not use naphthalene balls while storing the Pashmina as it can mar its beauty and give it a permanent smell.

Keep your Pashmina in a cool, dry place. In case of contact with moisture, visit a dry cleaner to get the issue sorted.

Aerate your Kashmiri handicrafts periodically, preferably once a month to avoid moths in your exclusive Pashmina products.

Never expose your Pashmina to direct heat or extreme sunlight as it can damage the garment’s texture.

Brush the shawl, scarf, or stole after every wear as they hoard dust easily.

Many Pashmina accessories get passed on from one generation to another. To ensure yours does that too, allow the garment to go through professional restoration after every few years to maintain its newness.

Never hang a Pashmina in the closet as it can cause the fabric to stretch and lose its shape. Instead, always fold and stack it neatly to keep the material crisp.

In case your Pashmina develops a thread snag that is running across the fabric, take your fingernail and rub it across the threads, kind of like you are scratching something. Of course, don’t make it too rough because you will make it worse. Just follow the link of that thread to the end and clip it.

Taking care of your Pashmina is this simple. All you need to do is give it some attention while storing and washing, and the garment will remain fresh for the years to come.

Kani shawl in the most original record dating back to the Mughal era

 

The standard design of the Kashmiri shawl is the Kani shawl, named after the Kanihama village where it was originally produced.

Making the Kani shawl, like other crafts in Kashmir, requires a lot of patience. The craftsman can weave no more than one inch of Kani every day. Kani weaving is similar to Persian carpets necessary to determine the design first and then weave with warp and weft interlaced. Usually, a luxurious version of a 1×2 meter Kani shawl requires 2-3 craftsmen to weave for a year regularly.

The main artistry of Kani is the colour obtained entirely through the woven Pashmina thread because of the slenderness of Pashmina fibre, the overall colour of the shawl regardless of the colour system presents a very artistic hazy colour. At first glance, it is like an oil painting when you closely look at every pattern stroke is accurate. It is precise because of this Kani shawl has captured the hearts of many world-class power figures.