The Facts about Pashmina

The essence of Pashmina derives from the Capra Hircus goat that lives at heights of 4,500 meters and more. At these heights temperatures rarely exceed minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter seasons. According to research regarding Pashminas the Capra Hircus goats are not able to produce such quality of fine material (Pashmina) if the goats are living at lower altitudes.

Pashmina is the fine, soft hair on the underbelly of the goat and is protected by the coarse outer hair. An individual goat produces approximately 3 ounces or 90 grams of Pashmina wool annually. Thus, one woven Pashmina shawl demands the wool from a minimum of 3 goats.

Spinning

Pashmina wool is collected annually in the spring season and is generally spun by hand. This is conducted on a spinning wheel locally known as a 'Charkha'. Before the spinning of the wool commences the generic material is treated by stretching and cleaning it to extract any unwanted materials and soaked for a few days in a solution of rice and water to enhance the softness of the material. Hand spinning is extremely strenuous and time consuming and requires immense concentration, patience, focus, determination and not least a real eye for artisan craftsmanship.

Weaving

Care and attention are paramount when it comes to Pashmina yarn. Power looms cannot be used for Pashmina as the vibration produced damages the yarn. Therefore the weaving of traditional Pashminas is done exclusively on hand-operated looms. The weaving is done with a shuttle carrying the soft Pashmina yarn through the fine, yet strong, silk warp.

This craftsmanship requires skills and artistry handed down from previous generations that have developed and refined these special weaving techniques. This results in an historical and yet modern product that has centuries behind it and yet can be viewed in the modern day life of our beautiful women.

Pashmina yarn has to be handled with such care that it takes about four days to weave an individual Pashmina shawl.

Fringes

The Pashmina’s fringe is not merely a decorative embellishment, but an integral part its structure. Fringing is an art in itself, taking much of the designers’ time, as it requires very nimble and precise movements to produce the almost finished product.

Dyeing

At this stage the Pashmina still requires the hands of the masters. This is not a time for haste, as the completion of the product requires patience and time to achieve absolute perfection. If any mistakes are made at this stage quality is seriously compromised, so again the discipline and skill of generations of craftsmanship are required. At this stage metal and azo-free dyes are used, making the shawls completely eco-friendly. The pure water used for this process is extracted from the depths of the earth and dyeing proceeds with the temperatures just below boiling point for an hour. Pashmina wool is supremely absorbent and dyes easily and deeply.