Making of genuine Pashmina

Creation of Pashmina: Time and Process

Creation of Pashmina: Time and Process – Original pashmina shawl weaving is a laborious process. It takes months to years to create a single piece of Kashmir Pashmina. In the meantime if weaving or fine needle embroidery artisan dies the whole process stops, because the hands work is unique for each artisans and the rest of shawl will be different form other part of the shawl. It takes around a month to spin 110 grams of the pashmina yarn on traditional wheel while working 7 hours a day with full efficiency.

Through chain of process it reaches to weaver who takes at least one week to create 80 x 28 inches shawl depends on the design. There are at-least 30 stages through which a single simple Kashmir Pashmina shawl or stole goes through. If calculating together each simple 80 x 28 inches shawl needs more than 20 days of creation depending upon the pattern and design.

A single Kashmir Pashmina shawl with fine hand needle embroidery is completed from months to years and the cost can go up to 10,000 dollars. The price depends on the finesse of needle work. E.g Empress Josephine of France ordered Kashmir Pashmina fine needle embroidered shawl which took 6 artisans and 9 months to create.

B)- Steps of Creation. 

Steps used in making of ‘Kashmir pashmina’

Traditional and Hand Loom

Spinning method: – Only Kashmiri women are able to spun fine thread out of Pashmina wool (12-16 microns diameter) on wheels called Yender. Even they are able to spun below 9 micron diameter of Shah Toosh Fibre.

 

Spinning Methods:

Traditional loom

(Woolen) Handloom

Only Traditional Loom (NOT Hand-loom) can be used to weave genuine and original pashmina – GI Kashmir Pashmina. Latest Studies and years of experience has suggested that the hand spun-yarn developed on traditional looms are always better in quality than hand-spun yarn developed on (woollen) handlooms.