Learn the Dyeing Process for Kilim Floor Coverings

A large stock of jute yarn, dyed and natural, lies in a shed in Mirzapur.

The dyeing area is fairly large and spread out to accommodate all the processes involved.

An empty dye bath before the dyeing process begins.

Immersing the dyed jute in the dye bath.

Dyeing the jute inside the dye bath.

A dyer dips a batch of wool in the dyeing trough.

A batch of jute yarn is turned on the axis of a wheel to dip the strands evenly.

The dyer cuts a portion of the dyed yarn to match its colour elsewhere.

The dyer holds the dyed jute in the respective colour.

Dyers prepare for the next lot to be dyed.

Several batches of yarn are dyed in a day.

The dyed yarn, which is wet and heavy, needs the strength of four men to pull it out of the dye bath.

Logs of wood are used in the traditional furnace to heat the dye mixture in the bath.

With the increasing demand for kilims, larger batches of yarn need to be dyed.

The steamer helps to regulate and accelerate the dyeing process by heating the water in minutes.

The water gets boiled due to the steam inside the dye bath.

A worker prepares his tools next to the steamer.

Workers have to feed coal inside the steamer.

The dyeing unit had both, dyed and un-dyed wool.

This is an Industrial dye bath, which is used to dye a bigger lot of wool or jute.

Wool to be dyed.

A man carries a batch of wool that is to be dried.

Wool is dried in the open area around the workshop.

Dyed wool is dried in the open area.

Different qualities of jute yarn await its use.

The jute is largely accessed from West Bengal where its growth is plentiful.

Read more about Kilim Floor Coverings here:

- Process
- The Community