Weaving a Kullu Shawl

The process of weaving lamb wool into shawls, in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Product (2018-03-28)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Handloom weavers in India take pride in maintaining the special qualities of their skill and the designs that set them apart from another region. Loyalty to their heritage, history and cultural linkages play a significant part in retaining and passing their skills on from generation to generation. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Product (2018-03-28)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Today, the progress of handlooms has moved from pit looms, to frame looms,  jacquard and power looms. Yet, there are some regions where sincerity to natural processes, home production and the family’s collective involvement matters more than increased production through mechanical processes using synthetic yarns. For them, the process from sheep to yarn to loom is a smooth and integrated one, done with joy and pride. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Setting up the warp

The first step of weaving is setting up the warp or the vertical length of the weave. For this, yarns are unwound from their cones, threaded through a wire heald, rolled onto the large warping drum (locally called a 'tana' drum) and are finally wound on a warp beam. The bigger this warping drum, the longer the warp. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27) by Gulab, National award recipientDastkari Haat Samiti

Yarns are rolled on the drum according to the design. Once the warp is long enough it is wound on the beam, which is then mounted onto the back of the frame loom.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

This wire heald, a part of the larger warping or 'tana' drum, is a local version of the industrial one. The heald keeps the yarns at the regular distance from each other on the warp.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-04-02)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Watch how the warp is transferred from the drum to the warp beam. It needs to be wound tightly so as to keep the yarns in place.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Once the warp beam is fixed to the back of the loom, warp yarns are pulled over the loom, threaded one by one, according to the desired pattern, through the healds in the shafts.

After this, they are passed through the reed (attached to the beater), pulled all the way to the front of the loom, and finally wound around the front beam of the loom.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Weft & Weave

To begin weaving, the weaver fixes a fly shuttle with the desired weft yarn, that is, the yarn that will make the horizontal width of the shawl. The shuttle is then passed between the warp yarns, building the fabric, thread by thread. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-04-03)Dastkari Haat Samiti

The handloom weaving process on old-style frame looms requires the hands to work above while the feet work the pedals below, moving the shafts up and down, and with it the warp yarns.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A weaver pulls on the pulley attached to the shuttle to move it across.

A handloom workshop has a unique music. The constant clacking of the wooden shuttle, the shafts, and the beater, are all a part of a weaver's life.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Equally adept from childhood, women and men work at a loom singly or in pairs. There is no difference in their output or dedication to the craft.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A weaving space in a Kullu workshop can house as many as ten looms where men and women jointly weave shawls.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Product (2018-03-28)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Common Kullu Weaves

Kullu shawls are known for their plain body in basic weaves bordered with bold, colourful patterns. Apart from these, other commonly woven products are the thick pattu/lois or the narrow colourful borders, 'patti'. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Culture (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

For Kullu weavers, their designs are set in their minds. They follow no pre-planned patterns on graph paper or even rough sketches.

Here, a woman weaver proceeds on her shawl which has a wide elaborate border. The emerging pattern is in the classic style of a Kullu shawl.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Sometimes, detailing is added with extra weft threads inserted into the border, after the main pattern is established.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process of adding designs in weaving (2018-03-28)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Watch how extra weft threads are woven into the border to enhance the pattern.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-28)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Kullu weavers also make a thick natural coloured woollen fabric called 'pattu'. It can be used as a blanket when multiple strips are stitched together, or can also be tailored into a rough coat that shepherds wear in cold weather.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-31)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Notice how the warp beam is fixed above the loom instead of below it like in most frame looms. Also, instead of the usual shuttle, she uses a hollow rod to move the thick yarn across the warp.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Narrow strips or 'pattis' are woven on small looms. These decorative strips are stitched as borders on shawls, bags, the famous himachali cap or on any other small product.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A small, narrow low-standing loom is made specially to weave these strips. They are casually housed in verandas of weaver's homes and are used while sitting on the floor.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Many rolls of woven strips await stitching onto larger fabrics, dresses or caps.

Sometimes they are even used to attach to tote bags.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Finishing

Most edgings that come off Indian handlooms are considered complete only when the end pieces are tassled to prevent threads from opening up at the ends. Nowadays machine stitching does the same job but it is not considered a part of the Indian textile tradition to machine edges rather than tessellate them.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Women sit together in verandas to separate the edge threads on the shawl and to tie them into tassles.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Apart from tassels, woven strips are also machine-stitched onto the shawl borders.

This work usually happens in verandas of the weaver's homes which are also used as extended workshops.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A careful tidying up of minor threads and flaws takes place as a form of quality checking.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

A weaver cuts off the extended threads in the weft pattern in the process of tidying and ‘finishing’ a piece after the weaving is completed.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

After shawls are woven and taken off the loom, they go through a large roller to be steamed and pressed for an even surface.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Washing & Dyeing

With the weaving complete, the woollen shawls are sent for washing. Many times, plain yardage is also dyed and treated through calendaring so that they can be stored in bolts. 

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Dyeing takes place in the weaver's own establishments using chemical dyestuffs.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Process (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Shawls too are often dyed after the cleaning process if colours other than natural ones are required.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Product (2018-03-28) by Om prakash MalhotraDastkari Haat Samiti

Shawls, mufflers, lois and pattus are sold in little shops in the town, on pavements in a central area outside a temple, and other informal spaces.

Women carry them in bundles and lay them out for the day to catch local customers and tourists, all of whom find the local Kullu shawl a Himalayan textile of beauty and warmth.

Kullu Shawl Weaving: Product (2018-03-27)Dastkari Haat Samiti

Credits: Story

Text: Jaya Jaitly, Charu Verma
Photography: Chirodeep Chaudhuri, Charu Verma
Artisans: Narotam Ram, Om Prakash Malhotra
Ground Facilitator: Charu Verma
Documentary Video: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Curation: Ruchira Verma

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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