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Step by Step
Once the yarn has been dyed it goes to the warp dresser who
specialises in setting the yarns on the loom. Meanwhile the
design of the shawl to be woven is created by the
Naqush
or design drawer who specialises in the drawing and colour-
combination of the design. Then the
Tara-Guru
works on the
colour-coordination, after which the
Talim-Guru
translates
the design into a language called
Talim
that the weaver
understands and follows to weave the shawl.
The weaver is the person who actually waves the shawl. He
deftly weaves weft yarns, for different colours, and turns
them into a textile masterpiece. Kani is an on-loom design
process of weaving a shawl using slim spools that have yarn
wrapped around them. Most Pashminas are of a double
interlock twill tapestry weave wherein the weft
(horizontal) yarn goes over two warp yarns
and then under two warp (vertical) yarns with
a shift/step between rows that creates subtle
diagonal lines across the shawl. The time taken
for weaving a shawl depends on its complexity.
For two weavers, it generally takes around nine
to ten months to weave a shawl. Each day they
spend around seven to eight hours weaving
although, the same process and steps are not
involved in the weaving of a simple shawl.
Once the shawl is woven, it is washed by the
dobh
. He specialises in washing Pashmina
shawls. He knows how to wash them so that
no harm is done to them during the washing
process. Washed in the Jhelum River, the
minerals in the water are good for the fabric
and bring out the beauty of the colours of
the shawl.
The next step is calendering that is
smoothening by steam-ironing the shawl.
Then the person, who is in charge, examines
the entire shawl very carefully. If there is any
defect or fault, it is sent back to the weaver or
