What colour is Pashmina?

In the craft of Pashmina,  the finest Cashmere suffuses a sense of serenity in every dimension. The fashion accessories crafted in the space of Pashmina Art are a timeless forte of Kashmir. Artisans have worked their lives to festoon a sense of beauty over the generational craft of Pashmina. Cashmere, the finest wool procured from Changra Goats in Ladakh has a unique colour called khud-rang in the local language. It is white with tinges of beige colour. Afterwards, taking its journey to Kashmir, it announces the luxury of Pashmina Art in each masterpiece crafted. Therefore, before getting to know how is Cashmere crafted, we want you to explore the tale of Pashmina Art in the 13th century.

How did Pashmina originate?

The origin of the finest Cashmere dates back to the 13th century. A sage from the Middle East, Mir Syed Ali Shah Hamdani started his journey with 700 craftsmen towards Kashmir. On his journey to Kashmir, he encountered the rare goats of Ladakh. He was enthralled by the fine wool on their bodies. He combed some out of them and made socks. The fine socks were warm and Pure. He gifted them to the ruler of Kashmir, Zain-ul-Abideen. In addition, he suggested making a local industry to curate the fine wool. His 700 craftsmen taught the people of Kashmir several skills. The skills proved to be the main requisite for curating the finest Cashmere. Thus, the art of Pashmina came into existence. The high skill prevails in the valley till now. It has been incorporated into the heritage of Kashmir Valley. 

How is the finest Cashmere procured?

It is known that at high altitudes like the Changhthanghi range, the temperature lowers to the minimum. The winters are the harshest in this region of Changhthanghi. Therefore, the Changra Goats naturally cover their bodies with thick wool to combat the harsh winters. All along the winters, the thick wool reserves the heat beneath their bodies giving them the warmth of nature. On the seasonal climate change, the goats naturally shed off the wool with the help of coarse rocks and trees. Therefore, to overcome the heat of summers, they eventually shed off the thick wool mostly from their bellies, neck region, and behind the ears. In addition, the herders also comb out the wool manually. The soft wool is Cashmere wool. It is of its original colour known as Khud-rang in the local language.

Also read: WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE BEST CASHMERE?

After Procuring, the Pashmina Art begins in Kashmir

After combing out the Cashmere wool, it is transferred to Kashmir Valley in small packets. Then, it is cleaned from the excess dust and grime. The Cashmere wool is sorted and undergoes several procedures in the valley itself. The cleaning, drying, and soaking make the Cashmere wool vividly clean. Afterwards, the Cashmere wool is translated to the finest fibres by the process of spinning. The yarn of fineness is transferred to the handlooms in the valley to weave the yarn into several styles of accessories. Thus, the whole process of spinning and weaving the finest Cashmere is called the Art of Pashmina.

Moving along the art of Pashmina, several other processes like dyeing, printing, interweaving, and embroidering the Cashmere cater to the exclusive collection of Cashmere. First of all the finest Cashmere fabric is dyed to endless shades of nature. Therefore, the art of Pashmina cherishes every inch of the finest Cashmere to bring luxury to the world.

The Dyeing and Designing

The chroming of the outcome of the weaving is thereupon done manually based on the design prescribed. The finest Cashmere fabric is dyed in various shades of colours. There is a wide array of tones and shades in the karkhana of Dyer (Rangur). To define its beauty with edges of colours of various pigments, Cashmere is dyed. There is the usage of azo-free dyes to make the journey of Pashmina Art ethical and Sustainable in its way.

The design of the Pashmina propagates choosing the process of colouring. There are some specific steps like; tracing of the requisite design and rubbing of colour powder. In addition, the tracing can be replaced by the hand-block print process where a wooden block, already carved along with designs and motifs according to the fashion and tradition side by side. Therefore, the print, scribed on the shawl with a skilled hand and colour medium is explicit.

A Diverse Collection

Therefore, there are different journeys to the faith of Cashmere. Therefore, all the journeys are exquisitely memorable and meticulous. There is a diverse variety of Pashmina Accessories on our platform pashmina.com. We cater to endless designs and styles of Pashmina. The ethical crafting of the finest Cashmere makes our way more luxurious and glorious in the fashion world. Thus, we revive the traditional ways of crafting by providing excellent support to our highly skilled artisans from Kashmir.

Also read: WHY DO PEOPLE WEAR PASHMINA TO FESTIVALS?