Quilts, throws & hangings

Kani Tapestry Woven Pashmina Cashmere Shawl

This shawl is named Kani Jama and is made from pure hand spun cashmere yarn .

Kani is the name given to a very fine twill tapestry technique where the pattern is woven as a part of the shawl. Due to the intricate skills required it could take several years to produce just one piece. Kani shawls are thus unique and very desirable as only a few master craftsmen are capable of this delicate work. Kanis are small eyeless bobbins used instead of the shuttle. The weave is a 2/2 twill, and there is double interlocking of weft, each colour appears where it is required.
Kashmirloom is re-creating some of the glories of the past, a past of which Kashmir can be justifiably proud.

True pashmina is another word for the yarn cashmere. Pashmina wool is the softer hair located at the root of the longer hairfrom the changra goat. Each goat produces less than 100 grams of wool fiber. A fine pashmina would require the annual growth of at least three goats to weave one shawl as only a small part at the root of each hair is soft enough to be true pashmina. In spring, nomad herders lovingly comb out the fleece by hand. This is then brought to Kashmir to be carded and spun by hand and woven on traditional hand-looms. This gossamer yarn is too delicate to be treated by any machine. No wonder, then, that it is expensive. What else could it be, when so much skill and time have gone into making a shawl?

All phases of producing pashmina like removing the goats hair, sorting, spinning, weaving, dyeing are done by hand and the scarce availability of pure pashmina make the cost of pure pashmina shawls quite expensive. Pure pashmina is unmistakable for its softness, negligible weight and warmth.