How a Pashmina is Made

Pashmina fiber from the Capra Hircus Goat

The Capra Hircus goat which is the source of the pashmina fiber lives at elevations of 14,000 feet and above, where temperatures rarely rise above minus 30 degrees centigrade in winter. Pashmina is the goat's soft underbelly down, which lies under the coarse outer hair. Each goat produces only about 3 ounces or 90 grams of Pashmina wool each year. One woven Pashmina shawl requires the wool from three goats.

Spinning Pashmina Yarn

The pashmina fiber is collected every spring, and is basically spun by hand. The yarn is spun on a spinning wheel locally known as Charkha. Hand-spinning is an extremely painstaking task. It requires immense patience, dexterity and dedication.

Weaving Pashmina Fabric

Pashmina yarn is too fragile for the vibration caused by power looms, the weaving of the traditional pashmina shawls are therefore done on handlooms. The weaving process is in itself an art, which has been passed down over generations, to give us the fabulous pashmina shawls.

Making the Tassels

The making of the distinctive Pashmina tassel is perhaps one of the most interesting stages of shawl making. The tassel of a pashmina shawl is hand twisted and knotted at the ends. It takes the weaver a couple of hours to fringe each Pashmina shawl.

Dyeing a Pashmina

Dyeing is also done by hand. Dyers with immense patience and generations of experience are the ones who dye the Pashmina shawls, as even the smallest negligence reflects on the quality of the product. Only natural dyes are used, making the shawls completely eco-friendly.