Pashmina Cashmere Directory

Pashmina Tips

After collections the pashm has traditionally been woven into pashmina and silk/ pashmina shawl production. Weaving is done in Nepal and other parts of Northern India as well.

For centuries silk has often been woven with pashmina to give shawls a harder finish, strength and greater body. With the advent of the 1990s silk/ pashmina shawl, however new treatment processes have been added to obtain the objectives of extraordinary softness and fluffiness. These are achieved largely by brushing the freshly loomed shawls both before and after dying. The result is a luxurious and light feeling fabric which still manages to achieve the ancient pashmina standard of providing amazing warmth to its wearer.

Pashmina and silk/ pashmina shawls are hand woven by men as only they have the strength to throw the shuttle back and forth continuously.

Prior to weaving, the pashm wool is carded and spun by women. As the entire process is almost entirely done by hand, there are small natural flaws and slubs that make their way into virtually every shawl. This is normal and should be seen as a sign that the fabric has been hand loomed.

Dying is also done by hand. The undyed shawls are stirred, again by men into large pots of shimmering dye liquid. Periodically they are lifted to be inspected. When the desired colour is achieved, the shawls are rinsed, dried and treated. Because the entire dying process is done by hand some slight colour stiations can be expected.

Finishes can also differ because different dyes have different effects on the silk/ pashmina fabric. This explains why some light coloured shawls feel softer than other dark coloured ones. If they are from the same weaver, the only difference is from the effects of the dye.