Leccha and Notti | Dyeing | Raw Materials

The chief material for shawls is wool. The different types of wool qualities available in Himachal Pradesh are:

Australian Merino
Natural white wool-tops imported from Australia are cleaned, processed and spun at the spinning mills in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Panipat, Kullu, etc. The fibre is soft and fine in quality. Most of the Kullu shawls are made in this quality wool dyed in various colours. At times hand-spun merino wool may also be used for the weft in the case of the handspun variety of shawls.

Generally, the count of the yarn used for the body ranges from 2/44's to 2/50's. The count of the reed used may be 36's, 40's or 42's. Most commonly, a 2/48's warp is woven using a reed of 42's count—this is considered to be the ideal combination for weaving the ground fabric as well as the patterned border of the shawl.

Local Wool
This is wool obtained from sheep bred in Himachal Pradesh. Most of them are migratory. In summer, the sheep migrate from the villages in the lower plains to the higher up Himalayan pastures for grazing with the 'Gaddies' or local shepherds. During the freezing winter months, the sheep are brought back to their villages in the lower Himalayas. These sheep are sheared twice a year during autumn and spring seasons i.e. in the months of September and April. There are two distinct breeds of sheep found in the state: (1) Desi (2) Cross Breed.

• Desi Breed- The different types of wool obtained from Desi sheep are:
• Byangi: Fine quality wool from Kinnaur district. Staple length of fibres is 5" - 6".
• Deshkad: Local wool of Kullu, coarser, got from sheep that do not migrate.
• Imboo: Soft wool from first shearing of the lamb. Staple length of fibres is 2" - 4".
• Cross Breed- These are a cross between desi sheep and Merino. The quality of their wool is superior to the wool of the desi sheep—relatively finer in diameter and longer in staple length. However, there is no difference in their relative rate per kilo. All local wool costs the same, whether Desi or Cross Breed.

Local wool is available in natural white, black, grey and brown. Owing to its rough texture and coarse quality, local wool is normally used for floor covering and blankets: for pattus and dohrus in some cases.

Pashmina Wool
This is wool taken from the under belly of the pashmina goat available in Tibet. The shawls woven from Pashmina range from a fine to super-fine quality. They are sheer and light, yet extremely warm. Owing to their superior quality, they are very expensive but coveted.

Angora Wool
This is the wool of the Angora rabbit, procured from the local Angora breeding farms. These rabbits are imported from Germany. Since they have a very high birth and death rate they are bred for approximately two years and then sold off as meat. They are sheared once in every three months.

Angora is extremely warm, soft and silky to touch. Owing to fine quality, it is spun only on the 'takli' (i.e. the spindle). It is naturally found in white, brown, grey and black colours and may be dyed in the same colours as sheep wool. Owing to its fibrosity, it is extremely difficult weave a 100% Angora shawl, they are hence woven using Merino for the warp and Angora for the weft.