Leccha and Notti | Dyeing | Raw Materials

The tradition of Wool weaving in Himachal Pradesh is of very ancient origin. Its exquisite textiles are characterised by colourful geometrical borders woven in tapestry weave over a twill ground in natural shades of wool. Since centuries, the people of Himachal Pradesh have been known to weave:

• Pattu- A Woollen fabric draped by women like a sarong.
• Dohru- A Woollen fabric worn by the women also draped like a sarong, though in a different style than the pattu.
• Shawl- A light Woollen fabric draped around the shoulders and chest by women.
• Chaddar- A gents shawl.
• Patti- Local tweed used for coats, jackets and trousers.
• Tweed- Worsted fabric generally woven in stripes or checks used for coats, jackets and trousers.

Man learnt weaving from spiders and sparrow/ tailor bird. On tracing back its origin, this craft heritage reveals a very strong Central Asian influence. The people of Himachal, inhabiting areas right from Lahaul-Spiti to Kinnaur had contacts and trade relations with people of Indian plains as well as those of Western Tibet. This led to the growth of a culture influenced by Central Asian traditions on one hand and Hindu traditions on the other.

The weaving activity of Himachal Pradesh is supposed to have originated in Kinnaur. In the later years, some of the weavers migrated to Kullu and settled there. Known as the 'Bushahras' they introduced the craft of weaving to the people of Kullu. Kullu being a tourist resort enroute to Manali, the weaving activity that was originally practiced to suffice local needs gradually took a turn towards commercialization. Soon it became a major industry that started catering to the demands of locals, tourists and outside state. Today, this Handloom industry plays a very vital role in the economy of Himachal Pradesh. It is concentrated in Kullu; there is significant activity in Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kangra and Mandi districts.

Considering the geographical and climatic conditions, Himachal Pradesh falls under the temperate Himalayan Region. The cold climate prevalent is suitable for sheep and goat husbandry which also fulfills the necessity for Woollens.

The woollen yarn is procured in cone form from the mill spinning unit and further wound onto various bobbins for making the warp.

In the case of the pitloom, the warp is made manually by winding it around peg stands separated by a certain amount of distance. The drafting and denting of the ends is done by pulling them through the thread healds and the reed with the help of fingers. The warp is then set onto the loom, its ends are tied and its tension adjusted as per the requirement.

The warp for the fly shuttle flame loom is wound on the warping machine. It is transferred to the warp beam under tension, which is then put on the loom for drafting and denting. The warp ends are drafted and dented with a reed hook, the loom tie-ups and tension are readjusted and the loom is all set for weaving.

The basic structure of the shawl is 2/2 twill woven on a straight or pointed drafting order. The surface texture could be as follows:

• Straight lifting plan woven on a straight drafting plan to give diagonal lines.
• Pointed lifting plan woven on a straight drafting plan to give a vertical zigzag.
• Straight lifting plan woven on a pointed drafting plan to give a horizontal wavy pattern.
• Pointed lifting plan woven on a pointed drafting plan to give a diamond shaped structure.

The patterned border of the shawls is always woven in a basket weave with the dove-tailing or slit-tapestry techniques.The coloured graph of the design to be woven is used as a reference and the number of ends per design repeat is calculated. Cut lengths of the coloured acrylic wool threads are inserted in the warp in 2-3 plys. The technique used to create the pattern is the interlacing or the 'dove-tailing' technique also referred to as the tapestry weave.