The Pashmina is created from the wool of a specific type of goat endemic to Kashmir. This goat is known as the Changthangi goat or Capra Hircus. It is also known as the ‘Pashmina goat.’ Now this question comes to mind, What is Pashmina exactly? And What makes it unique? So basically, this is a Kashmiri art form. Craftsmen demonstrate hard labor, painstaking efforts, and incredible patience when processing beautiful cashmere manufacturing Pashmina shawls. It is a skill that has been honed overages by local craftspeople.

Pashmina is the skill of handcrafting luxurious Cashmere wraps, shawls, scarves, and stoles. The best raw Cashmere is imported from Ladakh and processed in Kashmir, where highly experienced craftsmen await this gossamer fine wool variety. These facts make Pashmina shawls so popular, and people are curious to know more about Pashmina and how to Buy pashmina Shawls Australia.

Kashmir’s Pashmina Shawl History

In the 16th century, a saint from Persia called Shah E Hamdan went to Kashmir to preach religion. He was the one who first discovered Raw Cashmere in Ladakh. Shah E Hamdan requested socks made of this wool after seeing their softness and smooth texture. The socks turned out to be magnificent, and they were delivered to Zain ul Abideen, the then-Kashmiri monarch. He, too, was so enthralled that he ordered Cashmere processing factories to be established in Kashmir. Furthermore, Persian craftsmen were commanded to educate locals in Kashmiri spinning and weaving, and thus it all began from this point. Later, visitors from all over the world came to Kashmir.

How is Pashmina made?

The Capra Hircus goat may be found in Changthang, Ladakh, high in the Himalayas. As a result, it is also known as the Changthangi goat. The goat may live everywhere in Ladakh. The ones located over 14000 feet, on the other hand, are the ones that survive and develop Cashmere. The development of this delicate, ultra-smooth wool is an adaptive reaction to the hard environment, where winter temperatures can reach -40 degrees. Raw cashmere has a distinctive shine, and fine fibers can be as thin as 12-16 microns in diameter. Given that human hair has an average diameter of 50 microns, Cashmere is around one-quarter the size of human hair.

Processing of Pashmina

The art of manufacturing Pashminas is an ancient one. But it makes no difference to Kashmiri craftspeople who have long honed the technique. Due to the highly delicate quality of Cashmere fiber, Kashmiri craftsmen and women have long chosen to prepare it by hand. The strain of a machine would tear the fiber, causing it to lose its particular character. So when Cashmere arrives in Srinagar, it is greeted by womenfolk who immediately begin washing it. Cleaning is done by hand, and any foreign particles that have been stuck to the fiber are removed. It is then put in a container filled with rice powder. It gets strength and brilliance this way.

After three days, the Cashmere is taken from the mixture and properly cleaned. It is now shipped to craftspeople, who are waiting for it to arrive so that they may spin it. Spinning is done on a wooden spinning wheel known as a ‘Yinder’ in the area. Spinning is the process of converting lumps of wool into fine threads. Next, long strands are sent from the spinning wheel to handloom weavers, who turn them into luxurious Pashmina shawls, stoles, hijabs, scarves, and garments.

Pure Pashmina shawls justify its cost. After all, only a few women artists can spin Cashmere yarn. Furthermore, acquiring fiber is a complicated operation that is frequently in limited supply compared to demand. Furthermore, the physical labor that creates Pashmina shawls elevates it beyond other forms of winter wool. 

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