Our Craft

Local wool is bought from the gaddis, (nomadic pastoralists) who traverse the ranges around the village through the summer to fall. The wool is referred to locally as desi oon and is a mix of many indigenous breeds, again locally referred to as Gaddi breeds. The entire process of cleaning and sorting the wool is performed by the women. The cleaned fibres are taken to Kullu to be carded there. The carded wool is then hand spun at home using a spindle called a takhli. The women gather natural dye materials from the orchards, fields, and jungles surrounding their villages. Dyeing takes place seasonally with local flora which grows in the higher reaches of the mountains. The naturally dyed yarns are then ready to be knit or woven.