hand spinning yarn

scullygirl · Sep 7th, 2009, 12:16

Is it possible to see handspinning in Jaipur? Or even take a spinning lesson? I would love to purchase handspun yarn also. I am learning how to spin and dye yarn, and would be very interested in learning more about this craft.

delhiwala · Sep 7th, 2009, 13:35

You may visit Anokhi museum...

brishti · Sep 7th, 2009, 14:20

hey scullygirl,
handspinning as far as i know - is oft done in the villages, in the homes.
dont really know about cities.
will try and get you more info on the same.

knowing your interest in textiles / weaving - here's a random list for you...

Tamil Nadu - Madras Checks
Andhra Pradesh and Orissa - Ikat
Uttar Pradesh - Brocades and Jacquards like the Benarasi, Tanchoi
West Bengal - Daccai, Jamdani, Taant, Baluchar
Punjab - Phulkari
Madhya Pradesh - Chanderi
Jammu and Kashmir - Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls.
Villages produce mulberry silk, tasser (tussore), eri and muga as well.

please feel free to correct and/or add to the list! [nayan - shooncho ? listening?]

another website about the regional weaves.

:brishti
will try and find out about the spinning a yarn

Aishah · Sep 7th, 2009, 14:39

I don't know re Jaipur - but you could try Anokhi as suggested. They have a farm area outside Jaipur where possibly these activities are going on.

If you happen to get up to Uttarakhand - Mussoorie/Landour area - the Himalayan Weavers would be a good contact for you. All their wool/pashmina is handspun, and their dyeing is natural dyes only.

scullygirl · Sep 8th, 2009, 06:27

Thank you delhiwala and Aishah for the suggestion about the Anokhi museum. I had read about it and had planned to visit. They may also be a good resource, perhaps I will be able to find out more from them. Hopefully they can point me in the right direction, or may know of someone who would allow me to come to their home to learn more about handspinning or really anything fiber-related. I think there are craftspeople in the museum who do demonstrations there.
brishti, any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the list you provided and the link.

machadinha · Sep 8th, 2009, 06:57

Take a note of the word khadi, meaning hand-spun and hand-woven textiles. Gandhi developed this (its meaning is older, and it would appear to have meant just "cotton") as a move of civil disobedience against imported and industrially prepared clothes.

The word has come to encompass any traditional and hand-made crafts, but will often retain its original meaning; in any case, you may want to keep your eyes open for places advertizing such. You'll find them quite widely around, not just in Hindi-speaking areas; and if they sell just such, they might be quite willing and interested to show you on to the manufacturers.

nb I'm quite sure I've read about some initiative for women's empowerment in Jaipur on this site; if you could find it back, they'd probably be a good place to turn to.

scullygirl · Sep 8th, 2009, 11:02

machadinha, thanks for the suggestion about khadi. I will look for it and also ask about contacting the people who make the thread and do the weaving.

Aishah · Sep 8th, 2009, 13:59

Keep in mind too that any thread that is spun for weaving is extremely fine - so if you wanted to use it for knitting for instance, you would have to ply several balls together to make it a decent thickness. I did this with some handspun, naturally dyed offcuts I bought from Himalayan Weavers.

delhiwala · Sep 8th, 2009, 14:13

Are you referring to SEWA

Quote:

Originally Posted by machadinha

....I've read about some initiative for women's empowerment in Jaipur on this site....

scullygirl · Sep 8th, 2009, 22:10

Aishah, you are quite right about the thread--I would need to ply it, and that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense since it would take forever to ply it into something I could work with. But I've used sari silk waste and mixed it in with other fibers. I would probably do better to look for wool yarn. I will be exploring the area around Shimla, and while it doesn't seem to be a center for weaving, perhaps I will come across something.

delhiwala · Sep 9th, 2009, 00:21

Don't know about Shimla but near Kullu, there are Bhutti weavers....

scullygirl · Sep 9th, 2009, 05:58

delhiwala, I see that I will need to begin planning another trip

So much to see, so little time.

wonderwomanusa · Sep 9th, 2009, 07:34

If you're interested in ikat weaving, go to Gujerat; they do both single- and double-ikat there, and the work is remarkable.

scullygirl · Sep 9th, 2009, 10:12

Thanks for the suggestion. I would be very interested; I'll have to see if I can work it into my itinerary.

Sep 7th, 2009, 12:16	#1
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	hand spinning yarn Is it possible to see handspinning in Jaipur? Or even take a spinning lesson? I would love to purchase handspun yarn also. I am learning how to spin and dye yarn, and would be very interested in learning more about this craft.

Sep 7th, 2009, 13:35	#2
delhiwala IM what IM Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Indeyah ! Posts: 4,813	You may visit Anokhi museum... __________________ Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone. - The Dhammapada

Sep 7th, 2009, 14:39	#4
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 7,618	I don't know re Jaipur - but you could try Anokhi as suggested. They have a farm area outside Jaipur where possibly these activities are going on. If you happen to get up to Uttarakhand - Mussoorie/Landour area - the Himalayan Weavers would be a good contact for you. All their wool/pashmina is handspun, and their dyeing is natural dyes only. __________________ "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Sep 8th, 2009, 06:57	#6
machadinha brother my cup is empty member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: yörp Posts: 14,373	Take a note of the word khadi, meaning hand-spun and hand-woven textiles. Gandhi developed this (its meaning is older, and it would appear to have meant just "cotton") as a move of civil disobedience against imported and industrially prepared clothes. The word has come to encompass any traditional and hand-made crafts, but will often retain its original meaning; in any case, you may want to keep your eyes open for places advertizing such. You'll find them quite widely around, not just in Hindi-speaking areas; and if they sell just such, they might be quite willing and interested to show you on to the manufacturers. nb I'm quite sure I've read about some initiative for women's empowerment in Jaipur on this site; if you could find it back, they'd probably be a good place to turn to. __________________ Reading tips, all picked up at IndiaMike : INDAX's A Comprehensive Guide To India / Dinoj Surendran's Desi Humor / ITHVC on Culture Shock & Travel Health / JetLag Travel Guides For the Undiscerning Traveller / India Travel Links

Sep 9th, 2009, 07:34	#13
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 4,261	If you're interested in ikat weaving, go to Gujerat; they do both single- and double-ikat there, and the work is remarkable. __________________ The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

Sep 7th, 2009, 14:20	#3
brishti disMember Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: india Posts: 3,687	hey scullygirl, handspinning as far as i know - is oft done in the villages, in the homes. dont really know about cities. will try and get you more info on the same. knowing your interest in textiles / weaving - here's a random list for you... Tamil Nadu - Madras Checks Andhra Pradesh and Orissa - Ikat Uttar Pradesh - Brocades and Jacquards like the Benarasi, Tanchoi West Bengal - Daccai, Jamdani, Taant, Baluchar Punjab - Phulkari Madhya Pradesh - Chanderi Jammu and Kashmir - Pashmina and Shahtoosh shawls. Villages produce mulberry silk, tasser (tussore), eri and muga as well. please feel free to correct and/or add to the list! [nayan - shooncho ? listening?] another website about the regional weaves. :brishti will try and find out about the spinning a yarn

Sep 8th, 2009, 06:27	#5
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	Thank you delhiwala and Aishah for the suggestion about the Anokhi museum. I had read about it and had planned to visit. They may also be a good resource, perhaps I will be able to find out more from them. Hopefully they can point me in the right direction, or may know of someone who would allow me to come to their home to learn more about handspinning or really anything fiber-related. I think there are craftspeople in the museum who do demonstrations there. brishti, any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the list you provided and the link.

Sep 8th, 2009, 11:02	#7
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	machadinha, thanks for the suggestion about khadi. I will look for it and also ask about contacting the people who make the thread and do the weaving.

Sep 8th, 2009, 13:59	#8
Aishah She-who-must-be-obeyed! Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Jaisalmer Posts: 7,618	Keep in mind too that any thread that is spun for weaving is extremely fine - so if you wanted to use it for knitting for instance, you would have to ply several balls together to make it a decent thickness. I did this with some handspun, naturally dyed offcuts I bought from Himalayan Weavers.

Sep 8th, 2009, 22:10	#10
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	Aishah, you are quite right about the thread--I would need to ply it, and that probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense since it would take forever to ply it into something I could work with. But I've used sari silk waste and mixed it in with other fibers. I would probably do better to look for wool yarn. I will be exploring the area around Shimla, and while it doesn't seem to be a center for weaving, perhaps I will come across something.

Sep 9th, 2009, 00:21	#11
delhiwala IM what IM Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Indeyah ! Posts: 4,813	Don't know about Shimla but near Kullu, there are Bhutti weavers....

Sep 9th, 2009, 05:58	#12
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	delhiwala, I see that I will need to begin planning another trip So much to see, so little time.

Sep 9th, 2009, 10:12	#14
scullygirl Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: USA Posts: 58	Thanks for the suggestion. I would be very interested; I'll have to see if I can work it into my itinerary.

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