Hand Spinning

 
Spinning is the process of making an even length of yarn using simple tools like a spindle, charkha or spinning wheels. 
In Uttarakhand, the traditional knowledge of hand spinning has been declining over the years. Along with it, is lost, the sensitive relation between the spinners and their craft and natural resources.Traditionally, the yarn used for weaving and knitting traditional wear was always meticulously hand spun and later crafted and assembled into well-finished cloths for wearing and furnishing.This fact contradicts the general assumption that hand spun yarn is uneven and appears unfinished. It is probably the loss of indigenous knowledge and skills or the inability of the present generation to work with nature and its resources that has caused this imbalance. Hence, the need of documenting, preserving, disseminating and reviving the skill of hand spinning is essential. 

 Through our work, we propose a locally fuelled model of sustainable development. Indigenous raw materials like Harsil wool, Tibetan wool, nettle, hemp and dye stuffs sourced from local farming communities are used to craft winter and summer apparel. Ahimsa or Eri silk which is a variety of silk obtained without harming the silkworms, indigenous old world cotton—a more resilient and less water consuming variety of cotton grown without any synthetic fertilizers in arid climatic conditions and Merino wool imported from New Zealand are combined with the indigenous fibres to enhance their comfort and aesthetic appeal.