Tag: natural

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5 Kilo’s of New Yarn

Organic Gaddi Wool
Desi (Indigenous) Himalayan Gaddi Sheep
Desi Oon (Indigenous Wool)

Gaddi is a Himalayan Desi sheep breed local to Himachal Pradesh, India. Desi means local or indigenous to India. The Gaddis are a semi-nomadic tribe. Each year, in February or March, they leave their winter pastures on the Himalayan foothills, and climb towards the nutritious grass of the Lahul and Spiti plains, arriving by the mid-summer nights. With the first sign of the autumn chill, they again head south.

I would like to thank, Gunjan Satija with the Centre for Pastoralism (CfP), a nonprofit organization. Centre for Pastoralism is an initiative by Gujarat-based Sahjeevan Trust with an objective to promote understanding on Indian Pastoralism. With her help she was able to put me in contact with individuals and co-op’s in acquiring desi wool yarns.

The handspun wool also has Ayurvedic healing properties, as the sheep feed on natural herbs found in the organic alpine meadows of the Himalayan mountains.

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When it Rains, it Pours.

Another new shipment. This time from Mumbai, India.

This shipment is 5 kilo’s of Charkha Handspun Cotton Yarn.

The floor charkha is one of the oldest known forms of the spinning wheel. The charkha works similarly to the great wheel, with a drive wheel being turned by one hand, while the yarn is spun off the tip of the spindle with the other.
The word charkha, which has links with Persian (Romanized:”charkh”), wheel, is related to the Sanskrit word for “circle” (cakra). The charkha was both a tool and a symbol of the Indian independence movement .

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The story behind my shipments from India. Before the lock down here and across the world, I started to form some friendship with individuals in India. I wanted to import yarns that were crafted tradition ways using indigenous fibers.

2+ years later.

When I place an order, they go to the villages and give them the funds to buy the raw materials to spin the yarns. Since all yarns are made to order, it might take two months for me to receive the yarns.

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Color

It has been a while since I have dyed with some color. The earthy feel from this textured organic cotton yarn from India, I decided to use some organic earth pigments for my color. I am mud dyeing (staining) with mineral oxides, the green is from Italy and the red is from France. Now the curing phase begins for about two weeks outdoors.

Earth · Organic · Natural

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Peruvian Cotton Throw

Handpick, Non-GMO Peruvian Pima Cotton, Floor Loom Woven. Finished with an Square Knotted Hemstitch.

Cozy · Soft · Simple

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100 degrees +

When summer has come to the Texas Hill Country, it’s time to work on your yarn stash. Taking the cones of cotton, I turn them into 8oz hanks each. Then scour and bloom the yarn in hot water with soda ash and soap. Next drip dry and sun bleach outside in the summer sun. Afterwards, I winded the cotton into cakes of yarns.

This is just the start of the stash.

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New Shipment of Yarns

I was just delivered 20 kilo’s of Organic Slub Cotton from India. Also included is samples of Handspun Cotton, Hemp, Linen, Banana and Nettle Yarns. Handspun Recycle Cotton, Silk and Paper Yarns.
The slub cotton will make some great blankets and bolts of cloth. As with the sample after I choose, look forward to some interesting items

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-Desi Cotton · India’s Indigenous Cotton

After planning and waiting over 1 1/2 years, the final piece was delivered today.
I was just delivered 5 kilos of Brown Karnataka Cotton. This is a Natural Organic, Non-GMO, Rain Feed, Pesticide Free Cotton grown in the growing region of Karnataka, India.

This is a type of Old World cotton, which archaeological evidence shows has been grown in parts of India and Pakistan for thousands of years. Purely rain fed due its deep root system it doesn’t require vast amounts of water to grow. it has not been hybridized, and is therefore genetically pure variety of cotton. It grows organically, without the need for synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

With this Naturally Brown Cotton and the White Organic Kala Cotton (from the Kachchh region) in the background, I will be able to weave a two tone, pattern, textured cloth that is completely natural, non-gmo and organic.

The woven ribbon you see on top of the yarn is my test weave to understand the different ways needed to handle this type of yarn for weaving.

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Yarn Stash

Just arrived today. This is a typical order of my main cotton yarn that I weave my blankets with. This order is 52.5 lbs. of Natural Georgia Yarn.
This cotton was grown, ginned, spun, and plied in Georgia, USA. Each cone weighs 3.5 lbs.
Next step is to turn them into half pound hanks so that I can scour and bloom (shrink) the cotton in hot water.