Hand-Spun
Eri silk cannot be reeled into raw filament yarn, it is a short staple fibre and therefore must be spun, like wool. It is this quality that sets it apart from other silks, creating beautiful textures and various weight options.
Spinning by hand requires a light touch that is ingrained in both muscle memory and culture. The spinners use a combination of pedal powered spinning wheels and the traditional drop spindle technique. Mostly a skill preserved by mothers, this role offers an alternative income to women of all ages.
Our silk comes in three weights, “a”, “b” + “c”, with “a” being the finest and “c” being the thickest. Our standard fabrics employ “a” for the warp and “b” for the weft, however thread weights vary depending on the weave structure and design.
Hand dyed
The dye knowledge of the indigenous communities of Assam is as valuable as their weaving. Dyeing with plants such as Indigo and Madder has it’s own rich story in this part of Asia and continuing the journey is an important part of it’s preservation.
More than thirty different natural dye materials are available from the local woodlands, including leaves, seeds, roots and vines. We use only sustainable, regenerative plants that can be re-planted on forest land and avoid harvesting any materials that cause harm to living plants.
All processes are done by hand without the use of toxic chemicals, instead involving time, patience and expert knowledge. We can achieve a wide range of colours combining natural dyes such as turmeric, lac, Indigo, Indian madder, teak and iron.
Hand woven
Once dyed, the yarn is hand woven into fabric, with the artisans using a variety of different traditional techniques passed down through generations. In Assam, every house has a loom and every woman is a weaver. This sense of community is at the heart of all we do, and the weavers take considerable pride in creating these luxurious hand-woven fabrics.
Using hand looms allows for greater freedom of creativity with designs, without the constraints of uniform power looms. This focus on handcraft allows us to provide a range of specialized fabrics from plain weave to bespoke fabrics with extra weft techniques.
We currently work primarily with pure Eri silk, however our handloom process does allow for a mix of other sustainable fibres such as hemp and tree cotton to create different strengths, weights and textures.