Part 2 covers my explorations in Kachchh, Gujarat with the same 2/80 Nm Merino yarn count that was used in the West Bengal cluster. Unlike West Bengal, wool was a traditional craft material in Kachchh. However, with respect to Merino wool, the finer shawls and stoles were woven only with the 2/60 Nm yarn count.
The target was to explore twills, textures and fabric weights on the 4 shafts pit looms used in the region. I worked with Bhujodi weavers under Vankar Vishram Valji.
Two warp designs for one warp were given to maximize the output, similar to the process followed in West Bengal. The weavers were accustomed to simpler designs, wherein change of colour in the warp ends was more spaced out, unlike my design plan.
Their method of warping, which involved warping all threads of the same colour together and later rearranging them during drafting, only permitted simple and regular repetition in design.
However, in the interest of trying something new, the weaver agreed to give it a try. The Merino wool hanks were first converted into reels for warping.
Prior to drafting, a starch solution extracted from sabudana (Tapioca pearl) was brushed along the entire length of the warp, in order to give strength to the fragile Merino wool yarns.
The Merino wool yarns were joined to an already drafted cotton warp to simplify the drafting process.
The yarns were very weak. The starch mitigated the breakage of yarns during weaving to some extent, but it didn't completely prevent it. It also created other issues together with those arising out of the warp plan.
A lot of improvisation was done to the weaving plan on the spot. The results were varied as a consequence.
The samples developed were of 100% Merino wool in plain and twill weaves. Material combinations included blends with Tussar silk and hemp.
Above, Left: 100% Merino wool, Right: Textures explored through hot water washing
100% Merino wool samples weighed over 200 GSM, exceeding the target weight range of 100-200 GSM. The Merino wool-Tussar sample weighed 527.67 GSM, making it the heaviest fabric in the collection.
The pure wool twill samples and blends with Tussar ghicha had a heavier and thicker feel. They were found to more suitable for winter than for summer. Taking cues from this exploration, later fabric developments were simplified and targeted a lighter and finer quality.
Above, Left: Merino wool + Handspun Tussar silk, Twill weave
Above, Right: Merino wool + Handspun Tussar silk, Plain weave
Above, Left: Merino wool + Hemp, Plain weave with 'Aathtaka' - a local extra weft technique for the dotted horizontal stripes
Above, Right: Merino wool + Hemp, Twill weave
