The Pashmina is an article of clothing that will always be useful not only to keep us warm but also to add a touch of colour to any outfit. It has been woven for centuries from the Chyangra mountain goat which is to be found in the Himalayan Belt and is actually the same animal from which cashmere is obtained.
The winters there are harshly cold being 10,000 feet above sea level and so the goat has had to invent a coat that will keep him warm. Pashmina is obtained from the fine inner hairs of the goat that lie beneath all the dead outer hairs. This hair is so fine and so exquisite and this is what makes the material so soft and light in weight but at the same time very warm. Once the hairs have been woven on a warp of spun silk, each piece is hand dyed. The colours of pashminas are often very bright and very vivid having beautiful colours such as cerise, emerald green, turquoise, and cobalt blue, but in fact they are obtainable in any and every colour you could think of. Continue reading ‘Use for the Pashmina’