It has really been a special summer for us! Ever since KAL was started our idea was to be as close as possible to our textiles, to their making and finishing. It was obvious that all these things don't come easy and we couldn't do it all at the beginning - from sourcing wool, to spinning and weaving, dyeing and stitching of our garments. All these things take time and luck
This article is part of a series of essays submitted by the fellows of 2023 of a program by KAL. The fellows are local young people who are Kharnakpa but have settled close to Leh city. In an immersive experience over 2 weeks in their native place last winter, each fellow gathered information on lifestyle, culture, crafts, shepherding etc of their community. The first essay is by Stanzin Konchok on the handspun and handwoven yak hair tent called Reibo. Thank you so much Konchok for your informative essay. THE TRADITIONAL NOMADIC TENT OF THE CHANGPA TRIBE. 1. INTRODUCTION. A. DEFINITION OF REIBO Reibo refers to the traditional nomadic tent utilized by the changpa tribe. Primarily found in the...
Some of our “passion textiles” truly are the handspun and handwoven carpets from the people of Kharnak in Ladakh. They are quite unique in their look – they are all woven on portable backstrap looms and there are three different types of weaves. The two oldest ones are both flatweaves. The flatweaves using 4 shafts are
Why is our yak wool so meaningful to us? After launching our classic yak wool scarves in all three natural shades we would like to explain you a little bit more why it is such a big accomplishment for us. Each year in the summer, we source yak wool from the nomad community in Kharnak. In Ladakh, the yak appears in 3 different colors: dark brown which is the most common, beige which is less common and the rarest, the white yak, its wool can sometimes have a tint of grey, too. Yaks have always played a big part in the life of the nomads. Their wool was precious and they were the means of transport during the many moves...
Today I’d like to tell you more about the carpets from the region of Changthang. Since last year we are working on these carpets and are including them in our home textiles. In the local language they are called “Tsug Den”. Its name is made of the words Tsug (from tsug-ches: putting something on the ground) and den (mattress). A Tsug Den on the ground in the tent of nomad of Kharnak. At the back, hanging down is a Tsug Dul, a blanket. The classic size is 90cm x 175cm, however this can vary and one can find Tsug Dens in many sizes depending on the use. The remarkable thing about these carpets is that they consist of panels which...
