Pashmina Kani Weaving

Kani means wooden bobbins or small sticks in Kashmiri. Shawls are woven into intricate patterns, with the weft thrown across before coloured threads are woven in on a meticulous, coded pattern drawn by a master craftsman.

It is woven with pure pashmina yarn in a natural, almond-coloured base or in cream with multi-coloured floral patterns, creating a striking offset. Coloured Kanis are woven too, in hues such as red, blue, green and ochre.

Kani is the softer version of Jamawar—the latter are long pieces of cloth woven in the same technique. A plain pashmina shawl takes between a fortnight and a month to weave, but one Kani with all-over floral work takes a year if two artisans work on it for an average of 10 hours a day. The Kani shawl, has got GI (Geographical Indication) status.