Dhabla Shwals of Bhujori (Weaving-1)

THE LOOM

Traditionally pit looms were used. Even now most of the families are using there traditional pit looms but some of the loom were lost during the earthquake.

After the earthquake the weavers got frame looms by the government.

PIT LOOM

Above the ground is the large frame consisting the basic structure of the loom, locally known as goda sar

Under this there is a pit which accommodates the treadles. The weaver sits in a narrow and shallow depression in the ground in front of the loom.

Goda sar (Pit loom)

Goda sar

Theses looms don’t have the regular warp beams and the length of the warp is stretched open this makes the loom quite area consuming so instead of being in the house the looms are placed outside the house under the shed in the varandas.Like the floor of the house the floor of the varanda the pit and the depression are plastered over with a mixture of clay and cow dung.

The heald shafts are called the ranch in the local language. They hang from the upper frame tied with the dori and is connected to the treadle placed in the pit.

The heald eyes are made at home using synthetic threads by making loops between the bands.  

Frame loom (khada sar)

Khada sar ( Frame loom)

LOOM AUXILARIES

The warp stretches under the loom and is fixed in front opposite to the weaver to a rod tied by two cords to the breast beam.

The woven cloth is wound around the breast beam which is of a square section and has a tenon projecting from both ends.

Tenon for tensioning warps

Warp length is stretched

Fastened to peg 

          Relaxing warp tension

These tenons rotate either in the wooden forks or in wooden rings let into the ground.

The square shaped breast beam has hole in the right side of the weaver and an iron rod is inserted through this

rod the function of the rod is to tighten or loosen the breast beam according to the need. 

As there is no warp beam in these looms the warp is stretched open till the length of the shawl to be woven and the rest of the warp is wound on a wooden log and hung on the top of the roof.(normally the warp length is equal to the length of 20 shawls).

Towards the end of the warp a rope is tied around it .

This rope runs first around a large peg driven into the earth and then alongside the breast beam where it is once more tightly stretched before being fastened to another peg.

When this bracing rope is loosened the warp tension is relaxed and the woven cloth can be wound around the breast.

The guiding comb consist of two wooden battons in the inner longitudinal grooves of which the reed is set, it is made up of bamboo.

Reed made of bamboo

The number of theses bamboo teeth constituting the reed corresponding to the number of the threads in the warp.The reed count is 20 dents per inch. And two ends per dent.

Healds

Healds are made of  threads, they don’nt use iron healds. The above picture is showing warp ends passing through a thread heald.

Lease Rod

Lease rods are also inserted to prevent warps from entangling,

it also make easy to find out the broken warp ends and join them. 

THE WORKING PROCEDURE

WARPING

The threads from the hanks are winded in

cones then the warping is done manually.

According to the no of ends in the warp cones

are taken and wounded around the peg stand.

One complete winding in a peg stand measures

 1 meter, hence, e.g. warp is to be set of 5 times

 around the peg.

Once warping is done, the ends were tied.

Usually warping is done for 20 shawls as a

time, hence after no. of ends and then length is

 set, it is ready for starching.

STARCHING

Ladies of the house helps in starching warps. Locally starch is extracted by boiling wheat grain with water.

Now the warp is soaked in this starch. After this, warps are opened and stretched for drying under the sun.

Warp ends are spread for drying

Brushing

A comb like brush (made up of plant root jharka and stem) is used to brush up the extra starch from the warp.

This prevents the warp threads to stick to each other.

Starching increases the strength of wool hence resulting less breakage during weaving.