The Art Of Kani

What is Kani work?
Kani (pronounced kaa-nee) is a style of handwoven textile art that originated in the Kashmir Valley, in what is now Pakistan and India. The word "Kani" refers to the small wooden bobbins called kanis — that weavers use instead of a conventional shuttle to create the intricate patterns.

How a Kani shawl is made?

• Raw Material & Spinning: Fine Pashmina wool is collected from Ladakhi Changthangi goats, cleaned, and hand-spun into delicate yarn.
• The Talim Creation: A naqash (designer) creates a talim, a detailed, coded pattern guide that tells the weaver how many threads of each color to use.
• Weaving with Kanis: Instead of a traditional shuttle, artisans use up to 100 small wooden sticks (kanis) loaded with different colored threads, weaving the pattern row-by-row like a carpet.
• Weaving Technique: The weaver reads the talim and inserts the kanis to create the pattern, often only completing an inch of work per day.
• Finishing: The finished shawl is carefully washed, stretched, and finalized to ensure softness and durability.
  
  A Full Kani shawl with intricate patterns can take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years to complete, depending on the complexity of the design!