The Craft
The work philosophy at Peoli strongly proposes a locally fuelled model of sustainable development. Indigenous raw materials like Harsil wool, Tibetan wool, nettle, hemp and dyestuffs sourced from local farming communities are used to craft winter and summer apparel. Ethically sourced materials like Eri silk, organic Kala cotton, Nagaland hill cotton and Merino wool imported from New Zealand are combined with indigenous materials to enhance their comfort and aesthetic appeal. A similar synthesis is applied in crafting the products where local craft skills like handloom weaving and knitting are ingeniously merged with hand embroidery, beadwork, shibori, etc.
The synergy of various activities at Peoli is a conscious effort towards conservation of natural resources and leaving a light carbon footprint in the process. Harvested rain water heated with solar energy is used for natural dyeing. Hand done processes like hand stitching, hand spinning, etc. are used wherever possible to utilize the unlimited human energy and reduce our dependence upon machines and non-renewable sources of energy. Earth- friendly chemicals and materials are used for the processing of textile materials.
HAND SPINNING
Spinning is the process of making an even length of yarn using simple tools like a spindle, charkha or spinning wheels.
In Uttarakhand, the traditional knowledge of hand spinning has been declining over the years. Along with it, is lost, the sensitive relation between the spinners and their craft and natural resources.Traditionally, the yarn used for weaving and knitting traditional wear was always meticulously hand spun and later crafted and assembled into well-finished cloths for wearing and furnishing.This fact contradicts the general assumption that hand spun yarn is uneven and appears unfinished. It is probably the loss of indigenous knowledge and skills or the inability of the present generation to work with nature and its resources that has caused this imbalance. Hence, the need of documenting, preserving, disseminating and reviving the skill of hand spinning is essential.
NATURAL DYEING
Each of the Peoli products is dyed using natural colors, dyes or colorants derived from natural sources. Natural dyeing involves the collection of material, extraction of dyestuff, mordanting, dyeing and repeated washing procedures, which are labor intensive but cause no harm to the environment. Natural substances are soothing materials for the makers as well as the users of the product.
The elusive dyes and their sources produce a different hue each time based on the variation in the hand spun fiber as well as the temperature and humidity conditions. For instance, the shades of charcoals range from warmer greys, with rusted iron filings fermented in molasses to cooler ones derived from energy efficient/ cold dyeing techniques using Brazilwood and Rhododendron flowers.The variations produced in the color due to the various processes give rise to a new hue...a unique piece every time – that is the magic of natural dyeing.
HAND KNITTING
Each Peoli product is hand knitted by women artisans. Hand knitting is a process of interlocking loops of one or more yarns using needles. An important skill present in the local knowhow of women in Uttarakhand, hand knitted products are warm, comfortable and each piece is nurtured out of the effort of a woman artisan.
We have a detailed archive of a variety of hand knitting structures prevalent in the local vocabulary of the region. Peoli’s wide range of hand spun and naturally dyed yarn of various qualities in a variety of natural materials is hand knitted into unique Peoli textures.We strive at achieving a synthesis of innovation in keeping with the traditional skills embedded in the region and following ethical processes.
The Craft
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The work philosophy at Peoli strongly proposes a locally fuelled model of sustainable development. Indigenous raw materials like Harsil wool, Tibetan wool, nettle, hemp and dyestuffs sourced from local farming communities are used to craft winter and summer apparel. Ethically sourced materials like Eri silk, organic Kala cotton, Nagaland hill cotton and Merino wool imported from New Zealand are combined with indigenous materials to enhance their comfort and aesthetic appeal. A similar synthesis is applied in crafting the products where local craft skills like handloom weaving and knitting are ingeniously merged with hand embroidery, beadwork, shibori, etc.
The synergy of various activities at Peoli is a conscious effort towards conservation of natural resources and leaving a light carbon footprint in the process. Harvested rain water heated with solar energy is used for natural dyeing. Hand done processes like hand stitching, hand spinning, etc. are used wherever possible to utilize the unlimited human energy and reduce our dependence upon machines and non-renewable sources of energy. Earth- friendly chemicals and materials are used for the processing of textile materials. |
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HAND SPINNING Spinning is the process of making an even length of yarn using simple tools like a spindle, charkha or spinning wheels. In Uttarakhand, the traditional knowledge of hand spinning has been declining over the years. Along with it, is lost, the sensitive relation between the spinners and their craft and natural resources.Traditionally, the yarn used for weaving and knitting traditional wear was always meticulously hand spun and later crafted and assembled into well-finished cloths for wearing and furnishing.This fact contradicts the general assumption that hand spun yarn is uneven and appears unfinished. It is probably the loss of indigenous knowledge and skills or the inability of the present generation to work with nature and its resources that has caused this imbalance. Hence, the need of documenting, preserving, disseminating and reviving the skill of hand spinning is essential.
NATURAL DYEING Each of the Peoli products is dyed using natural colors, dyes or colorants derived from natural sources. Natural dyeing involves the collection of material, extraction of dyestuff, mordanting, dyeing and repeated washing procedures, which are labor intensive but cause no harm to the environment. Natural substances are soothing materials for the makers as well as the users of the product.
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| The elusive dyes and their sources produce a different hue each time based on the variation in the hand spun fiber as well as the temperature and humidity conditions. For instance, the shades of charcoals range from warmer greys, with rusted iron filings fermented in molasses to cooler ones derived from energy efficient/ cold dyeing techniques using Brazilwood and Rhododendron flowers.The variations produced in the color due to the various processes give rise to a new hue...a unique piece every time – that is the magic of natural dyeing. |
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HAND KNITTING Each Peoli product is hand knitted by women artisans. Hand knitting is a process of interlocking loops of one or more yarns using needles. An important skill present in the local knowhow of women in Uttarakhand, hand knitted products are warm, comfortable and each piece is nurtured out of the effort of a woman artisan. |
| We have a detailed archive of a variety of hand knitting structures prevalent in the local vocabulary of the region. Peoli’s wide range of hand spun and naturally dyed yarn of various qualities in a variety of natural materials is hand knitted into unique Peoli textures.We strive at achieving a synthesis of innovation in keeping with the traditional skills embedded in the region and following ethical processes. |