The Thread of Creation: Handspinning Wool for Durability and Beauty

In this modern world, omnipresent machines attempt to replicate the skill of human hands. The work may be faster or cheaper, but there can be no substitute for the dexterity of fingers in many arenas, particularly those that prize fine craftsmanship over expediency or cost. To produce the skeins of yarns required for each handknotted masterpiece from the workshop of Orley Shabahang, handspinning wool plays an essential role. The results are consistent with our roots, but the reasons for preparing the wool in this way extend beyond pure loyalty to heritage. Read on to find out more.

The Living Legacy of Handspinning Wool

Each strand of every fiber in our carpets carries with it the lineage of 2,400 years, traditions that have been passed from generation to generation to prepare the wool for weaving. Drop spinning works exactly as it sounds, relying on gravity to tightly wind the raw wool into yarn. While the basic idea may sound simple, the technique requires years of practice for even the most skilled artisans. Seemingly primitive in execution, allowing the wool to wind itself naturally preserves the wool as close to its raw state as possible. In this way, it holds on to the characteristics of the wool that make it special in the first place, as we discussed last week, especially the lanolin.

The Beauty of Imperfection

In addition to retaining the lanolin and all of its exemplary properties when spinning the wool by hand, the real magic comes from the rough, rustic nature of the finished product. When spinning by hand in this way, the yarn takes on an asymmetric shape. Varying slightly in thickness, the fibers curl snugly with each other in a natural way, producing strands of yarn that retain exceptional strength and softness. Touch an Orley Shabahang rug and you will immediately feel the difference in its texture; live with one and you will see the durability with each passing year.

When the time has come to dye the wool, the spinning process plays a crucial role once again. The dyes seep into the yarn in compelling ways, allowing for the intensity of the hues to fluctuate within the fibers of the spun wool. That natural variation, the abrash, sets true authentic dyes on properly prepared, high-quality raw materials apart. For more about the organic vegetable dyes that give Orley Shabahang carpets their dazzling colors, check back in this space next week.