Hand Weaving - Backstrap Loom

All of our woven yoga products are made by hand in the small Himalayan nation of Nepal.

THE TECHNIQUE:
All of our hand woven products are 100% cotton and hand dyed before weaving. The weaving is then done on a rudimentary backstrap loom. This involves a process where a very simple loom is secured around the weaver and then fixed to another point. This limits the fabric width to only a few feet but creates a very intimate product, as the weaver is literally immersed in her craft.

OUR PARTNER:
Our partner in Nepal is a self-funded NGO, focusing on bettering the lives of Nepali women through literacy, vocational training and dignified employment. They also directly help to preserve the traditional craft of hand weaving on a backstrap loom – a technique that has been used in Nepali homes for centuries but is becoming increasingly rare as markets are flooded by machine made imports.

THE COUNTRY:
Once a Hindu kingdom, Nepal entered a new era at the turn of this century after it’s King was assassinated. Since then this beautiful Himalayan country has seen violence and turmoil as a new nation is slowly being born. Nepal is still one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 40% of its population living below the poverty line. Women are especially vulnerable and very often excluded from educational and employment opportunities.