Everyday Kani Shawl — Red

An Everyday Kani shawl in red, handwoven in Kashmir with the pattern built into the cloth on the loom rather than embroidered onto it afterwards. This is our entry point to Kani weaving — the same technique as our pure pashmina Kani, on a lighter, less fine base — and it is priced accordingly.

What Kani means

Kani is the oldest and slowest of Kashmir's shawl techniques. The weaver works with dozens of small wooden bobbins, called kanis, each wound with a different colour, and builds the design one thread at a time following a written pattern. Nothing is printed and nothing is stitched on; the motif is the cloth. Because a weaver can only add a few centimetres a day, even a simple Kani takes weeks. Read how Kani differs from sozni embroidery.

Why we call it Everyday

Our pure pashmina Kani shawls are woven on a fine hand-spun pashmina base. The Everyday Kani uses the same weaving but a lighter, more affordable base cloth, which makes it the right choice if you want the look of Kani for daily winter wear, or as a first Kani, without the cost of the finer piece. If you are choosing between the two, the difference is in the hand: the pure pashmina is softer and finer against the skin, the Everyday Kani is sturdier.

The colour

Red is the wedding-season Kani. It is the colour guests reach for at a mehndi or a walima, and the one most often bought as a gift for a bride's trousseau. Worn over a plain outfit it does all the work on its own.

Details

• Kani weave — pattern woven in on the loom, not embroidered
• Handwoven in Kashmir
• Approx. 40" × 80"
• Dry clean only
• Lighter base than our pure pashmina Kani

Handwoven cloth varies slightly from piece to piece; small irregularities are the signature of hand work, not a fault. Colours may differ slightly from the photographs depending on your screen.

Ships in Attan's branded box with a thank-you card, ready to gift.