Fibres And Yarns
Hand Spun Tibetan Sheep Wool
As the name suggests, this long fibre and very warm wool comes from the Tibetan plateau, a high altitude region of the Himalayas. Tibetan sheep wool is easily handspun by local people, gets softer with use and is very durable. Tibetan sheep wool is often blended with other fibres, including merino wool and silk. Currently, Avani does not use Tibetan sheep wool as it becomes extremely difficult to procure.
Harsil Wool
Avani now uses primarily Harsil wool which is local sheep wool produced in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Avani procures the raw wool slivers that are primarily hand spun on drop spindles.
Hand Spun and Machine Yarn in Australian Merino Wool
This wool is produced in India as well as imported from Australia. It is softer than Tibetan wool and is used to create blends with different silks for a range of softer products.
Pashmina
Avani has also briefly worked with creating a small range of goods using pashmina purchased as a raw material from Tibet and Ladakh in India.
Hand-Spun Tussar Silk
Tussar silk was originally collected in the form of cocoons by some tribal communities in the forests of Central and Eastern India. Avani purchases tussar silk yarn from other parts of the country, supporting the livelihood of many Indian spinners. Tussar silk has a unique, pebbly texture and is naturally beige in color.
Hand-Spun Eri Silk
The cocoons of eri silk are collected in the wild from castor plants in local villages. Alternatively, eri silkworms are fed on leaves picked from these castor plants. Eri silk is always hand spun (thus non-violent), and is unique in its natural insulating properties.
Hand and Machine-Spun Muga Silk
Muga is the most expensive and the finest of India’s wild silks. It is collected from the forests in the Northeast, where its host trees, Litchia polyantha and Michelis Bombacina, are found. It is naturally gold in colour, with an extremely rich texture. The yield of muga silk is very low, making it extremely expensive. Aside from our hand-spun muga silk, we also purchase reeled muga silk from producers in Assam to meet our production demands.
Linen
Avani now works with a specialised range of products in pure linen as well as linen blended with silk and wool. The spun linen yarn is procured from Calcutta.