Meet the Makers

Handwoven in the Himalayas

Every likemary merino shawl starts on a traditional loom in Kullu, in the Himalayan foothills. Each one is woven by a member of a weaving cooperative, and every step is done by hand: warping the loom, weaving, knotting the fringe, washing and finishing.

Working together since 2009

I have worked with this same weaving cooperative since 2009, visiting several times and working closely with both the artisans and management to develop new patterns and colours each season.

The cooperative was founded in 1944 by twelve local weavers. In its early years it struggled against cheaper power-loom shawls printed with Kullu-style motifs, until a skilled weaver named Ved Ram Thakur joined in 1956 and led its revival. Today it is run by its weavers and works like a large family. Members have a gratuity, a provident fund (EPF) and welfare funds behind them, along with support for recreation, and the cooperative states that its pay ranks among the best for artisans anywhere.

The Wool Knitters Society

likemary snoods, beanies and gloves are handknitted by the Wool Knitters Society, a group of women in the Kullu Valley and nearby villages. Shivani founded the society in 2009 as a women’s empowerment project, to create employment for local women artisans. We met in 2011 and have been designing and creating together ever since.

Learning and working together

The women build their skills in knitting, sewing, embroidery, crochet and even carpet weaving. They can work from home or at a community centre, where they learn from each other and enjoy time away from the demands of daily life. For many of them, the society is their first and only source of paid work.