Handmade "Net" scarf YS275: Grey Scarf

 Many years ago, when we started selling scarves, we visited a small supplier in Bihar, N India. That was back in 2006. Since then we have been on a journey with this supplier which has gone well beyond being just a business relationship. We try and visit these guys every year and have seen the youngsters grow up, attended weddings and had some fine times together.

When we first visited, we were primarily after striped and printed scarves made from viscose and cotton and we found some wonderful designs. However, tucked away in a corner was an unusual looking scarf the likes of which we had never seen before. It was a handmade scarf in the form of a net made from a yarn called flag yarn. Our suppliers had made it as a sample but apparently, they weren’t happy with it. We, on the other hand, were quite fascinated by the product and decided to give it a try.

The scarf is handmade in the true sense of the word. It is made from one very long piece of yarn.  First the yarn is dyed. Most of the scarves in this range are multicoloured and this is done by taking a large skein of yarn and daubing a few inches of it with your first chosen colour. The next colour is then added and so on until the whole skein has been dyed. Once the skein is unwound the yarn will change colour every few inches. The finished yarn is then wound onto a wheel. The actual scarf is made by using four straight pieces of wood to create a frame of about 50 x 180cms. Nails are then tapped upright into the wood at intervals of about one inch. The yarn is then drawn from the wheel and interlocked around the nails by hand. The yarns are interlocked at each join with threads running east west across the scarf and running diagonally in each direction. When the finished scarf is taken off the frame and held up you can see that it is made up of hundreds of small triangles.

As soon as we started selling these scarves they just took off. Over the years they have been called many things. Net scarf, confetti scarf, necklace scarf among others. Since we started selling these, we have moved over 500,000 pieces and to this day they continue to sell well. We now have 20 colours to choose from.

Whereas the rest of our products are woven on a loom, usually by men, the net scarves are handmade by women. The fact that they can be made with only a few pieces of wood, a box of nails and some training means that even some of the poorest households have access to an income. For us they sell all year round. Not only are they a great summer accessory but come the festive season they are a stocking filler par excellence.

If you are a retailer and you want to stock this great product simply fill in the wholesale enquiry form at the foot of the page and we will get back to you.

Weight: 35 g
Dimensions: 70 in x 20 in
Material: 100% Viscose