Crewel – A Stitch in Time

When on the lookout for exquisite home décor, there is this one Craft that has always mesmerized many a people. We call this craft Kashmiri Crewel. Hand crafted in a beautiful valley caught between the majestic Pir Panjal and the glorious Himalayan range, crewel embroidery is actually as ancient as the 1st Century B.C and remained forgotten in history until the later part of the 16th century. Legend has it that the word Crewel originates from an ancient word which has been lost in the folds of language over centuries. This ancient word translated to “a curl in a single hair of wool”. The craft uses a specialized hook called Awl or Aari, a sturdy base fabric and thick threads of wool to give an embossed and dimensional look to the embroidery. The hook and woolen thread together in symphony cover a much larger area of the underlying base of closely woven dusoot or duck cotton, jute or even linen than the traditional needle can.

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