Wool-based Livelihood Interventions
About
Pastoral livelihoods in Ladakh have shifted toward pashmina-dominated production driven by markets and policy, marginalising sheep wool and reshaping herd composition in ways that undermine ecological balance and long-term pastoral resilience. Revitalising indigenous sheep and yak wool offers a pathway to strengthen incomes while restoring livestock practices that are more aligned with rangeland health and traditional way of life.
Programmes 2025
Workshop on Pre-processing of Sheep Wool
Chibra, Changthang, June–July 2025: In Kargyam valley of Changthang, the shearing typically takes place in late June. The wool pre-processing workshop began in Chibra village with shearing in late spring under the mentorship of senior textile designer Jigisha Patel. Sorting and grading of wool was facilitated alongside shearing which helped classify the wool by quality. For example, finer wool around the neck was separated from the coarser wool around the shoulders and the hind legs. The sorting also involved age-wise classification, and samples were collected by the project team for subsequent laboratory testing.
The freshly shorn fleece, containing lanolin, along with suint, dirt, and vegetable matter, was then scoured. The scouring process involved washing the wool in hot water (50–60°C) with a mild soap through multiple rinses to remove grease, without causing felting. At this stage, a pH-balanced enzyme was introduced to enhance the softness and sheen. The scoured wool was subsequently sundried and prepared for further stages of processing.
Workshop on Felting
Phey, Ladakh, July 2025: The felting workshop was facilitated by Farooq Ahmed Khan, a master felting craftsman from Kashmir, along with designer Jigisha Patel. The five-day workshop introduced six participants to assessing wool quality, developing designs, and producing felt pieces through hands-on practice. Over the course of the workshop, participants refined their techniques, learning to produce softer and uniform felt and to work intentionally with natural wool shades to achieve desired design outcomes. Working with natural wool shades was emphasised as it avoids the need for chemical dyes, reduces water and energy consumption, preserves fibre integrity, and aligns with pastoral practices that value material authenticity and low-impact processing.
Four experimental felted products were created during the workshop and were subsequently showcased at Palay House and in Chibra village in July 2025, and in Bengaluru in January 2026.
Phey Exhibition
Phey, Ladakh. 15 July 2025.
Chibra Exhibition
Chibra, Changthang. 26 July 2025.
Bengaluru Exhibition
1ShantiRoad Studio Gallery, Bengaluru. 9-11 January 2026