Kotare Scarf / Wrap

Content: Linen 

Measurements: approx 190cm x 81cm + 15cm fringe (76” x 32” + 6″ fringe)

I’ve woven this piece using very fine 40/2 linen yarn, spun in Bengal, India. The yarn is naturally dyed with indigo, kasheem, cutch, madder and lac (see below), creating a soft, earthy palette. Woven on a black warp, the design features stripes of black interspersed with these beautiful colours. The ends are finished with delicate, twisty cords, adding a light, elegant touch.

Generously wide, it can be worn as a wrap or styled as an oversized scarf—whatever suits the day. Linen softens beautifully with wear, and as a sustainable, biodegradable fibre, it’s as kind to the planet as it is to the skin.

To help protect the natural dyes, be sure to use a pH-neutral liquid detergent when washing.

Indigo – natural indigo powder is an extract prepared from Indigofera tinctoria which is cultivated for this purpose. Indigo is the legendary source of colourfast blues and its ability to produce a wide range of shades has made it the most successful dye plant ever known. Indigo grows all over the world.

Kasheem – is iron water using a traditional recipe of fermenting scrap iron, date palm sugar and chickpea flour. It reacts with tannins to create greys & blacks.

Cutch Extract– This powder is an extract prepared from steeping the wood of the Acacia catechu tree in hot water until a syrupy liquid emerges. This is dried and then ground into powder.

Madder – Madder is one of the oldest known dyestuffs and comes from the Rubia tinctorum (Dyer’s madder) or Rubia cordifolia (Indian madder).

Lac Extract  –  a red dye extract from the scale insect Laccifer lacca which is found throughout India, south east Asia, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan and south China. It is found both in the wild and cultivated.