The Raika shear their camels at the time of Holi and traditionally gave the wool to local weavers for turning into the traditional baql, a heavy-wear rug that they took along on migration. We are trying to revive this craft, introducing some new designs. On our campus we have a wool carding unit in which the wool is cleaned and separated into fine and coarse fibres. The coarse wool is used for dhurries, while the fine fibres are made into shawls in collaboration with Kullu Karishma (link). The coarse wool is spun by men with the drop spindle, while the fine fibres are spun into yarn on the Gandhi cherka by women in Jaisalmer.
