It is interesting and exciting to find out how many different types of shawl exist and the different ways to use a shawl. Although, more of a fashion statement for most of us, it is fascinating to learn how important a shawl is at some events or occasions and in some religions or rituals.  Learning about different types of shawls and quality of shawls have been a learning experience. I would like to share with you some of my learning's and I hope you find them fascinating.  If you would like to share your opinion and experiences, please let us know so we can share it with our customers.  Click on Shawls to read about Adoros' shawl details or click on wraps to read Margarita's opinion on why shawls or wraps are a must have fashion accessory.

Let's start with the pashmina shawl, probably one of the most popular shawls these days and sure to keep you warm.

Pashmina Shawl
Pashmina is made from the finest cashmere wool in the world. It is combed from the underside of the Himalayan Mountain Goat, which are indigenous to the mountains of Central Asia. Pashmina has been valued for centuries throughout Asia and the Middle East. Himalayan farmers climb the mountains every summer to comb the fine woolen undercoat from the neck and chest of, himalayan mountain pashm, not to be confused with the endangered Tibetan antelope that is killed to produce shatoosh shawls.  The himalayan mountain pashm lives at an altitude of 14,000 feet and therefore grows a unique, incredibly soft pashm, inner coat, six times finer than human hair. To produce one shawl requires the wool from 3 goats, the goats are not harmed in the process, as it is collected after being shed naturally.  For more information on the history of pashmina, please go to Pashmina Shawls.

Russian Shawl
Shawls have been part of traditional Russian Women’s costumes since the 18th Century. The original home of the shawl was Kashmir in India. In the 19th century, Russian manufacturers introduced worsted weaving yarns and began producing their own garments. The most well known Russian shawls are those made in Pavlovo Posad factory; the shawls are very colorful and have an extensive variety of desigs.  Another Russian shawl is the  Orenburg shawls that date back as far as the 17th century. Russians that settled in Ural Mountain needed something very warm able to withstand the winters. The famous Orenburg woven shawls are made entirely by hand. They are handspuned and handknitted from the finest down of goats in the region of Orenburg near Ural Mountains. To learn more about the history of Russian shawls please go to BioStudio.

The Prayer Shawl, Peace Shawl of Mantels.
I found the Shawl Ministry very comforting. It reassures my belief that we are indeed surrounded by kindness and good people. In 1998, Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women's Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut founded the Shawl Ministry.  It was because of care and the love of knitting that a prayerful ministry was born to reach out to those in need of comfort and solace. A knitter begins each shawl with prayers and blessings for the recipient.  Many blessings are knitted into every shawl. Intentions are continued throughout the creation of the shawl.  When the shawl is completed it is offered a final ritual before being sent along its way.  Some recipients have continued the kindness by making one themselves and passing it onto someone in need. Thus, the blessing is rippled from person to person, with both the giver and receiver feeling the unconditional embrace of a higher power. Please visit the Shawl Ministry.

Fancy Shawl Dance
The Fancy Shawl is the most modern of the Native American ladies' dances, and gives young ladies the opportunity to demonstrate their individual agility and grace. It is very aerobic and that's the reason why young ladies participate in this dance  (they have the stamina!). Of course anyone else in good shape can dance it too. The fancy shawl dance is nicknamed the butterfly dance because the shawl movement is like the wings of a butterfly representing the beauty and grace of new life. The dress of the dancer is brilliantly colored, and often adorned with beads. Beadwork is often a compliment to the shawl, which is an integral part of the dance. Very popular and highly collectible are the famous Fancy Shawl Dance Dolls. Learn more by visiting Fancy Shawl Dance.

Piano Shawl and Victorian Paisley Shawl.
It appears that the term piano shawl relates to the Victorian period. Victorians did not think a piece of furniture was not complete until it had some textile covering it, and this style was the one favored for piano.  Victorian Paisley Shawls or piano shawls are of intricate patterns and fine workmanship. Some of them are considered museum quality shawls. Most representative are from India, Scotland, France, Ireland, England, Italy, and Holland. In Victorian time, they were considered a status symbol. The shawl weaving (Kashmire) was a man's profession in India and considered prestigious. It often took two Indian weavers up to three years to produce a top quality shawl, therefore the very high tag price (the equivalent of a house).

European women fell in love with these shawl style and in the first half of the 19th century, European weavers tried to reproduce the same Indian shawls at a more affordable price. Paisley, Scotland was one of the towns in Europe where these shawls were produced. Interesting enough, it was later when the Indian weavers were forced to imitate the faster and cheaper European shawl weaving technique.  Visit Victoriana for more information.

Crochet Shawl
Crochet shawls are very popular and depending on the yarn used, they can be very chic; crochet history is difficult to establish before the 1800s and it appears that it evolved from Arabia, Tibet, Spain, and China. According to American crochet expert and world traveler Annie Potter, "The modern art of true crochet as we know it today was developed during the 16th century. It became known as 'crochet lace' in France and 'chain lace' in England." She states that in 1916 Walter Edmund Roth visited descendants of the Guiana Indians and found examples of true crochet. If you are interested in crochet, the following site has lots of information: SBC Crochet.

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