Homemade Garments Need Govt's Attntion

GILGIT, Feb 9 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 09th Feb, 2017 ) : The women of Gilgit-Baltistan have high level skills in knitting sweaters, socks, gloves and other items as woolen garments are essential to face the cold weather of the region.

In past this mountainous region had limited access to the outside world. People had to rely on their local hand made products for their day-to-day needs. Winter dresses are knitted with homemade woolen yarn.

During winter, temperatures are below zero and daytime is short and there are no activities related to agriculture. Ladies prepare beautiful knitted items while spending quality time with family.

With easy availability of machine made sweaters, socks, caps, gloves and other items, there is a huge fall in the number of hand knitted items and these garments have become really valuable. However, despite the easy availability and huge increase of machine made garments the women of Gilgit-Baltistan have kept the art of hand knitting alive.

A hand knit garment is of high value and sign of pride for local cultural heritage. The skilled knitters have high value as they have kept these centuries old tradition alive without gaining any economic interest.

Crochet is another form of handicraft in which patterned fabric is made by looping yarn. A single needle with a hook on one end is used for drawing the thread or yarn through intertwined loops.

The women of Gilgit Baltistan are highly skilled in the art of crochet. Socks knitted from local woolen yarn are soft, comfortable and warm for harsh winter. Different local geometric designs are made on socks, Shahi Jurab or royal socks are of unique design.

They are usually made as a part of groom or bridal dress.

Different designs of gloves are knitted for different purposes. The working gloves are made from tough dark color yarn. The gloves for the occasion of wedding are knitted with delicate colorful yarn.

Bright colors are used to design various floral and other designs on these special gloves. Traditionally the local woolen yarn is used to knit sweaters. In the modern time different varieties of machine made yarn are easily available in the market.

But handmade sweater from original woolen yarn have higher value. Normally two needles are used to knit a sweater. The locals consider it a sign of love, respect and pride to knit a sweater for a family member or loved ones.

Knitted items are important part of bridal gifts. Waistband is an essential part of the traditional dress. Traditionally waistbands were made by hand with strong local yarn. Colorful waistbands are made as part of wedding dresses.

Sometimes colorful beads are place at the ends of the waistbands. Crochet is an amazing art and skill. Various amazing items are made with these skills. Women of Gilgit Baltistan are naturally gifted with this skill.

They make beautiful crochet bed sheets, pillow covers, sofa covers, jackets and headbands. Both natural and synthetic yarn is used to crochet various items. In summary the women of Gilgit Baltistan are highly skilled.

They have kept this cultural heritage alive for hundreds of years. With modernization and easy availability of machine garments the art of knitting and crochet is slowly disappearing and it is very important for the government and non-governmental organizations to come forward and transform it to micro industry and save the cultural heritage of Gilgit-Baltistan.