Sheep’s wool
From sheep’s wool we weave threads, in order to then knit jurabs (woolen socks) or gloves from them. First, you need to wash the owners of the wool themselves — the sheep. Then we cut off lambswool. After the wool is colored to obtain colored threads, it looks like a big tangled pile. It is not suitable for work. To correct it, colored wool should be moved by hand several times. Then a spinner weaves a thread out of this wool. We also make namad (woolen carpets) from lambswool.
1 / 2Namad made from wool
Making namad is one of the oldest traditions of Badakhshan. Namad is made from sheep’s wool for the bride as a dowry. It is believed that if the bride has no namad, then she has nothing. The patterns and backgrounds of namad also came from ancient times.
Namad is made by the “whole world” — women who come from nearby villages. All together, the women sing songs and roll the namad. In the beginning, the ground is covered with burlap. Then a pattern is laid out from colored lambswool. The second layer is black wool, the third is gray, and the fourth is white.
Everything is wrapped in a tight roll and tied with a rope. Then the namad is rolled for two hours, and for three more hours without burlap. Finally, the namad is unfolded. It is ready.