Neck Warmer with Braids in Hand-Spun Wool · CHARU × Thathaly

Neck warmer in thick, irregularly hand-spun wool yarn whose slubs and nubs give the chunky knit a lively, almost sculptural surface – in grey or in light beige flecked with fine dark fibres, depending on the version. Vertical ribs structure the knit; from one side hang three braids of different lengths, wound with brown thread and finished with cowrie shells and small end pieces. A round metal tag bears the Thathaly mark.

On the Tibetan plateau, braids are more than a hairstyle: traditionally, elder family members weave shells, coral and turquoise into children's hair – a gesture of care that is regarded in the tradition as protective. The neck warmer takes up this visual language.

The neck warmer is a closed loop and is pulled on over the head; it can be worn turned up to the chin or loosely gathered around the neck, with the braids at the front, the side or the back. As each piece is hand-spun and hand-knitted, measurements and texture may vary slightly.

Thathaly is a label of women from Yulshül in Kham, in the east of the Tibetan plateau, close to the source region of the Drichu, Dzachu and Machu rivers. Its aim is to preserve Tibetan craft and to enable the women to earn a living in their rural homeland. According to Thathaly, each piece takes around eight hours of spinning and knitting.

CHARU connects designers with craft cooperatives in the Tibetan cultural sphere, developing products that bring traditional techniques into everyday life.

Height 18 cm · Width laid flat 25 cm · Braids approx. 30, 40 and 48 cm · 100% hand-spun wool · Cowrie shells · White-metal tag · Hand-knitted in Yulshül, Kham