Kashmir has been famous for these paisley shawls for many centuries. In the eighteenth century they had become so famous that merchants from all over the world used to come to Kashmir to purchase them. Antique looking paisley design wool shawls have an all over pattern originally used in making the jama, the coat worn by men. They are woven on a frame loom called tooji, which have woolen thread colors attached to them. The master weaver and his helper use written instructions known as talim to weave the shawls. The talim indicates the color and number of warp threads to be covered. The weaver throws the weft across and after that he calls out the design on the basis of which the different colored threads are woven in. In general, dry cleaning is the preferred method of washing these paisley woolen shawls and stoles. To wash by hand, use cold water. After washing, do not wring dry. Simply lay it flat to dry. Once dry, you may press it with warm iron but it is best to put a piece of paper or cloth between the iron and the fabric.
