Quality characteristics of handmade Kashmiri pashmina shawls

In order to generate the baseline information, a study was aimed to evaluate the quality of handmade Kashmiri Pashmina shawls. Various quality parameters of handmade yarn and shawls were studied using standard methods. The results showed the average weight/m² (g), thickness (mm), ends and picks/inch, abrasion loss (%), shrinkage loss (%), drapeability coefficient (%) of finished fabric as 103.37±0.81, 0.49±0.02, 55.30±0.33, 55.40±0.35, 1.62±0.32, 1.75±0.56, 12.99±0.14 respectively. Breaking length (cm), bending rigidity (gcm²), breaking strength (kgf), elongation (%), tensile strength (kgf/cm²) along the warp and weft direction was found as 1.69±0.10 and 1.75±0.08; 3.09±0.30 and 3.29±0.23; 3.03±0.12 and 3.55±0.15; 11.93±0.22 and 12.90±0.24; and 0.102±0.02 and 0.13±0.03 respectively. SiroFAST results showed extension (%) in bias direction and surface thickness (mm) as 6.50±0.34 and 0.40±0.12, respectively. Bending length (mm), bending rigidity (μN.m), relaxation shrinkage (%) and hygral shrinkage (%) along the warp and weft directions was found as 21.75±0.52 and 21.90±0.63; 10.53±0.52 and 10.75±0.80; 0.60±0.51 and 0.70±0.58; and 2.95±0.49 and 2.15±0.56, respectively.