handlooms
Human-powered weaving devices
Handlooms are weaving devices operated manually rather than by machine power.
The weaver controls the shuttle and pedals by hand and foot, producing fabric more slowly but often with distinctive character.
Handloom textiles—from Indian khadi to Scottish tweeds—carry associations of craft tradition and artisanal quality: The cooperative employs women who work at handlooms in their homes.
Plant fiber for textiles
- silkFine woven insect fiber
- linenFlax-derived textile
- woolSheared animal fiber
- muslinPlain-woven cotton cloth
khadi · chintz · brocade · damask · ikat · kente · mudcloth · kilim
Bend from true form
- weftCrosswise loom threads
- shuttleShort-distance transport
- treadleFoot-operated lever
- bobbinSmall cylindrical thread holder
spindle · jacquard · interlace · heddle · reed · beam · harness · dobby
Thread-interlacing craftsperson
- craftspersonSkilled manual worker
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- dyeingColoring via immersion
- spinningRevolving around an axis
Custom passed through generations
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- cultureCollective social practices
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- revivalReturn after decline
legacy · folklore · ancestry · patrimony · artform · indigenous · ethnic · cooperative
cotton
Plant fiber for textiles
muslin · khadi · chintz · brocade · damask · ikat · kente · mudcloth · kilim · tweed
warp
Bend from true form
bobbin · spindle · jacquard · interlace · heddle · reed · beam · harness · dobby · selvage
weaver
Thread-interlacing craftsperson
- craftspersonSkilled manual worker
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- dyeingColoring via immersion
spinning · thread · indigo · mordant · tie-dye · wax-resist · batik
tradition
Custom passed through generations
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- cultureCollective social practices
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
revival · legacy · folklore · ancestry · patrimony · artform · indigenous · ethnic · cooperative · UNESCO
- wool industrywool, fleece, wool spinning, wool weaving, merino wool
- VaranasiVaranasi, Benares, Kashi, Ganges, pilgrims
handloomsmass production
Large-scale standardized fabrication
factory production · textile mills · manufacturing plants · textile factories