Threads are woven, thoughts are spun

How can we preserve and support handicrafts? How can we contribute to a kinder, better world? These questions served as the springboard for our venture to start a business focused on handmade textiles – a form of socially conscious entrepreneurship. To raise one’s head above the parapet and move mountains. To quit stable employment, venture out as free agents, and be so bold as to invest in something new and unknown without reservation.

To dare…

Over three weeks, we traveled from Kerala in southern India to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayas. We participated in indigo dyeing workshops with the world’s indigo masters and got to see natural dyeing with flowers and leaves in hangars situated in the middle of tea fields in Munnar. We purchased handmade shawls. Our journey ended on the high plateau of Dharamsala.

Munnar, Kerala 2020. Workshops in natural dyeing with plants, nuts and minerals sparked the idea of starting Spirit of Threads.

Next Stop: Nepal

This is happening! We are going to Nepal and India, first to immerse ourselves in wool production and handcrafts in the mysterious ancient Kingdom of Mustang in northern Nepal, and then to visit Pema and his humanitarian projects in Kathmandu. Mustang has long been impossible to travel to and visit.

Here, we hope to see indigenous villages, preparation of pashmina goat and yak wool, and authentic craftsmanship. Jenny Adhikari and Bijaya Tamang have planned the trip and will serve as our guides. They have been living in Kathmandu for 16 years and run Beyond Borders Ethical Adventures.