Textile Workshops & Experiences
STUDIO VISITS
If you are in Ladakh it is definitely a great opportunity to come and visit us! From Leh market it is only a 15 minute drive to us. We give you a warm welcome in our home and you can discover our studio and set up and meet our team. For groups we have combined a visit with a traditionally cooked lunch on the fire or homemade sourdough bread for a Ladakhi tea break.
We will walk you through our wool processing and share about the cultural significance of the tribes of Changthang and their wool. For groups please count in 2 hours so we have enough time to meet you, eat with you and show you around. If you don’t have a lot of time and only want to drop by then you are also most welcome!
TEXTILE WORKSHOPS
We also offer workshops on the different processes of our wool work. You will learn about sorting, washing, spinning, weaving and dyeing of wool.
Our full day “Original Workshop” covers all the steps and you can get a good insight into how we work with wool.
The other workshop formats are: “From Raw to Ready”, “Ladakhi Textile Craft”, “The Magic of Plants”.
Full day workshops start at 10am until 6pm and half day workshops from 2pm till 6pm. All full day workshops include tea breaks and lunch and for half day workshops a tea break. We offer the workshops in English, German and French.
CUSTOMISED WORKSHOPS
Aside from our day workshops we can also create an experience which is tailored to your group’s preferences.
This could for example be a longer immersive workshop over a few days with a woven piece to take home.
Also, it is possible to add elements of other crafts into the workshop, such as cooking and knitting.
We are open to creating a special experience!
Please get in touch to explore possibilities.
STAY WITH US
Part of our little textile world in Ladakh is not only our studio, but also our home and guest cottage. We built our guest cottage for our family and friends visiting from far away, but of course it is not occupied all the time.
That’s why we are now welcoming guests who are visiting Ladakh to stay with us, just like a friend. You will experience a place of serenity, craft and authenticity. If you would like, you can join a typical day for us – so all about wool, weaving and chatting! You can find all the info and booking link here.
WORKSHOPS IN DETAIL
“From Raw to Ready” - an in depth workshop on our woolen fibers and the straightforward approach to turning raw fleece into clean, carded wool ready for spinning. This is how we start each year with fresh, raw wool directly from the nomad community.
“The Textile Craft” – this workshop is all about the skills of hand-spinning and hand-weaving. You will learn the spinning on a traditional Ladakhi spindle with the help of our team. You can then experiment on the traditional backstrap loom and weave a classic flat weave.
“The Magic of Plants” – this workshop covers another important step in our work – the natural dyeing. In this workshop you will learn the art of natural dye. We will make a dye vat and you can dye your own skein of our handspun yarn to take home. Alternatively we can also dive into bundle dyeing – a lovely way of dyeing with flowers from our garden.
HOW TO BOOK & PRICES
If you would like to book a workshop please send us an email to catherine@wearekal.com indicating the type of visit or workshop, group size and the desired date.
Please note that for our workshops minimum is 4 people and maximum is 10 people. We can conduct the workshop in English, German or French.
Prices for Workshops:
HALF DAY (4 HOURS) 25€ // 2200 INR per person (includes tea & coffee & homemade bread)
add 10€ for 100g of wool yarn to dye and take home
or 20€ for a handwoven cotton pillow case OR a Eri silk bandana to dye and take home
FULL DAY (8 HOURS) 40€ // 3600 INR per person (includes 2 x tea and coffee and a vegetarian lunch)
add 10€ for 100g of wool yarn to dye and take home
or 20€ for a handwoven cotton pillow case OR a Eri silk bandana to dye and take home
Looking forward to meeting you!
