The Craft

Yathra: A Living Tradition

Yathra weaving is believed to date back over five hundred years in Bhutan. The word itself refers to both the fabric and the finished textile — a cloth woven from wool, traditionally used as blankets, floor coverings, and outerwear in the cold highland regions of Bumthang and surrounding districts.

The Wool

Our wool comes from Bhutanese sheep raised in the highlands at altitudes above 3,000 metres. The cold climate produces a dense, resilient fleece that is naturally lanolin-rich and waterresistant. After shearing, the wool is washed in mountain streams, carded by hand, and spun on drop spindles — a process that preserves the fibre’s natural character and strength.

Natural Dyes

Every colour in our palette comes from the natural world: Indigo — from the leaves of the indigo plant, producing deep blues Walnut — from walnut husks, yielding rich browns and charcoals Turmeric — from the root, creating warm golden yellows Saffron — from crocus stamens, producing luminous amber tones Madder — from the root, giving soft terracotta and rust Undyed — the natural cream, fawn, grey, and dark brown of the wool itself These dyes are prepared in small batches, simmered in copper vessels, and applied through repeated immersion. The resulting colours are complex, layered, and enduring. 

The Loom

Our weavers work on traditional backstrap looms — a simple, portable frame that uses the weaver’s own body as tension. This intimate connection between maker and material produces a cloth of remarkable evenness and density. The rhythm of weaving is meditative; our weavers often describe it as a form of prayer.

Time

A single scarf takes approximately three days to weave. A rug may take two to three weeks. A bed blanket, up to a month. We do not rush this process. The time invested is what gives each piece its character — the slight variations in tension, the subtle shifts in colour, the unmistakable mark of the human hand.