SHAAL Heavyweight Yak
Brown / 100X200
£160.00 GBP
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SHAAL Heavyweight Yak
£160.00 GBP
- Composition: 60% yak wool, 40% lamb's wool, sourced in the Swat Valley.
- Construction: woven by hand using traditional Khadi techniques on manual looms.
- GSM: 400 gram per square meter (GSM)
A sturdy one...
The SHAAL Heavyweight Yak is a premium yak wool shawl woven by hand using traditional Khadi techniques on manual looms. Crafted from a blend of 60% lamb's wool and 40% yak wool sourced in Swat, it offers greater insulation, a denser structure, and a more textured finish than the rest of our collection.
Each shawl is produced slowly, using methods passed down through generations. Its heavyweight construction gives the shawl exceptional depth, body, and cold-weather performance while remaining naturally breathable. The addition of yak wool brings a drier hand-feel, increased thermal retention, and a more robust surface character.
Designed for colder environments, the Heavyweight Yak functions as a protective outer layer rather than a purely decorative shawl. It can be worn over lighter clothing as a jacket alternative outdoors, or used indoors when greater warmth and coverage are needed. (400 GSM)
The form remains constant — a pure rectangle — defined not by cut, but by weight, weave, and proportion.
Each shawl is finished with an embroidered label, individually placed and stitched by hand.
No industrial finishing.
Only lamb's wool and yak wool.
How to care for your SHAAL
Washing
- Hand wash only in cool or lukewarm water — never hot
- Mild detergent (wool wash or baby shampoo), fully dissolved. Soak 20–30 minutes
- Do not agitate, scrub, or wring
- Drying
- Press water out gently — never wring
- Lay flat on a dry towel, reshape, air dry. Never hang wet. Never tumble dry
Storage - Fold neatly — never hang. Store in a breathable bag or tissue paper, not plastic
- Clean before storing for the season. Cedar or lavender to deter moths
Pilling
- Normal on natural wool. Use a fabric comb — never pull by hand
Frequency
- Wool is naturally odour-resistant. Wash once a season or when needed
For more info visit our Guide to SHAAL.
The Roots
The Swat Valley
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Pakistan — between the Hindu Kush and Karakoram ranges
- A wool textile centre for centuries. The town of Islampur is the heart of the handloom industry
The craft
- Each shawl is woven on a manual Khadi loom — foot-operated, hand-controlled, no machinery
- Up to 37 people involved in the production of a single piece
- Weavers known locally as Jollagan — a respected, generational trade
Why SHAAL exists
- Over 50,000 people in Swat depend on handloom production. Rising costs and industrial competition are shrinking the trade
- We connect these textiles to a global market so the craft stays commercially viable
- Not a charity. A product we believe in, made by people who should be paid properly for it
Read the full story on our Roots page.