Making our AURA QUE summer lightweight Bamboo Cotton Jersey Scarves

The AURA QUE jersey bamboo cotton scarves are perfect for summer - really light weight and soft! Available in plain neutral colours as well as various striped options.

These scarves are made on knitting machines in Kathmandu.  The yarn is very fine - 70% Bamboo and 30% Cotton, and knitted on a very fine count to get the summery light feel.  The knitters have to be very careful whilst knitting as the yarn is so delicate until woven up.

For our striped scarf versions, the making process is extensive, as the yarn has to be knitted up in the raw cream colour, then dyed, then unwound and RE-knitted into the striped versions! So there is definately a lot of work in them!

At the small factory where these scarves are made, they produce a lot of knitted cashmere products for overseas design houses, all for export.  Each machine is used by a trained Nepalese worker to make sure the hand-operated machines knit evenly and without faults.

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Ethika boutique in Norwich stocking AURA QUE products this summer!

This season, AURA QUE products can be found at ETHIKA in Norwich, who have opened a new store location in the town centre recently, stocking lots of great ethical products and gifts!

Please check out their facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/ethikaemporium

Open between 10am-5pm from Tues to Sat at 12 Pottergate, Norwich.

 

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365 steps up to Swayambhunath, the Monkey Temple, overlooking Kathmandu

Swayambhunath is a Buddhist religious site on top of a hill overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, which is also called the 'Monkey Temple' because of all the monkeys that live around the north west parts of the temple - becareful of them, they can be vicious at times!!

I know this is a blog for AURA QUE and the producers I work with but Kathmandu is such an interesting and fascinating place to work in, I thought I would blog about some of the fine sights in Nepal, that I have visited many times with friends, visitors or just in passing on the way to work!

Anyone who visits Kathmandu, will see this temple on the hill and should make a visit up all the stairs to take in the religious atmosphere, marvel at the beautiful details and colours, and the views over Kathmandu.  For the Nepalese people, this is where they will make daily offerings, as well as celebrate the most popular festivals at Swayambhunath, which are Lhosar, (Tibetan New Year), Buddha Jayanti, (Buddha’s Birthday) and Gunla, (the sacred month of Lord Buddha).

The complex can be accessed by road at one side or a long staircase of 365 steps leaving up to the main large stupa that overlooks the whole of Kathmandu.  The main stupa has the buddha eyes painted on them, which is an iconic image from Nepal.  Within the complex there is also shops, restaurants, shrines to different Gods, a peace pagoda and a Tibetan Monastery.

The steps are pretty steep up to the main stupa but the sight is amazing at the top - the beautiful large stupa with colourful prayer flags, that is uplighted at night and you can see from miles around on the hill.  You can also see the massive sprawl of Kathmandu as far as the eye can see!! A little bit different from 50 years ago (see the black and white picture I found of Swayambhu in the 1960s!).

Last time I went up to the stupa, the monks were chanting in the Tibetan monastery, so we went inside to have a look - the rooms inside were incredibly beautiful and colourful with lots of intricate painting and decoration details, really fascinating. It felt like a really spiritual place.

The massive Buddhist statues at the South road entrance to Swayambhu are really epic and can be seen from the main road.  These were built in the last ten years by different Buddhist communities, and very beautifully decorated once you look up close.

 

 

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Chimsi retires from work at NLT office after over 25 years.

Chimsi has worked at NLT for a very long time - as she lives in the accomodation provided in the compound next to NLT, she has worked as a cleaner, tea lady and caretaker for the building over the years.  Many a time I have needed to come in early to the factory or deliver some materials on a day off or after hours, she has always been there to bundle me the keys and follow me into the building!

I have blogged about Chimsi before, she is one of many colourful characters at the Nepal Leprosy Trust office and handicraft unit in Kathmandu.  Always curious to see what I am doing, she would sit nearby observing my work, making gruff comments about what I would be wearing or doing, that would make the others laugh, and telling me to eat or drink something, trying to look out for me!

She came to NLT with leprosy at a young age, having cured her from the disease, she was still outcast by her community as sadly can be the way, and moved to NLT compound to live and work.  She met Makuram, who also had leprosy previously and married each other later in life.  Makuram was a prominent and skilled worker at the leather factory for many years which was before my time since he has been retired for many years now.

With recent health problems and small operations, Chimsi has now retired from regular work at NLT as she is in her early 60s. Though I still have see her around the compound and get invited to have a cup of tea with Chimsi and Makuram sometimes, who are now looked after by Chimsi's grand daughter Rita.

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