Down Shawls – Yesterday and Today

Who invented knitting, and when, is unknown today. Researchers have concluded that four thousand years ago people had already mastered this kind of craft. Evidence has been found both in Egyptian burials and in those discovered in South America.

Down knitting in the Orenburg region

In Orenburg, knitting was taken up by the wives of Cossacks who found themselves in this steppe region in the line of duty. The indigenous inhabitants had long used goat down, though they did not try to knit with it.

The first knitted items were not distinguished by elegance. They were made purely for practical purposes – to get warm head coverings – shawls and warm shawls.

Over time, the shawls became more and more interesting. Warm shawls for winter were knitted from thick yarn, and light, elegant gossamer shawls for warmer weather from fine yarn.

The hard-working Cossack women quite quickly realised how to profit from their needlework. Noble ladies gladly bought the warm, light and beautiful shawls. Orenburg shawls came into demand. After a handmade down item won first place at an international exhibition, shawls and stoles began to be bought not only in Russia but abroad too.

A period of oblivion

The wars that shook Europe led to the severing of trade ties and the impoverishment of most of the population. For a while beauty had to be forgotten. Fortunately, this did not affect the craftswomen's skills. Everything the knitters knew remained in Orenburg families. The secrets of spinning and knitting were passed on to daughters and granddaughters.

In the villages, shawls and gossamer shawls, stoles and warm shawls were still knitted. Only the demand for them had fallen considerably.

The stage of revival

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, a wave of revival swept the country. People believed in a bright future. Plants and factories were rapidly built, agriculture was restored, houses and roads were built, and towns and villages grew more beautiful. The knitters also saw an upswing: their works finally "came out into the world". Shawls began to sell well and the craft began to develop.

A big contribution to the popularisation of down items was made by the song "The Orenburg Down Shawl". Every day Lyudmila Zykina's voice sang on the radio about a down shawl knitted for the dearest and closest person. Soviet women, charmed by the touching lyrics of the song and the excellent qualities of Orenburg shawls, gladly bought and wore the beautiful and warm items.

By the end of the last century

By the end of the last century, shop shelves were filled with imported goods, which somewhat crowded out domestic items. Fashionistas strove to acquire foreign things, disdaining what had made their homeland famous. But foreign guests still took amazingly delicate down shawls back to their countries. Warm shawls were presented as gifts to high-ranking persons visiting our country on official visits and receiving representatives of our state at their residences.

Time has no power over masterpieces

No whims of fashion, new fabrics or models have been able to eclipse charming down shawls. As before, women gladly use down accessories, carefully arranging them on their shoulders to keep warm and to show others the beautifully intertwining threads.

Down shawls give their owners softness and tenderness. A woman wrapped in a weightless gossamer shawl looks fresh and mysterious. A lady in an evening outfit with her shoulders covered by a down stole looks exquisite. A voluminous warm shawl can give one's appearance solidity and charm.

Down in summer and winter

Kerchiefs and stoles, warm shawls and gossamer shawls can be seen on the shoulders, necks and heads of the fair sex at any time of year.

The older generation prefers to wear down shawls on their heads. Young girls tie scarves around their necks, making original collars. In both cases the item is appropriate. Combined with matching down mittens, it creates the unique image of a "beautiful stranger" surrounded by a weightless haze of down.

Advantages of down shawls

Natural down is popular for several reasons. The most important, of course, is its ability to warm the part of the body it covers. The second is its beautiful appearance. The third is its delicacy and softness. Orenburg shawls have so many advantages that it is impossible to list them all.

When choosing a shawl, remember that all knitted items fall into two categories. The first is hand-knitted. The second is machine-knitted. The first is more delicate, the second more precise.

Any new items have practically no down halo. It will appear in the course of wear. If you want to appear in public in a fluffy shawl, you will first have to "wear in" your new purchase at home.