Hand spinning -- India; India -- Economic conditions; Manufactures -- India
As a fact, the method of sizing traditionally followed by the weavers
cannot be improved upon. Their selection of the sizing material is
appropriate to the climate, season and circumstances. For the most part
they use the staple corn. Jawari and maize being the cheapest are used
in many parts. In the rainy season, however, they use wheat flour as a
stronger sizing material to counteract the over-softening influence of
the moisture present in the air. In the Madras Presidency, a cereal
called _ragi_ with a yellowish flour is used for coarse counts, while
rice is used for finer counts. Rice and wheat are the best ingredients
for sizing. The proportion used is from 10 per cent required for fine
yarn to 20 per cent for coarse yarn.
Different preparations of various sizing materials are as follow:--
_Wheat_: Weigh the warp first. Then according to its fineness or
coarseness, take fine wheat flour or _Menda_ from 10 to 20 per cent of
its weight, knead it well with water to form a thin paste, taking care
that no lump remains. Boil some water just enough to soak the warp, then
add the paste previously prepared and keep on stirring till the granules
are well-cooked and the whole substance is reduced to the form of thin
gruel. To every such preparation of one pound of flour, one ounce of
sesamum or sweet oil should be added. This will give softness and
smoothness to the threads of the warp and keep them from sticking to one
another. Cocoanut or castor oil is also used as a lubricant. Any of
these is good, except only that the castor oil will give a bad odour and
a dull colour to the warp. The size thus prepared is then slowly poured
on to the warp, which is kept folded on a gunny cloth or a clean slab.
The warp is beaten with both the hands, while the process of pouring is
going on, and when it is thoroughly saturated all over, it is spread out
in the open and brushed repeatedly in one direction, often bringing the
down side up till it gets dried. One or two or more persons according to
the length of the warp are engaged in brushing, while several others are
joining broken threads and shifting the sticks in the warp from one
lease to another.
This is the most thorough of all the methods of sizing. The ends of
fibres lying loose on every thread of the warp are straightened, and
stuck fast round the thread by the process of brushing. The thread is
rendered smooth and strong like wire, and the work of weaving is made
all the easier by it. Thus swiftness in weaving is ensured. To master
this requires long practice but it is worth the while of every student
to do so. For an energetic youth about three hours' work under an expert
every morning for two months or so is sufficient. With two assistants or
more he will then be able to manage the brush-sizing himself without
the aid of an expert. A less active person will take four or six months'
practice.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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