Natural fibres

Yak wool

Yak wool is soft, flexible, very comfortable and warm. Scarves and shawls made from pure yak wool are hard to find outside the Himalayan region.

Yak wool is harvested from the yak, a domesticated longhaired bovine living in the highlands of the Himalaya’s. Here, it is herded by mountain people from Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal and the north of China.

Quality yak wool is made from the soft, long hairs of the yak’s belly. The natural colour of yak fleece is dark brown or black.

Counting Flowers sells scarves and large shawls from Nepalese yak wool. The scarves and shawls are handwoven by artisans from Mahila Utthan Pashmina Udhyog. We purchase the scarves and shawls from the local fair trade organisation Sana Hastakala.

Care instructions for yak wool

Yak wool is a precious fibre that should not be washed too often. A good washing alternative is hanging the scarf in fresh air for some time. In case you want to wash your scarf, consider the following:

• Hand wash separately in cool water;
• Use only a drop of very mild soap;
• Remove any excess water carefully, do not wring out or twist the scarf;
• Leave the scarf to dry in a flat position;
• Avoid direct sunlight when drying the scarf or shawl;
• Do not use a tumble dryer.

Of course you can also take your scarf or shawl to the dry cleaner.

This information does not offer any guarantees. However, we know from experience that if you treat your yak woollen scarf or shawl with care, it will last a lifetime.