Lightweight Bamboo Scarves

Soft like butter! Our customers have been gobbling these up!

Skeins of bamboo thread made from organically-grown* bamboo fiber in China are hand-dyed in four to six colors, in small batches. All these colors show up in the fringes and in a unique jaspe pattern throughout the scarf. (Each scarf is unique!) Each scarf is then warped on a warping board. The warp is then put on a backstrap loom and handwoven. When completed, the fringes are hand-knotted, the scarf is hand-washed, and fabric softener added. It is then dried, first laid out in the sun, then in a dryer. The fringes are then finished, and the scarf is packed to send to A Thread of Hope!

The process is virtually the same as the process used to make chenille scarves shown in the PowerPoint here.

* The bamboo fiber has three certifications: Forest Stewardship Council, which  encourages environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world's forests; OEKO-TEX to ensure that chemical residues in the fabric do not exceed certain limits; and certified organic by ECOCERT SA. We have copies of these certifications on file.

* Bamboo thread is not manufactured in Guatemala. For that matter, virtually no thread is manufactured in Guatemala. For example, the vast majority of cotton thread also comes from far away -- India. (The most arable land is used for export crops such as pineapples, bananas, and African palm oil for biofuels. Severe maldistribution of arable land in Guatemala is a significant problem, with one impact being the 4th highest rate of child malnutrition in the world.)

* Cellulose is extracted from the bamboo by heating and with the addition of sodium hydroxide in a closed system. This method is approved by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) certification guarantees that the personnel and the environment are not adversely affected and that the process takes place in a closed system.

Product Care
Hand wash in cold water with mild soap such as hair or baby shampoo, and rinse with fabric softener. Hang to dry. Iron as needed, using rayon setting. If your scarf is open-weave, be careful not to get the tip of the iron caught in the weaving.