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Back to Lahore and the Dyeing Operation

ByBunyaad
Merging into traffic on the way to the Bunyaad office.
Merging into traffic on the way to the Bunyaad office.

Since we got back at 3 am from Jared we started late today. Before heading to the office we drove around Lahore for some sightseeing.

Fruit sellers in Lahore.
Fruit sellers in Lahore.
Two women riding side saddle behind the motorbike driver.
Two women riding side saddle behind the motorbike driver.

A whole family out for a Saturday afternoon ride on a motorbike.
A whole family out for a Saturday afternoon ride on a motorbike.
School girls being picked up next door to the Bunyaad office. Dad plus 4 girls heading into rush hour traffic!
School girls being picked up next door to the Bunyaad office. Dad plus 4 girls heading into rush hour traffic!

When we got to the office we looked at Bunyaad’s stock of dyed wool before heading over to the dye workshop.

Dyed wool stacked up in the Bunyaad warehouse, ready for rug knotting.
Dyed wool stacked up in the Bunyaad warehouse, ready for rug knotting.
More dyed wool. Bunyaad currently has 397 shades of color in stock.
More dyed wool. Bunyaad currently has 397 shades of color in stock.

We took photos of the Chaman family working at Bunyaad in Lahore.

Chaman Masih, founder of Bunyaad.
Chaman Masih, founder of Bunyaad.
The Bunyaad brain trust
The Bunyaad brain trust: Front, Shamil (son of Ehsan and aspiring soccer player), Chaman Masih; Back, Ehsan, Yousaf and Qaiser (one other brother, Amir, is in the USA).

Then we walked about 4 blocks to the dye workshop run by Mr. Anayat Ali. He dyes machine spun wool for Bunyaad with synthetic dyes. The dyes come from Holland and are sourced through a local company in Lahore that imports the dye. Anayat runs the workshop with his son and nephew and does dyeing for 3 other clients. He told us that Bunyaad picks the best wool and the best dye and is the most particular about the whole dyeing process. Again confirming that Bunyaad produces some of the finest quality rugs in Pakistan.

Donkey with a cart full of bananas just outside the Bunyaad office.
Donkey with a cart full of bananas just outside the Bunyaad office.
Anayat's dye workshop is behind the blue door in the distance.
Anayat’s dye workshop is behind the blue door in the distance.
Copper dye baths in Anayat's workshop.
Copper dye baths in Anayat’s workshop.
Mr. Anayat Ali, master wool dyer.
Mr. Anayat Ali, master wool dyer.
Anayat and Yousaf are looking over Anayat's dye recipe books.
Anayat and Yousaf are looking over Anayat’s dye recipe books.
Measuring dye stuff before mixing up a new dye.
Measuring dye stuff before mixing up a new dye.
Regular market quality wool on the left with Bunyaad selected wool on the right
Regular market quality wool on the left (dry, brittle) with Bunyaad selected wool on the right (soft and silky with lots of lanolin content). Better quality wool costs more but produces a far superior color and finished rug.
a wood fired vat in Anayat's workshop
Using a wood fired vat in Anayat’s workshop because natural gas supply is not always sufficient.
An electric bellows boosts the fire.
An electric bellows boosts the fire.
Anayat is inspecting a batch of wool during the dyeing process.
Anayat is inspecting a batch of wool during the dyeing process.

On the way back from the dye workshop we encountered a shoe repair man who decided he could not fix Doug Horst’s shoe because he did not have the correct piece. Maybe the next shoe repair man will have the right stuff.

Shoe repair man in the alley near Bunyaad.
Shoe repair man in the alley near Bunyaad.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Pakistan. We’ll attend St. John’s church once more and do some sightseeing in the old city of Lahore before packing up and heading for our Emirates flight back to the USA.

Two more posts are coming

We hope you’ve been enjoying the notes, experiences and photos and have been able to follow our adventures on the Bunyaad blog so far. Here is a link to all of the posts: Read Pakistan Learning Tour

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KnotBrothersSquare
We talk a lot about how every knot in a Bunyaad rug is tied by hand but we were recently reminded that we don’t often talk about HOW every knot is tied.
Our rugs use primarily two types of knots: the Senna knot and the Turkish knot.

The Senna knot is an asymmetrical knot and is used in the majority of our rugs, from Persians to Chobi tribals. It is virtually formed with a figure 8 around two warp threads.

The Turkish knot is also tied around two warp threads but instead of a figure 8, it is a knot where both ends of the wool come out together instead of on either side of one warp thread, like the Senna knot.

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