The Craft
Six steps. Zero synthetic inputs. The honest journey from farm to fibre.
After banana harvest, the pseudostem — a natural agricultural by-product — is carefully cut and collected from local Tamil Nadu farms. Banana plants can be harvested 2–3 times a year and require significantly less water and fewer chemicals than cotton. We provide farmers an additional income from what would otherwise be burned or discarded.
The outer sheaths are separated and fed through a decorticator. This mechanical process strips pulp to reveal long fibre bundles. Critically, the inner and outer layers are segregated — the inner layer yields finer, silkier fibre used for yarn, while the crisp outer layers go into handicrafts and mat weaving.
Raw fibres are laid out under the Tamil Nadu sun for natural drying over 1–3 days. No heat chambers. No chemicals. This preserves the fibre’s tensile strength, natural moisture content, and characteristic golden hue that gives banana yarn its distinct visual character.
Removing lignin from banana fibre is technically challenging. We use a combination of mechanical treatment and controlled enzyme and chemical processes to break it down while preserving the cellulose structure. This stage determines the yarn’s final fineness, flexibility, and how it feels against skin.
Softened inner-layer fibres are spun into yarn counts of 20s–30s, blended with cotton for optimal performance. Artisans control twist per inch to achieve consistent thickness. Fineness varies naturally by banana variety, stem layer, soil, and yield — we honour these variations rather than engineer them out.
Finished yarn is wound into skeins, ready for home furnishings, handicrafts, bags, hats, and apparel. For yoga mats, the outer-layer fibre is handwoven on looms, pressed, and edge-finished — producing a grippy, breathable, fully natural mat. Both products ship globally for bulk and custom orders.
Get in touch for bulk orders, custom specifications, or to learn more about our process.
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