Besides many traditional arts, the people of Shahrood, in Semnan province, are also experts in weaving “woolen caps”. Although now-a-days, in the city, few use woolen caps, the root of this craft is so deep that we do not need to fear its oblivion.
The value of Shahrood woolen caps is better felt in biting cold takes the strength of the passers-by. Using this cap, a sense of pleasant warmth keeps them away from the cold.
Shahrood woolen caps are woven in the same style as they were centuries ago, and so has kept the tradition strong. On the other hand, the woolen cap is also part of the people’s tradition, and they preserve a high value for this art in their culture.
A woolen cap is woven from sheep or camel wool and sometimes from goat’s fleece. Its weave is simple and has no knots, but it requires mastery and skill that the masters of this handicraft have achieved with years of continuous work. After the wool is spun the only tool used for weaving this cap is a metal or wooden needle. But what separates Shahrood caps from other likes? The difference is its being impenetrable against the cold. The two sides of the cap are also woven to cover the ears; That’s why it is also called an “ear cap”. Another type of this craft is called the “the closed cap”, which is conical, and its lower part is bilobed.
The women of Shahrood are masters in weaving caps. Of course, the men are also in sync with the women in this art and keep the tradition of weaving woolen caps, that they learned from the previous generation, in order to maintain the sustainability of this art in the city. A point to note; if a cap is woven with fleece, it is called a “fleece cap”.
Let us add that for the weaving masters, preparation of goat fleece is not easy. They mostly go to cold areas to buy goat fleece; this fleece should then be separated
from goat’s hair. This takes time and a lot of patience. However, the weavers are capable of this job; they can weave a woolen cap in two days and prepare it for sale in the market. Most buyers are the nomadic tribes or villagers who still use the woolen cap and prefer it to the machine-woven caps.
The art of woolen cap weaving, with its simple design and weave, is linked to the economy of the people of Shahrood (especially in the villages). Although there have been talks to register woolen caps in the country’s intangible heritage, the decrease in demand for this cap in urban markets has reduced the economic power of its weavers. This art is a valuable heritage of our ancestors. With some innovations in the color combination, it will regain its prosperity and get back its buyers.
