Felted sheep's wool
Woollen felt is the emblematic material of MUSKHANE. It's a natural and renewable material, obtained from carded sheep's wool, water and soap. It's created thanks to a long process of friction and pressure, done by hand or by foot by our artisans in Nepal. This ancestral know-how allows strands of wool to intertwine little by little to be transformed into a material that is both dense and soft.
Woollen felt possesses the same virtues as wool. Soft and comfortable for every day, it's also durable and resistant. It has isolating and thermoregulating properties which make it a precious ally during daily life in the home, in winter and summer alike. Just like wool, it's hypoallergenic and prevents the development of dust mites.
Our sheep's wool comes from New Zealand and complies with the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act of 1999. It is supplied by a family-owned business based in Christchurch, specializing in wool sourcing since 1922. There, the sheep are raised freely. The wool is sheared throughout the year, in harmony with the climate and the sheep’s natural needs—happily shedding their thick fleece in warm weather!
MUSKHANE wool is coloured by the leading wool dye company in Nepal, situated in Kathmandu. The dyes used conform to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 norms, as well as GOTS and REACH.
Hemp
When hemp meets woollen felt, magic happens. This natural plant contains vegetable fibres that are resistant to any challenge. It's not by chance that hemp has been used for centuries to make ropes, string and fabric! At MUSKHANE, the intertwined filaments of hemp are gracefully deployed to support our felted creations.
We use hemp to make the handles for our felt shopping bags, the links allow the closure of our large basket with pompoms and even the woven straps of our hanging planters. We love the raw beauty of this material, both rustic and refined, which shows with utter delicacy the wonderful working of felt by our Nepalese artisans.
To top it all, hemp is a wonderful sustainable resource. It's considered the most ecological natural material in the textile industry. It grows quickly, naturally resists parasites, and doesn't require the use of fertiliser or pesticides. Growing it requires 4 times less water than the equivalent production of cotton. Similar to linen, it is one of the meaningful alternative materials in the transition towards a greener and more sustainable textile economy.
Nettle fiber
Just like hemp and kapok, nettle fibre (or ramie) soberly enhances our woollen felt creations. Similar to hemp, this natural, renewable and biodegradable material is distinguished by its soft and silky appearance. A beautiful surprise when you know the stinging potential of the plant!
At MUSKHANE, we chose nettle fibre to compose fabric elements, for example that which allows you to tie our beautiful Baluchon basket. Its woven appearance, both raw and delicate, breathes character into a playful design. Thanks to nettle fibre, this felted basket looks like a gift that is shrouded in mystery!
Almost as flexible as linen, nettle fiber is also very resistant. It's been used across the ages and is as young as ever. From the Neolithic Age to the Middle Ages, with a quick stop in Ancient Egypt, it's mostly been used for making thread, fabric, bandages and rigging.
Its growth requires very little water and no pollutants whatsoever: it's as sustainable as you'd like it.
Bamboo
Widely found in Nepal, bamboo is a natural plant material full of resources. Its stalks have an incredible resistance and lightness which have made it a favourite material for centuries for furnishing and decoration.
At MUSKHANE, bamboo blends with woollen felt so discreetly to give body to our mural decorations. It spreads with elegance, disappearing for the benefit of the playful composition that we've imagined to decorate your interiors. Our wall hangings and hanging decors can also easily be suspended thanks to an elegant bamboo stick.
With its ultra-fast growth (one of the fastest in the world), bamboo is an attractive alternative to wood. Renewable, biodegradable, this giant grass is part of a more sustainable approach. It spans different styles thanks to its timeless charm, always welcome to warm an interior. Its water-efficient cultivation has no need for fertilizers or pesticides.
Cotton
Made from a natural and renewable fiber, cotton adds the finishing touch to some of our decorative items. It can be found as ribbon on our decorative garlands and wreaths, and as cord on our laptop pouches and eyeglass cases.
Particularly resistant to tearing, it is a great ally for hanging, tying, and adjusting our products endlessly. It also lines the interior of our pouches and cases, offering a soft and protective enclosure for your most fragile items.
We choose cotton for the most delicate elements that are most used during daily use, as it makes our creations durable over time. This ensures that our products are particularly well-suited for family life and can withstand the test of all hands, from the smallest to the most clumsy.
Since cotton cultivation is relatively energy-intensive, we prioritize more eco-friendly alternatives, such as hemp, whenever possible to enhance our felted products.
Lokta paper
Lokta paper is traditional Nepalese paper. It is traditionally made from the pulp of the lokta shrub, which thrives in the Himalayan highlands at altitudes between 500 and 3,000 meters. For 1500 years, the paper has been fashioned in Nepal according to ancestral know-how. After being grown by hand, the fibrous lokta pulp is boiled, cut into little pieces then beaten using wooden mallets. The material is then spread over a wooden-framed sieve before drying in the sun, allowing its delicate paper silhouette to emerge.
Known for its strength, lokta paper stands out for its authentic texture which reveals the natural fibres. This unique, subtle and natural aesthetic echoes that of woollen felt. And it clearly charmed us!
At MUSKHANE, we use lokta paper to construct our swallow murals, our hanging bells, the boxes for our Christmas accessories but also for wrapping our products in the packages we send to you. All the labels which accompany our decorative objects are also printed on lokta paper, as a way to share with you even more of this Nepalese harmony that we love so much.
Durable and renewable on a 5- to 6-year cycle, lokta paper is based on a virtuous model. Its harvest and manufacturing provide a valuable source of employment for local people.
Kapok
Imagine a tender, downy material with fascinating softness... You don't see it, but it's hidden inside our softest cushions. This material is kapok, a vegetable fibre coming from the fruits of the kapok tree, a giant tree that can reach 40 metres in height. Found growing in the wild in tropical regions, it's also been grown in Southeast Asia since the start of the 20th century.
In Nepal, kapok fibre is a commonly used alternative natural fibre for stuffing cushions and blankets. And for good reason, this local gem offers exceptional comfort. We immediately adopted it as a natural stuffing for our Smartie, Nomad, Veggie, Luna, and even Chakra cushions. Super generous, they happily contain this renewable and biodegradable material, which takes few resources to cultivate.
Supple and silky, kapok fibre is also very light, to the point of sometimes being called a vegetable wool. As well as being pleasant to touch, it has a natural volume accompanied by hypoallergenic properties.
In short, a perfect cloud of softness to embellish accessories that accompany little and big moments alike on a daily basis!