Myths convey human ideas about events or objects. Some of them reflect the truth, while others are based on fictitious things or delusions. We will tell you about the myths associated with the beautiful man-made products - Orenburg downy lacy shawls.
THE FIRST MYTH: LACY SHAWLS BECOME FLUFFY ALREADY IN THE PROCESS OF KNITTING.
In fact, there are almost no downy fibers on the surface of a new shawl. It will become very fluffy only after a few months of wear. The product will become softer and softer with every day. Fluffiness appears gradually, and the shawl seems to be gaining its power having fallen into the hands of a beautiful woman.
New yet already fluffy lacy shawls look attractive. But this external beauty says that the down hair was artificially combed out of the shawl. Fine hairs get broken and torn in the process. Having undergone such a "cruel" treatment, this lacy shawl will not last long.
THE SECOND MYTH: AN AUTHENTIC ORENBURG SHAWL ALWAYS SLIDES THROUGH A WEDDING RING.
In the old days, the quality of lacy shawls was indeed determined by their ability to slide through a ring. And today the thinnest lacy shawls are checked in the same way. An lacy rectangular stole will slide through a ring with ease.
When an lacy shawl is large and square, there is no point in sliding it through a small ring. The larger a shawl is, the greater is the likelihood it will fail the test "by gold ring." But the majority of the small stoles and lacy finely knitted shawls will slide through a ring effortlessly.
Another way to prove the quality of an lacy shawl was to compress it to the size of a goose egg. The test was carried out by placing the shawl in the shell of such egg. An lacy shawl with the dimensions of 170x170 cm is unlikely to fit in such a small container. But an lacy shawl with the dimensions of 1x1 m will fit into this eggshell without problems - and there will be still some free space left.
THE THIRD MYTH: LACY SHAWLS ARE KNITTED FROM THE FINEST WOOL YARN.
Thinking that lacy shawls are knitted from wool is a misconception. These feather-light shawls gained their global popularity because of down hair of Orenburg goats.
Animals get combed when they start shedding hair in spring - this is how down hair is taken from them. The finest silky fibers are carefully freed from impurities, get washed and combed a few times prior to the actual process of yarn-making. The yarn used for knitting is very light and thin, but it is down, not wool.
THE FOURTH MYTH: LACY SHAWL THAT IS MADE ONLY FROM DOWN IS THE BEST ONE!
To argue that an lacy shawl has to be 100% down means you are not at all familiar with knitting and rural life. Anyone who might get interested in the process of down yarn making will find out that down is always weaved onto a base thread. Most often, this base thread will be made of silk or cotton. Such a "symbiosis" helps to get strong yet delicate yarn.
If you look closely at the yarn your lacy shawl is made from, you will see the base thread. A good lacy shawl contains about eighty percent of down. The other twenty accounts for the inevitable "additions." But this does not mean the shawl loses in quality - on the contrary, the "additions" prolong its service life.
THE FIFTH MYTH: LACY SHAWLS ARE KNITTED BY HAND ONLY.
In tsarist times, and in the first post-revolutionary years, Orenburg shawls were knitted exclusively by hand. When a first down-knitting factory appeared in Orenburg, the amount of produced gossamer shawls increased. The machine knitting was first coordinated by the skilled workers from the countryside. With their help, engineers worked on the creation of devices capable of knitting downy items.
Nowadays, the progress has developed to such proportions that the production of gossamer shawls has become a normal manufacturing process. Yet none of these factory-made shawls compares to the one made entirely by hand - starting with the process of yarn-making to the final stretching of the finished item on the frame.
Truth be told, one should note that modern down-knitters use machine-spun yarn. Manual production of yarn takes too much time and is not justified by the final cost of products.
Many commercial enterprises sell mostly factory-made lacy shawls. They differ from hand-made ones in the way that their pattern is distinct yet rather monotonous. Despite the fact that it takes knitters at least two weeks to make a web-like shawl (much more than making such item at a factory, of course), hand-made shawls cost only slightly more than their factory-made counterparts.
THE SIXTH MYTH: ORENBURG LACY SHAWLS ARE KNITTED AND SOLD ONLY IN THE CITY OF ORENBURG.
First lacy downy shawls were made in the countryside, not the city. Peasant women were engaged in knitting. All villages and settlements where "down trade" arose, were located not far from Orenburg. This is why these scarves and shawls became to be called Orenburg.
Almost all visitors of Orenburg have the intention to buy a local downy shawl. Gossamer shawls are being offered right at the railway station. Soft, fluffy and beautifully knitted products attract looks. It is difficult to restrain from touching downy shawls - they look so impressive. However, do not be in a hurry to purchase the first lacy shawl that you might like! The fluffiest shawls are not the best ones in terms of quality.
A huge selection of lacy shawls of all sizes and colors can be found at the city market. But, despite the impeccable appearance, these shawls might be fakes.
You can get a local wonder by going to the far-off settlements of the Orenburg region. Whole dynasties of down-knitters live in such villages. A shawl purchased directly from its creator will be soft, warm and unique. This lacy shawl will be in use for decades!
You can also purchase an excellent-quality gossamer shawl from an online store that sells this type of products. Such trade enterprises offer an extensive range of products. Online stores work directly with factories and individual knitters.
THE SEVENTH MYTH: DOWNY ITEMS ARE OUT OF FASHION.
Over the past two centuries, downy shawls would come to the fore, and then would give way to new (synthetic) materials. Nowadays, all things natural are valued more than their artificial counterparts.
But downy lacy shawls are special, and they enjoy special attitude. They appear in the collections of many famous fashion designers. These exceptionally lightweight shawls become essential bridal accessories. Crispy-white scarves are used as bridal veils or adorn bride's shoulders. The downy cloud-like items make a bride look like a delicate flower. Downy lacy shawls bring warmth and comfort to their owners. Therefore, given the climatic conditions of our country, they will never go out of fashion!
