The nomadic year

How it was arranged

Winter was spent by the family and the herd at the kyshtoo — a wind-sheltered winter camp down in the valley. In spring they moved up to the jailoo, the summer pasture high in the mountains, where the grass holds all season long. In autumn they came back down. The migration — the koch — was the event of the year: the yurt was taken apart, loaded onto pack animals, and the family followed the herd.

Why felt

Nomadism answers the question of why everything in this culture is made of wool. Wool is provided by livestock, which is already nearby. Felt is warm, windproof, unbreakable, rolls into a bale, and does not require a loom, which is impossible to transport. Felt is not a choice of material, but a consequence of a lifestyle.

What is left of it

Djailoo are still working, and the wool is still local. The difference is that earlier felt was made for oneself, and now it is made to order — and whether someone who knows how remains depends on whether there is an order.