Weaving and Silk Dying

Barbara recommended classes at Ock Pop Tok, so my first few minutes in town, I signed up. A Tuk Tuk took me and three European women (also of a certain age) to the beautiful weaving village on the Mekong. We worked with natural materials -- wood, annatto, hemp, curcumin -- to make dies. We had pre-spun (thank goodness!) skeins of silk to dip in the vats of color.

The afternoon was spent weaving a silk placemat. Fortunately they set up the loom for us -- I'm convinced that's the most difficult step! They create intricate patterns in the loom by tying certain strings and not others. When you want to use the pattern, you use these string placeholders. Very complicated, don't totally understand.

I did most of mine myself. I had a full-time helper who kept reminding me when I was about to make a mistake and who helped untangle the thin silk threads (i'm sure a more experienced weaver would not have these snafus).

Today, two days later, my right leg -- the weaving leg -- is sore. Those women must be very strong!