weaving 101

Among the series of workshops being offered at the museum this summer is a beginner's course in weaving. The class is taught by one of the women from the cooperative, Andrea, who is our regular provider of cute little knit monkeys. Despite Andrea's pedagogy and patience, weaving is still a string-related craft and needless to say, I failed as a student. It was much more fun taking pictures of all the looms dressed in different colors of yarn. One of the other ladies attending the workshop brought along her 4 year old daughter who became my photography sidekick for the rest of the afternoon. I also enjoyed talking to another attendee about learning to live in the moment and let go of anxiety about the future (she said it is indeed possible!). She had done a bit of weaving before and was particularly interested in the traditional Mapuche women's sash - the trariwe - which carries a wealth of symbols regarding the woman who wears it. She said that in the past the trariwe was a kind of identity card and told the story of the wearer's life. Unfortunately the symbols are no longer understood by many, especially the younger generations. So the women that do weave the trariwe are often just reproducing forms without knowing the meaning behind them. After today, I have mad respect for the women who weave for a living. It's such a complex mystery to me and I imagine it takes a lot of vision to carry out each piece.