What do the British Redcoats, Cardinal Red, Incan ‘blood’ Red have in common? All of these “royal” red cloths obtain their natural-dye colorant from the small insect cochineal (Dactylopius coccus)—its size about a grain of Arborio rice. Living … Read the rest
Why is it every time I think of an indigo vat, the lyrics “Can’t you smell that smell?” pop out of my mouth? Assuredly, Lynyrd Skynyrd was not referring to indigo in his song. But here I was at the … Read the rest
What better combination is there than naturally-dyed silk and a simple weaving structure? If you’ve been following my ClothRoads scarf of the month, you’ve probably noticed a trend—I like simple, yet intriguing, hand woven structures. Ones that beg for a … Read the rest
Call it comforting, enriching and soul-satisfying. That’s what it felt like upon entering Kala Raksha, an Indian handcraft artisan center in Kutch, Gujarat. Hearing the chatter and laughter of the women as they sat in a circle stitching, listening to … Read the rest
Breathless. That’s what I was after dancing at 13,000 feet in the highland weaving village of Sallac, Peru. How could I refuse the outstretched, gnarled hand of an elder, who smiled and gestured that I too should join in the … Read the rest
There’s sensuousness to reading a cloth, taking one’s fingers and lightly passing over the surface, like braille. To me, Indian bandhani is the braille of all artisan-made cloth resists; this is why I chose it as the ClothRoads scarf this … Read the rest
In this dry, desert Gujurat-region of India, the starkness of the landscape was a marked contrast to the vividness of the naturally-dyed cloth, the edges weighed down by rocks, drying in patches on the ground. A stones throw away, the … Read the rest
It was an exquisite day for a journey to the centuries-old, preeminent region of woodblock makers and printers–blue skies, clear air, rich vegetation surrounding us as our van climbed up the switch-backed road outside Jaipur, India. Lake Sagar below was … Read the rest
This I know–one cannot have too many scarves. And since the launch of ClothRoads, my drawers are brimming. I have a few cold-weather scarves—handmade, of course, but the others tend towards the “statement-making” variety. I’m often asked what compels me … Read the rest
My fingers became all thumbs. I’d get in a rhythm that would last a few passes, and then I’d lose my cross. Since I spoke a little Spanish, it was assumed a Spanish-speaking instructor would suffice. Heck, I thought so … Read the rest
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