I’m well on my way now, not without a few stops along the way. The black boarder was woven 1 ½ inches, and with the size of the weaver wool it seemed like it took a very long time to get done. I kept track of the actual weaving time, which was 47 hours to weave the black boarder. As we move on with the robe, the time is now to put in braids to frame the yellow border. Braids take 3 strands of weaver wool each and for framing in this particular robe the braids are: Black, white, white, black and yellow! That is 25 strands of moving weavers to keep track of. The art of placing the braids and then turning the corners is really very technical. To set the braids and to turn the corners took 5 ½ hours of weaving. As I placed the braids, I found myself calling and zooming with Lily’s assistance to get the corners correct. Also, as I was placing these braids, I hadn’t considered that as the robe progresses, you have to think about how much space the braids take vertically as you continue weaving. It is a practice to have two warps for the braids to ride on. The width of the border needs to be measured to not include the warp the braids ride on. Something I hadn’t even considered. I progressed down through the yellow border and rather than a regular twine weave, it has the design that is called the Haida Spider Web. It gives the border some depth as you look at it. I just completed adding the next 5 braids and am beginning the design field. I had to wait until the horizontal borders were woven and a few inches of the vertical border were complete to get a measurement of the design area. The purpose is so that a mylar or transparent copy could be made of the design so it can be used as a guide as the design is woven.
I am amazed at the way these robes were created and how our ancestors developed them with so much technical detail. Then add on the intricate designs created which give the robe life and meaning. I feel so lucky to be able to learn this art that has been carried on throughout my ancestral history.