This photo was taken at a government run carpet factory in Halach, Turkmenistan by Lawrence Schwartz. The ladies had given me the honor of cutting the finished carpet from the loom. When they have finished a carpet and tied in a few knots across the warp they will cut a warp yarn and tie it around their heads. This is done to ensure that more carpets will come their way!
They tied a warp yarn around my head too
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Back in the USA!
I returned from Turkmenistan on Monday night – the trip was amazing!
Will have a slideshow ready to post soon.
The photo is from the Carpet Expo – it is of a Turkmen woman combing the fleece of the Saryja sheep. The wool of this fat-tailed sheep is used in the beautiful Turkmen carpets.
I just finished dyeing sampling skeins for my indigo demos in Turkmenistan. I dyed with Cochineal (reds) and Fustic (yellows). The yarns are (from left) wool, silk, an organic cotton/bamboo blend and a cotton/rayon blend. For the demo they will be over-dyed with indigo for a beautiful range of purples and greens! The undyed skeins will give a range of indigo blues as each substrate will take the indigo differently.
If you would like to try this, these same dyes are featured on The Yarn Tree’s website
I was recently invited to return to the Silk Road! The US Embassy in Turkmenistan contacted me on March 2nd and asked would I be interested in traveling to Turkmenistan at the end of May. My answer was a rousing YES! I will be there during the International carpet conference, and will have the opportunity to speak to women entrepreneurs and meet with craftspeople.
I have been invited by the US Embassy in Kazakhstan to participate in a Carpet Weaving/ Dyeing Project as a Cultural Envoy.
It is such an honor to have been asked to participate in this program!
The project falls under the broader scope of the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation in which a local non-government organization has been awarded a grant to revive Kazakh carpet weaving traditions in southern Kazakhstan. It will also help build life skills for the local women.
I will travel to two rural villages (Shymkent & Shauldere) to teach natural dyeing.
The skills of natural dyeing and carpet weaving have become as the country has been embroiled in war & strife for more than 100 years
I leave on March 26 and will return on April 5th.
Madderlane 