Tuesday, 23 September 2014
On our way from Kochi to Alleppey, where we boarded a houseboat for the day, we stopped at a coir factory -- a co-op (for lack of a better word) where families pursue their traditional craft. Coir is coconut fiber from the husk of the coconut that is processed into rope and other products.
It's too bad these rugs were too large and heavy to carry back with us. I would have loved to have some in our bungalow.
On our way from Kochi to Alleppey, where we boarded a houseboat for the day, we stopped at a coir factory -- a co-op (for lack of a better word) where families pursue their traditional craft. Coir is coconut fiber from the husk of the coconut that is processed into rope and other products.
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| The coir is gathered and dried in the courtyard. |
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| Coir fiber |
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| Spinning and twisting the fibers into rope and yarn is women's work. |
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| A spool of coir rope |
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| Preparing a loom |
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| Weaving is men's work. |
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| The final product. This is a loosely-woven mat suitable for stabilizing soil during construction or planting. The mat can be left in place because it's made only of natural fiber that will eventually biodegrade into the soil. |
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| Decorative rugs are also woven here, using dyed fibers. |
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