The process of weaving wool rugs

 

Traditionally, weaving was done by Zapotec men.  They used backstrap looms.  Now, women also weave.  Many men from the Zapotec community have gone to the United States to work.  The use of modern looms began when the bracero program began.  The following are the steps of the weaving process.

 

1.  First, the wool must be separated (untangled).

 

2.  Second, the wool must be washed if it is dirty.  They used to wash it in the river.  Now they wash the wool at home.  They wash it in a bamboo basket to scrape it properly.  Then they leave it on a rock to dry with the heat of the rocks. 

 

3.  Third, the wool must be carded.  The carding action is like combing.  That way the fibers are in the same direction.  It is possible to card white or black wool separately or to combine them to make gray wool.  There are six possible tones: clear gray, dark gray, white, black, cream, and brown.  Typically the wool is carded at home in the afternoons after the main meal.

 

4.  Fourth, one must spin the wool with the spinning wheel to turn it into yarn.  They make a skein from the yarn.

 

5.  Fifth, one must dye the yarn with natural dyes.  In order to make red, they grind the cochineal (an insect that infests cactus plants).  When cochineal is combined with lemon, it makes orange.  When cochineal is combined with ash, it makes purple.  When cochineal is combined with vinegar, it makes a wine color.  One can make even more colors by combining the dyes with the different colors of wool.  For example, the bright red color comes from combining cochineal with a little bit of lemon and white wool.  The dark wool makes a darker red color.  To make blue dyes, they grind indigo or sacatinta (a plant).  They add indigo to boiling water when they dye the wool.  They use plants to make shades of green and yellow and the shells of nuts to make browns.  The color is stronger if they dye the wool for a longer time.

 

6.  Sixth, one must weave the wool.  Typically the designs are traditional and some have special meanings.  Diamonds represent power.  Butterflies represent freedom.  The greca (so named because it is a symbol found in Greek art) represents the four stages of life: birth, growth, reproduction, and death.  The lines represent the passage of time.