Weaving
The imprints on the fragments
of Botai clay indicate that Botaians knew how to fabricate
cloth by weaving the material from treee branches.
Weaving Procedure
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Take a branch of wood:
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Crush the stem gently and divide it into lengthwise quarters.
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Carefully peel away the outside
bark and fiber.
Note: Do not peel the fiber off the wooden
stem. This will give you fibers which are too short.
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Carefully remove the bark from the fibers by scraping them
along a table.
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Wet the fiber by running it through your mouth, avoiding the
corners.
Note: water does not work as well as saliva.
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When your fibers are cleaned, grasp them between your thumb
& forefingers of both hands, off-center and about 4-6
inches apart.
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With your dominant hand, roll the fiber away from you, simultaneously
rolling it toward you in the non-dominant hand.
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When it is fully twisted and very tight, bring your hands
together and allow the fiber to wind up into a 2-ply cord.
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Hold the end loop in your non-dominant hand (i.e. left or
right), pinched between thumb & forefinger, with 1 end
higher than the other.
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Roll the top piece (#1) away from you between your thumb &
index finger, then holding it & the lower segment (#2)
under tension, twist the top piece toward over the lower piece.
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#2 is now on top, and #1 on bottom.
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Repeat the twisting process until you have no fiber left.
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As one end starts to thin or run out, add another segment
so that it overlaps the old piece & gets caught in the
V.
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Always keep the ends uneven so that you don't have to add
more fiber on both sides at once.
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After you have your cord, you can try to weave a basket!
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