Ikat Scarves

Ikat is a ubiquitous thread dyeing and weaving technique common to many cultures of the world. In Ecuador it has become a cottage industry for many rural families. It is a lifestyle. The threads are dyed before they are knitted in a wooden loom. Lemon juice and sodium bicarbonate are used to naturally extract the dyes from leaves, petals, soil, and more. The threads are then bound together at different points and dyed by way of dipping. Once the threads have dried and the bindings are untied, the threads are ready to be woven into cloth.

The amazing thing about Ikat is that the perfectly symmetrical patterns that we see on our scarves are not created when they are weaved but instead when the threads are dyed through the skillful binding which resists dye penetration. METIER works directly with these families to support this great lifestyle and celebrate the gift of ingenuity portrayed through this art form. Shop Ikat Scarves