Virginia Knits

Tonight I was a at missions conference in our area and the area (Richmond/Fredricksburg) of concern was helping out refugees in our area coming from numerous areas.

One of the groups they are helping is the Burmese Hill People. These people are looking for someone to build them a loom/s like the kind they had to leave behind in Burma so they can continue to work their craft here. They are a very agrarian people and so that is the only skill they have. Here of course, with the language barrier and no other skills they have to work very menial low paying jobs. Nothing was said about they kind of fiber they were using or what it was spun on.

The speaker has no experience with any fiber arts at all but she wants to help these people practice their art. She was wearing and example of the cloth they wove and it is wonderful fine colorful cloth. I have volunteered to help with this project if I can.

I asked their director to email me more information and someone is going to try to get us some pictures of the looms. I don't weave and know very little about weaving. I am thinking perhaps there is already something already here that would be comparable. Would any of you have information that would help with this project... and while you all are at MDS&W and other local festivals, perhaps you could collect some information for us.

I am also going to try to contact the local weaving and spinning guilds. I think it'd be a great to get the two groups together. There may be similar programs going on in your area also. Some of you might want to check in on it.