Day 3.....Silk and Umbrellas

     

 Teera, the driver, was available. We invited a couple we met at breakfast, from Brazil, working in Pakistan to join us.....and chose only two of the many craft markets on the same highway to visit.  

Women at right are shaping the sticks for assembly of the frames.  Below are the frames ready to cover.

    

This artisan was stringing the outside perimeter

of the umbrella, spacing them just right.

Some umbrellas are made of a thin paper adhered to a stronger paper, then painted or decorated.

Some are of silk fabric, which can be painted.

This looked like a lot of tedious work, for probably minimum wage.  We bought some umbrellas for grand- daughters  to help the business along!







Then, off to the Silk Factory.

A display of the life cycle of a silk work began the tour....with moths/worms present, munching on  leaves, spinning cocoons, etc.  The cocoons are put into hot water to extract the threads.  The many threads coming from the cocoons wind their way together on the common thread the woman is handling.  We did not see the dying process, which I assume came next.

These multitude of vibrant-colored silk threads were fashioned into the warp and woof for the looms.  Women 'manned' these looms quite proficiently, with the 'formula' of numbers of colors posted overhead as they threw the shuttlecocks back and forth.

The showroom was a marvel!  I must admit to buying a few things, mostly for gifts, but  a piece of printed material for myself.....yet to be known what it will become....and some pillowcovers for our living room.  I feel quite luxurious!  It's machine washable!

Aren't they gorgeous?  So soft!