Beni Khiar is a small town in Tunisia near Nabuel, the town were we live. There is a small weaving cooperative in Beni Khiar. Men operate looms by hand. They make fabric which is cut and sewn into jackets and rugs. We went there on Sunday to see them weave.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
Whirr! A man spins thread through a spool as we enter the building. Shec, Shec, Shec. Someone cuts cloth into clothing. Crash, crash, crash! A noise comes from upstairs. Clump, clump, clump. We walk upstairs. The smell of lambs wool and tobacco hangs in the air. Swish, a spool of yarn skates across a loom leaving some thread behind. Thump, the weaver pulls back part of the loom to make the thread and cloth one. Stomp. the weaver steps on one of four pedals with his bare feet. Ssshhhe, ssshhhe, ssshhhe, the weaver combs the finished cloth. Snip, snip, snip, scissors trim the rough edges of the cloth. The coals shine in a clay pot, orange shining out from the grey ash like the sun emerging on a sunny day. The coals heat a bronze pot of sweet, mint tea, rewarding the weaver.
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| From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009 |
Tags: clothing · nabuel · Tunisia · weaving2 Comments
2 responses so far ↓
I really like how you included the sound effects. I was really able to imagine being there. You were able to recreate the visit for all of us. Good writing.
Thank you for your onomanopoeic description of the weaving process! Have you had the Merquez sausage? That was my favorite in North Africa!