Kijoka Banana Fiber Cloth The making of one of these banana fiber cloths is long and involved, and much needs to be done before weaving can actually take place. The whole process begins with the cultivation of the banana plant from which the fiber is obtained by cutting stems and processing them. The fiber is then dyed and is finally ready for weaving. Stage One Cultivation: Leafs are cut and shoots taken out of the banana plant two or three times a year to make sure the fiber is soft. Mature stems are cut and the skin is peeled off. The outer fiber is coarse and is used for tablecloths. The next layer of fiber is used for obi and ties. The next layer of fiber is called the nahaguu and is used for kimono. Stage Two Cooking the Fiber: A rope is laid in the bottom of a big pot of boiling lye--an alkali solution. The separated fiber is bundled and put in the solution and cooked for several hours with the lid on. The alkalinity of the lye is critical. After boiling, the fiber is washed to remove the alkali. Stage Three Rolling up: Next the fiber must be paired from the skin. First the skin is separated lengthwise into two or three flat strips and separated with a bamboo tool. The soft fiber is used for the weft and the hard or colored fiber is used for the warp. Having dried the fiber in the shade it is rolled up. Stage Four Yarn: A thread is now 'spun' from the fiber. First, the fiber is put in water and lightly squeezed. Next, it is separated by running the nails or tips of the fingers along between the fibers from the root upwards. The thickness of the thread depends on what is going to be woven. If it is for a kimono cloth then it is made very fine. The individual fibers are joined together to make a continuous thread, which is drawn to stop it separating. The ends of the thread where joined are cut short. This work is very time consuming and requires much patience. Stage Five Twisting: In order to make the warp and weft ikat or kasuri threads more robust and to prevent napping, they are twisted up on a spinning wheel, while being moistened with a spray. If the twist is too loose the thread will nap and make weaving difficult. If, on the other hand, the thread is twisted too tightly it becomes difficult to beat and much more difficult to match up the kasuri pattern. The required length of thread for the warp is also measured. Stage Six Binding: Thread is stretched out and using a template those parts of the thread that do not need to be dyed are bound with the skin of the banana plant, and once again bound tightly with a cord. It is a job requiring a great deal of experience because if the binding is too tight the thread will break and if it is too loose the dye will seep under the binding. Stage Seven Dyeing: The two main dyes used are sharinbai( Rhaphiolepis umbellata) and Ryukyu indigo. To extract a dye from sharinbai thick branches and twigs are cut up small and put into a large pot of water and boiled. The kasuri threads are immersed in this dye and then partially dried. The thread is sometimes steamed and the dyeing process is repeated until achieving the required color. The thread is usually dipped a minimum of 30 times. Stage Eight Setting Up: After removing the binding, the thread is laid out following the design and passed through a temporary reed. The warp is then carefully wound onto the beam and passed through the reed and heddle. Stage Nine Weaving: Water is sprayed on the thread as it is being woven because if it becomes dry the thread will break. It is best, therefore, to weave this cloth during the rainy season in May and June. Stage Ten Washing: When a bolt of cloth has been woven it is washed. Then it is put in an alkali solution and boiled. Afterward it is washed and dried. It is then neutralized by immersing it in a rice vinegar made from fermenting a rice gruel and rice flour. After two hours the cloth is removed, washed and partially dried. The cloth is then stretched and straightened by hand and finally ironed.