Ethiopia’s weaving tradition is centuries old. Historically, each farmer would grow a small plot of cotton. The family would harvest the cotton and the women would clean it, card it and slowly hand spin it into thread. The farmers would wait for the travelling weaver to come to their part of the country. He would weave all the clothing and blankets the family would use for the year. Today, weaving is still a pillar of Ethiopian culture. Most Ethiopians wear hand woven, white clothing at all ceremonies and holidays.
Ethiopian weaving uses the skills of at least three different artisans; a woman to spin the cotton into thread, a man to measure the threads for the warp and tie them onto the loom; a woman to prepare bobbins of thread to be woven and another man who will weave the textile.
