Fall 2009 Issue

Bombs… Worms… Murder… and Gold
Certainly words not typically associated with fibers but we always take delight in searching out the atypical. Although recently back from trips to the Gobi and Shanghai (stories to follow in future issues) our Fall issue offers some extraordinary adventures with Mehmet the feltmaker and the whirling dervishes in Konya, Turkey, along with a very special--if not precarious--visit with the silk growers in Assam, India; the tragic tale of Willoughby the ram, and the saving of the Leicester Longwool in Colonial Williamsburg and so much more.

Whirling Dervishes and Wet Wool
Only a few short blocks from the tomb of Jelaleddim Rumi, founder of the whirling dervishes and a great Sufi mystic, Mehmet Girgic “pounds” away at his trade that his earned him an international reputation and the distinctive handle “Mehmet – the feltmaker.” For generations, Mehmet’s family has been making sikkes, the conical hat worn by the dervishes that represent the tombstone of the ego. Today, Mehmet has expanded the family tradition and works in all aspects of the fiber industry. He buys his wool directly from the nomads in Central Anatolia, creates his own natural dyes, and he continues to design traditional Turkish carpets with his wife Rabia and make extraordinary felted works of art. Join us as we travel through the mountains and workshops in Mehmet's homeland.

You Say We’ve Got a Revolution
While many of the visitors are caught up in carriage rides and soldiers marching down the Duke of Gloucester street, Colonial Williamsburg offers a rare and wooly look at another part of history, the Leicester Longwool sheep. Occasionally referred to as “a barrel on four short legs” the Leicester Longwool was at one time a favorite among George Washington’s flock and is now a critically endangered breed. After an unsolved crime in the pasture one night, and amazingly, perhaps because of it, Colonial Williamsburg is responsible for breathing life into this ancient breed that was nearly lost.

Dying for Gold
Tim McLaughlin and Charllotte Kwon step off the plane in Assam, India, only a few short hours after a fatal bombing has taken place on the streets. Their journey into the rare world of the muga silk growers commences only after they are joined by two armed guards who remain with them for the duration. The muga caterpillar spins a delicate cocoon that is eventually “stifled” usually by the direct head of the sun before it is spun into gold. In small little farms on the outskirts of town, these silk growers continue an ancient tradition amidst modern day turmoil and unrest.