WS Journal 9　Earth to Cloth: Workshop with Karamushi 2508

On August 10, I hosted the “From Soil to Cloth – Karamushi(Ramie) Workshop.”
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us, and to Kitakamakura Takara-no-niwa for generously providing such a beautiful space and warm support.

This summer had been marked by continuous sunshine, and with little water the ramie plants struggled to grow tall. But on that day, we were blessed with long-awaited rain. The cooler air and the sense of nourishing rainfall made for a very special atmosphere in which to work.

Participants came with many different interests and perspectives, and listening to those stories is always one of the joys of the workshop. Over lunch, conversations naturally turned to each person’s own “ramie experiences,” and the table was full of lively exchange.
Although the program is always packed and I sometimes feel frustrated that it can get a bit hectic, once again this time everyone was able to experience weaving their own mini piece of cloth by the end. Hearing comments such as “I could really feel how grass becomes cloth, and that was so much fun” truly made me happy.

I hope that next summer as well, we can once again share these moments of transformation—from soil to cloth—together.