Weaving in Yap or "Lava Lava Anyone?"

We were recently in Yap for Zone and District Conference.

After conference we made our way up to Matthew and Margarita's home so she could show us how they make Lava Lavas. In Yap, the lava lavas are worn mainly by the "Outer Islanders". They use them every day and give them as gifts for deaths and weddings. You should always have plenty on hand. As we arrived we were a little distracted by the children playing with live land crabs.

We made our way into their home. Matthew and Margarita are new converts to the church in Yap. She usually has a lava lava in production most days. It takes her all day to make one if she doesn't have many distractions. Once she has the threads in the pattern she wants, she puts them on the loom.

Here she is getting the thread started onto the loom.

When the lava lava is done it will look like the one she's wearing.

Notice how she uses her body, even her toes to put the threads on the loom.

She uses a special woven belt around her back that hooks to the loom with rope.

She puts the thread in perfect order,

and starts to weave the threads on the loom.

She is folding up the loom and putting it away until next time. The threads remain on the loom.

Lava lavas can be made out of any colors of thread and are often bright and colorful.