New Pendants From Neo Glass

Three new pendants from Neo Glass have been uploaded into our Tokyo Craft section. Masaya Nouga has crafted these unique pendants from borosilicate glass and each is attached to a hand twisted waxed hemp. To view these and other pendants, please follow the link below:

http://www.sorazora.com/shop/tokyo_craft.html

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Soapnuts, a gentle option!

When dealing with naturally dyed fabrics, it's important to use a gentle detergent that is kind to delicate fabrics. Even if the fabrics could withstand strong alkaline soaps, the natural dyes won't. Along with some of the branded gentle soaps, we have always recommended the use of soapnuts as a great option for both your naturally dyed clothing and the environment.

 Coming very soon to Sorazora are these cotton pouches filled with 100 grams of soapnut shell. 'Sapindas mukorossi' also known as Indian Soapberry are rather tall trees found in Northern India east to the Himalayas. The drupes (soapnuts) have been used for washing for thousands of years and are both organic and environmentally friendly. Used soapnut shells can easily be disposed of on a compost heap.

HOW TO USE

Load approximately 15 to 20 grams of shells into the pouch and tie firmly. For warm or hot washes, simply toss the pouch into your machine with your washing.

For cool washes, first soak the pouch in hot water for a few minutes to activate the saponin in the soapnut, then toss into your machine.

It's fine to leave the pouch in the machine whilst on spin. After use, simply dry and it's ready for reuse for upto three washes or until the soapnuts loose their soapy feel when wet.

For any information about this or any of our products, please feel free to contact us.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Mini Loom Frame

We are now back in the UK after an exhausting production period in Kathmandu and looking forward to introducing our new products through our online store and market stall.

COMING SOON TO SORAZORA

The first product I wish to introduce is our handmade mini loom frame that we designed to be as compact as possible and work in conjunction with our popular mini rigid heddle. The frame works equally well for tablet weaving.

 The loom frame has been constructed from a beautiful dark hardwood called 'Saz', a large sub-tropical tree found in the Himalayan foothills upto altitudes of 1200m. Full instructions on assembly and use are included and presented with the mini loom in a box constructed from handmade Nepalese lokta paper.

The image above shows our loom frame in its box and also the mini rigid heddle which is sold seperately.

The main advantage of using the mini loom is that all the warp threads are neatly stored on a beam and also that the warp threads are held equally spaced out from start to finish (allowing for a wider strap to be woven). These advantages are absent if pegging out all your warp threads between to single points.

During the next few weeks we plan to make this product available online along with all our other new items. If you have any questions regarding this or any of our products, enquiries are welcome as always.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

New Atslan Pendants

New pendants now available online.

Each of these pendants and cords have been handmade here in the UK using a variety of natural materials from around the world.To view a small selection of our hand crafted pendants, please follow the link below. Alternatively, come along to Totnes market on either a Friday or Saturday to see similar designs.

http://www.sorazora.com/shop/sub_category/tokyo_craft/atslan.html

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Stone Arrowhead Pendants

Being quite keen on archery, I was delighted to be able to source a selection of stone arrowheads that have been hand-knapped by various artisans in Arizona, USA near the Mexican border.

 Knapping is a traditional skill that dates back to the stone age and widespread across the globe. I have paired each arrowhead with an undyed linen cordage that has been made up from several beeswax coated strands twisted together, very similar to traditional bow strings throughout the centuries.

 The closure for each pendant is a simple loop and monkey's fist. A monkey's fist is a sailors knot that is tied to the ends of a rope, acting as a weight, when throwing lines between ship and dock.

A selection of five different stone arrowhead pendants are now available online. For more information about these timeless pieces, please follow the link below:

www.sorazora.com/shop/sub_category/tokyo_craft/atslan.html

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Himal Hemp Shirts

This classicaly simple cut shirt is part of our 2013 collection and uses two fabrics that we love. Until now we have been usually  tailoring our shirts and kurtas from beautiful hand loomed hemp-cotton fabrics. These two new fabrics have been machine loomed which results in a much tighter and tougher fabric.

Our Himal Hemp Shirt was created with hard work in mind as the tougher fabrics hold up well during physical work. In 2012 I had a pair of Thai Fishermans' Trousers made from the darker hemp fabric and was very pleased with the fabric's durability. The warmth of the fabric suited me from spring to autumn in the UK climate, even managing to keep me cool during the summer.
This last production period gave me the chance to use this fabric for tops, and of course more Thai Fishermans' Trousers!

The second fabric we have used is a finer machine loomed hemp-cotton blend. Lighter in both weight and colour it should be great for keeping you cool in summer and providing warmth when the sun disappears. We have kept these fibres undyed giving you a choice of shades that were intended by nature.

To learn more about this garment, please follow the link below:

 www.sorazora.com/shop/sub_category/unisex_tops_trousers.html

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Traditional Lokta Paper

Lokta paper and its traditional production methods have always been something that we admire and have until now only really used it for tags and business cards. New for 2013 are two products which see further use of this beautiful paper.

Lokta is the local Nepalese name of traditional paper made from the tree bark of 'Daphne Cannabina'. The bark is found at an altitude of between 2000m and 3500m. This indigenous handmade paper is renowned for its durability and is steeped in history. The oldest available buddhist manuscripts and royal documents have been recorded on lokta paper. It is still made in the same way today.

Our new A5 plain 40 page notebook comes with four different styles of cover to choose from. The photo above shows an undyed nettle cover on the top of the pile and working your way down are an undyed hemp, brown hemp (dyed with acacia catechu) and finally a green hemp (dyed with pomegranate peel). 

Our final new lokta related products are these hemp covered gift boxes. Each box has been constructed with card and then covered with a finer paper on the inside and sides and Wild Himalayan Hemp as a decorative covering to the top and base. Available in two sizes, each with a depth of 30mm, the larger of the two measuring 75mm square and the smaller box 45mm square. A coconut button has been used for the closure.

The Wild Himalayan Hemp and Giant Himalayan Nettle used for both the boxes and notebooks are harvested from the wild remote Himalayan foothills and then retted, spun and woven by hand in the same way that it has been done for centuries. The combination of these fabrics and the traditional lokta paper make for a truely organic product with a timeless charm.

For more information about these products, please follow the link below to our online product pages:
https://sorazora.com/product-category/everything-else/home-interior/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Natural Buttons for 2013

This year's production brings us three new button designs crafted from coconut shell. Shown below are our mushroom button, acorn button and a simple drop design that have all been hand carved from the tough shell of coconuts.

 Each of these new buttons are now available online in strips of four. These simply cute organic buttons would feel very much at home on almost any natural fibre garment.

 Also new for 2013 are these three styles of chunky wooden buttons carved from a hardwood called 'saz', a large sub-tropical tree found upto altitudes of 1200m in the Nepalese foothills of the Himalayas. These large strong buttons are ideal for jacket toggles, bag closures and pretty much any heavy duty use.

Back by popular demand are our original natural button collection. Simple coconut shell buttons of 13mm and 18mm diameter, bamboo buttons of 23mm and buttons crafted from peach stone halves.

To view any of these buttons or our selection of beads and craft parts, simply follow the link below.

https://sorazora.com/product-category/craft/beads-buttons/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Dreamcatcher Kit

Make your own dreamcatcher with Sorazora's new dreamcatcher kit.

To stay in tune with our products' ethos, we have created an organic 6 inch dreamcatcher kit. The photo below shows the kit's components. Natural dyed hempwool in three 10g balls provide you with enough of each colour to produce a single coloured dreamcatcher or alternatively, you could use all three colours. 

The instructions are broken down in to simple steps. Winding hempwool in colours of your choice around the 6 inch cane ring is the first step.

5m of 2 ply Giant Himalayan Nettle twine is provided, although roughly half this length is required to complete the dreamcatcher's web. A simple hand carved wooden needle is included along with 5 lotus seed beads, 1 soapnut seed bead and 5 vine beads. The lotus seed beads are to be randomly added into the weaving of the web and finally tied off at the centre with the single soapnut seed.

Once the winding of hempwool around the cane ring and weaving the nettle twine into the web are completed, all that is left to do is produce three tassels (or as many as you like) and a loop from which to hang your new dreamcatcher.

This dreamcatcher kit will be made available online very soon (within two weeks) and although all components are included, please feel free to personalise the dreamcatcher with any beads or feathers that you may wish to add.

If you have any question regarding this or any of our products, please don't hesitate to contact us via email.

Our 2013 material and product collection should be with us during next week and new items will be slowly uploaded in batches in the weeks that follow.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Deer Antler Pendants

These are the five latest pendants to be uploaded into our Atslan gallery within our Tokyo Craft section. Here you can find individually crafted pendants not only by myself, but also Tokyo Green Glass, Neo Glass and Stone Dance.

The betel nut and turquoise pendants encased in buffalo leather are those from the previous blog entry, but the new pendants are slices of deer antler filled with clear resin that holds segments of buffalo bone in place.

The cord for this pendant has been crafted from six strands of beeswax coated linen which has been hand twisted tightly in the traditional manner and the toggle has been carved from the Nepalese hardwood Saz, a large sub-himalayan tree found up to an altitude of 1200m.

To view these and other pendants from Atslan, please follow the link below to the gallery page.

http://www.sorazora.com/shop/sub_category/tokyo_craft/atslan.html

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Betel Nut Mushrooms

The photo above shows the materials used for the mushroom pendants. Betel nuts are of course the main component twinned with either Ipe (Brazilian hardwood) or Saz (Nepalese Hardwood).

Also shown is cork and a section of a UK vine.

Betel nut is the common name although strictly speaking they are areca nuts from a tropical Asian palm and not from the Asian evergreen climbing plant called betel. Its soft woodlike texture makes it fairly easy to carve and provides a beautifully unique pattern each time. Areca nut is often wrapped in betel leaf and chewed in many asian and Oceanic countries as a stimulant.

The cord for the pendant shown above has been created from six strands of beeswax coated linen which have been twisted tightly in the traditional manner. For this style of cord I use many types of natural fibre ranging from linen, hemp, nettle, cotton to bamboo. The toggle has been carved from the Nepalese hardwood Saz, a large sub-himalayan tree found up to an altitude of 1200m.

The photo below shows the use of the cork and vine.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Green Glass Tokyo

Latest Upload

These are the four latest glass pendants to be uploaded into the Green Glass gallery of our Tokyo Craft selection.

Crafted from borosilicate glass and hung from a natural fibre cord, each pendant is unique.

To view these and other pendants crafted by Masaya Kuribayashi, please follow the link below to the gallery page.

https://sorazora.com/product-category/accessories/jewellery/green-glass/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Green Glass Tokyo

New Pendants From GREEN GLASS TOKYO

The four pendants above are our latest selection to be uploaded in to our Tokyo Craft section. Here you can find individually crafted pendants by not only Green Glass, but also Neo Glass, Stone Dance and Atslan.

These pendants have all been crafted with coloured and clear borosilicate glass. Masaya Kuribayashi from Green Glass uses a variety of techniques to fuse and blend the colours.

Perhaps the most delicate is the technique called inside-out which requires coloured glass applied to the outside of a clear tube before being inverted and formed into a pendant. The pendant below is a classic example of this technique.

I have the pleasure of creating the cords from which they hang. Sometimes I will use macrame to build up a cord from a number of threads or I will twist threads in the traditional manner to produce an even cord. The threads I use range from Himalayan nettle, hemp, linen to bamboo and all are beeswax coated before working. Toggle closures are all hand carved from either wood, bone or horn.

To view these and many other pendants from our four selected artists, please follow the link below to our Tokyo Craft page from where you can choose to visit one of the artist's galleries.

https://sorazora.com/product-category/accessories/jewellery/green-glass/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

Neo Glass Pendants

 We are delighted to introduce the glasswork of Masaya Nouga (the sole artisan behind Neo Glass) through Sorazora.

Masaya creates delicate pendants of varying styles all with the influence of nature. Through blending and shaping borosilicate glass with the heat from a gas powered torch, he creates individual handcrafted pendants, vases, candle holders, pipes, paper weights and shot glasses. It is his intricate pendants that we are delighted to make available through our Tokyo Craft section of our online store.   

Each glass pendant is paired up with an organic cord made from either wax coated hemp or nettle that has been twisted or knotted and finished off with an ironwood toggle.

The photos above and below show the first selection to be uploaded. For more information about each pendant and plenty more photos, please follow the links below to Neo Glass' product page.

https://sorazora.com/product-category/accessories/jewellery/neo-glass/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

New Stone Dance Pendants

Today's new product upload are eight new pendants crafted by Stone Dance.

 Using shaped and polished gemstones and a traditional macrame technique to encase some of them, the pendants above are Mexican Amber, Sunstone, Moonstone and Turquoise. Those below have been crafted from Malachite & Crystal, Petrified Wood, Fluorite and another using Mexican Amber.

For more information about these and more beautiful pendants from Stone Dance, please follow the link below:

https://sorazora.com/product-category/accessories/jewellery/stone-dance/

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/

How to use your mini rigid heddle

Our carved buffalo horn mini rigid heddle is one of this year's additions to our selection of craft tools. Unlike crochet hooks, knitting spools and lucets, the heddle is not so easy to demonstrate for our customers at festivals, nor is it easy to explain in words for online customers. We believe we have the solution.

We have uploaded a three minute video to youtube which gives you the basic information needed to get you started. Click on the following link to be taken to the video tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcW-VLjjAPY

The video can also be found on the Sorazora product page for our rigid heddle. We plan on making a couple more basic 'how to' videos for our knitting spool and lucet.

To visit the mini rigid heddle's product page, please click on the following link:

https://sorazora.com/product/mini-rigid-heddle/

The images above and below are just to give you a basic idea of how the heddle should look after the warp threads have been set up and also a closer look at the plain weave created. These two images show the heddle being used with natural dyed cotton twine, also available from our materials collection.

Natural fibres, Natural dyes and Original designs http://www.sorazora.com/