Ikat (Jaspé) Knotter © Marilyn Anderson. Woodcut, 9 1/16″ x 11 7/8″
An ikat worker from Santiago Atitlán ties a series of knots on skeins of yarns to produce both simple and intricate designs. This painstaking work is done by both men and women–– especially in Salcajá but in other places as well. After the knotting of the skeins is completed, they are dipped in dyes, the knots are removed and the yarns are used as the warp or weft in floor loom or backstrap weaving.