Aloha !
I am so happy happy happy ! Its after 10:00 p.m.. I worked the afternoon shift in the Kitchen today ,got off at 8:00 from the Kitchen , showered , and started braiding . I just finished braiding 6 yards of braided hemp string . Hallelujah ! I am so happy happy happy ! Do you have any idea how long six yards is and how hard it is braid one long continuous braid , using 6 strands of hemp string ? Every time you fold over a plait, the strings get twisted. All my Loft ladies that I live with watched me in fascination . I had to wind each double strand into a loose ball and put a hair elastic around it so it would not fall apart . I didn't have any elastic bands and my hair elastics worked alright There was a big hook on a wooden beam in the Loft and I wound the first initial inches of braided hemp rope around the hook to anchor it and away I went , braiding , and stepping back as the braid got longer and longer , patiently unwinding the twisted strings , dancing in spirals around me as I braid . " I think the Universe is trying to tell me something. This definitely is a Lesson in Patience ! " I said to my friends in the Loft. They all laughed. The string will get twisted together , and slowly , patiently, I untwisted each spiraling dancing string . I had to wear gardening gloves as the hemp string is very thick and coarse. It would have chewed my hands up for sure .
This 6 yards of hemp braid will be used for tying each lauhala leaf onto a waistband that I have already braided last week. The waistband was made out of 9 strands of hemp string braided together. That was a challenge too .
Jonathan will be helping me tomorrow to tie all the Lauhala leaves onto the waistband with the 6 yards of braided hemp that I just made. I am grateful that Jonathan is helping me. After the leaves are tied on , one by one , I will have to trim them to the right length .. Thank goodness that it only involves cutting it approximately 10 inches from the ground when I wear it. No sewing, just cutting. However, that being said , once it has been ' hemmed ' I will have to iron each leaf , one by one, on both sides to make them flat. The leaves are amazingly strong . I have already cut strips from a few of the the leaves to make my wrist and ankle leis.
I am so very happy that this part is done. Truly a Lesson in Patience .
Off to bed I go. I have a busy day tomorrow . After breakfast, Jonathan will help me with my Lauhala Hula Skirt and then in the early afternoon , I am off to Hilo to make my own ukelele !
With much aloha ,
x0x0x0x0
Molly
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