Page 94 - TheHopiIndians

86 MESA FOLK OF HOPILAND

batten, passes through the bobbin, beats the yarn
home with great patience, and so continues, making
slow headway.
There are several reasons why the kiva is used by
the weavers. These subterranean rooms, usually the
property of the men, are cool and quiet, and the light
streams down from overhead across the surface of the
web, allowing the stitches to be seen to good advantage.
The best reason is that the kiva ceiling is high enough
to allow the stretching of the warp to the full length
of a blanket, which cannot be done in the low living
rooms of the dwellings.
Belts, garters, and hair tapes are made on a small
loom provided with reed or heddle frame, and usually
this is woman's work. Strangely enough the belt
loom is a kind of harness, for the warp is stretched
out between the woman's feet and a yoke that extends
across her back. The yarn used for belts is bought
from the trader. The old belts are marvels of design
and are among the most pleasing specimens of the
art work of the Hopi.
With the introduction of dyed trader's yarns and
coal-tar colors has come a deterioration in the work
of the Navaho weavers. Among the Hopi this is not
noticeable, but, no doubt, for this reason the embroid
ery on the hems of the ceremonial blankets, sashes, and
kilts is gayer than in former times when subdued min
eral colors and vegetable dyes only were available.
Every visitor to the Hopi pueblos is attracted by