The Pokari Project and Lena visited Paxos, where they repaired the loom of the Paxos Folklore Museum while also conducting an interactive weaving seminar for beginners.

During the seminar, participants had the opportunity to closely explore every step of the process and to understand the deep connection between craft, tradition, and nature. They learned how raw fleece from the sheep, through a series of demanding and creative processing stages, is transformed into yarn — the primary material for weaving.

The seminar took place at the former Loggos Primary School. On Sunday, February 8th, participants observed the setting up of the loom, bringing along old Paxos woven textiles. A lively discussion followed about the island’s weaving heritage, providing inspiration for the creations of the following days. The threading of the heddles and the sleying of the reed were successfully completed, and the loom of Nona, belonging to Spyros and Ilias Dendias (Karousos), once again stood ready to weave stories.

At the same time, a folding loom allowed everyone to experiment and gain their first hands-on experience of the craft. On Monday and Tuesday, weaving workshops were held using frame looms, enabling more participants to create their own pieces. The materials used included Epirus wool from Pokari, cotton for the warp, and fabric strips that participants learned to cut from old clothes, giving new life to forgotten textiles.

Weaving was revived in Paxos as an alternative tourism activity with meaningful cultural content, while also emerging as one of today’s most effective meditative practices. Beyond its former practical utility, weaving is now embraced as a creative hobby rather than a necessity for household self-sufficiency — a new and dynamic trend that combines tradition with personal expression.