Experimenting

Almost 2 years ago I was at a marae north of Dunedin and we were shown how to make pōhā. These are rimurapa/bull kelp storage containers.  On Thursday I got to share that knowledge as a weaving connection harvested us some kelp from round the coast. 

You carefully separate the spongy insides to make a pocket. It’s weird a squidgy but the goo dries quickly and leaves your hands lovely and soft. 

Normally you’d tie the top and inflate it like a balloon but we stuffed ours with paper.  Then you make a small kete for the base and surround it with bark for insulation and protection. 

Then you lace up the sides to hold it all in place. 

This is by no means a functional pōhā but as an experiment it’s a total success!