Orimonya Knotting Mat

Orimonya
Size: Approx. 33 cm × 36 cm
Materials: 100% cotton

This knotted weaving (notting) mat is made by Orimonya, a non-profit organization with a workshop in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture. The navy and light blue (asagi, a pale blue tone) areas are woven with indigo-dyed yarn, while the brown tones are woven with plant-dyed yarn.
In knotted weaving (notting), staff first design the colors and patterns, then create a detailed chart, marking out each individual knot. Following this chart, they stretch the warp threads onto the loom and tie thick yarns to them, one knot at a time. As they carefully align the knots, press each completed row into place, and then move on to the next, the pattern gradually rises from the surface in accordance with the design. From the initial drafting of the chart to the knotting itself, every step is done by hand, resulting in a one-of-a-kind mat. Made entirely from 100% cotton yarn, it has a wonderfully fluffy yet softly supple feel to the touch.

Orimonya

This product is made by Orimonya, an NPO active on the Yumigahama Peninsula, which links Yonago City and Sakaiminato City in Tottori Prefecture. In this region, once a major production area for Hakushu cotton (“Hama-wata”), Orimonya grows Hakushu cotton without agricultural chemicals and carries out the entire process in-house, from cultivating the cotton and spinning the yarn to plant-dyeing and weaving.
Weaving involves many different steps, from simple to complex. At Orimonya, including people with physical or mental disabilities, each person takes on tasks that suit their abilities and pace. By sharing the work in this way, everyone contributes to weaving a single piece of cloth. The NPO Orimonya serves as a place of collaboration where many people can be involved in textile work in a way that feels manageable for them.
For dyeing, they use locally familiar plants and trees such as Japanese holly (soyogo), Japanese knotweed (itadori), desho grass (karukaya), mimosa, akamegashiwa, galls (gobashi), plum, loquat, as well as indigo. Most of these materials are foraged from nearby fields and hillsides and then simply boiled to extract the dye. For mordants, they use lye, slaked lime, and iron rust.
Each of the looms used in the workshop differs slightly in structure and operation. They are looms made between the Meiji and Showa eras, passed down from people in the surrounding communities and built by local carpenters who each applied their own ingenuity. Today, about ten looms are kept in working condition and used with care—not as antiques for display, but as fully functional tools.
When visiting the workshop, the steady rhythm of the looms and the occasional bursts of cheerful conversation left a strong impression. In this everyday atmosphere, careful, warm handwork is used to weave unique, high-quality textiles, one piece at a time.