H

Abel Iloko
istory records that cotton-loom woven textiles called inabel were rooted traditions at the time
the Spanish colonized Ilocos Norte in 1572. China !apan and So"theast Asia were already
tradin# their #old ceramics $ars iron and %eads with ina%el in the nat"ral har%ors alon# the
coasts. &he Spaniards %e#an to ta'e interest in the ina%el 'nown (or its stren#th and d"ra%ility
and endorsed it as excellent sails (or #alleons in the same way it was "tilized locally in %oats
%aran#ays and other sea-#oin# vessels. )or cent"ries inabel has also %een "sed to ma'e %lan'ets.
&he *"ality p"re cotton (a%rics o( Ilocos Norte %ecame 'nown (ar and wide and the
demand (or the raw and sp"n cotton as well as textile prod"cts o( Ilocos %y +"ropean Chinese
!apanese and Indian traders intensi(ied. ,eca"se o( its astonishin# %ea"ty the inabel has ca"#ht
the attention o( international co"t"riers who started wor'in# with Ilocano weavers in developin#
new desi#ns. Its versatility is limited only to the ima#ination as local weavers contin"e
developin# new desi#ns and techni*"es.

-ri#inatin# (rom the Ilocos re#ion abel Iloko is 'nown (or %ein# d"ra%le and resistant to
shrin'in# and (adin#. .Abel/ is Ilocano (or .weave/ and .inabel/ re(ers to the (inished prod"ct.
0eavin# has always %een done as a collective cra(t normally at home with (amily or nei#h%ors.
-ne person prepares the thread rollin# it into lar#e and small %o%%ins to load onto the loom.
Another ma'es the trim that is sewn on d"rin# the (inishin# to"ches.
&he act"al weavin# ta'es one to three weavers dependin#
on the piece1s size. Smaller items li'e towels are made %y one
weaver on a small loom. 2ar#er items 3li'e o"r throws4 ta'e at
least two weavers. 5ost weavers will have wor'ed to#ether (or a
#ood amo"nt o( time. &hey can coordinate their movements
witho"t even exchan#in# a word. &hey throw the sh"ttle %ac' and
(orth p"ll down the warp %eam and slam on the (oot pedals in
per(ect *"ic' "nison.
&heir $o% is made easier %y the a#e o( the looms. &he wood
has %een smoothed down %y decades 3sometimes even cent"ries4
o( weavers %e(ore. )or some pieces a third weaver sits %etween
the two main weavers to p"sh and p"ll another set o( threads to
incorporate more ela%orate desi#ns. &hey do their wor' %y nat"ral
s"nli#ht pa"sin# to complete ho"se chores and stoppin# when the
s"n starts to #o down.
Traditional Steps of Weaving
1. 6ina#%"'a# ti 'apas 7 pic'in# o( cotton %alls.
2. 6ana#laddit ti 'apas 7 removin# the seeds with the "se o( a cotton #in.
8. 6anan#%at%at ti 'apas 7 po"ndin# or %eatin# with the "se o( the la#"ndi stic's.
9. 6anan#s"nay : 6anan#ti%%i ti 'apas 3&wistin#4 7 twistin# the cotton "sin# the spindle.
5. 6ana#ila%ay ti sa#ot 3S'einin#4 7 windin# the cotton yarn into the s'einer.
The Loom
;. 6ana#ta#"d iti naila%ay n#a sa#ot 3Com%in#4 7 %r"shin# the s'eined yarn to ma'e it
d"ra%le and #lossy.
7. 6ana#p"lipol ti sa#ot 3Spoolin#4 7windin# the s'eined yarn to the %am%oo spool.
<. 6ana##an-ay ti sa#ot 30arpin#4 7 windin# the spool yarn into the warpin# reel or tool (or
warpin#.
=. 6anan#l"'ot ti sa#ot 3,eamin#4 7 windin# the warp yarn into the warp %eam rod.
1>. 6ina#is"%o iti ?"r-on 3@eddlin#4 7 insertin# the warp yarn thro"#h the heddle eye with
the "se o( the weaver1s hoo'.
11. 6ina#is"%o iti S"#od 3Sleyin#4 7 insertin# the warp yarn thro"#h the dents or spaces o(
the reed with the "se o( the weaver1s hoo'.
12. 6ina#ipa'at diay 6a#a%lan 3&ie-"p : tyin#- in4 7 dressin# the loom to tie the heddles
%ehind the %eater.
18. A#a%el 30eavin#4 7 the interloc'in# o( vertical yarn 3warp4 'nown as #an-ay and the
horizontal yarns 3we(t4 as pa'an.
Submitted to:
5rs. 0eena ?"ian#-)ranco
Submitted by:
,rien Aean &. 2"tap
2izelle !oyce A. -nna#an
Aanielle ,. B"i#ao
BSN II-A