The fibre inside the flax leave is split in fine strips, using a tool Rīwā has designed herself.
Levin-based harakeke weaver Riwa Wawatai is looking for more experienced harakeke weavers who can help her fill orders of Wahakura Rīwā, a bassinet for babies made from harakeke/flax, especially developed by her.
“A lot of organisations that work with young mums and their babies, such as former DHBs, are among my clients and I cannot keep up with the demand at the moment. So, more help, at contractor rates, would be great.”
She runs wānanga to teach experienced weavers how she wants it done.
“Wahakura are used by a living person so it must be strong and safe. If clients want, I can supply wahakura with a mattress and sheets.”
The project needs experienced weavers from around the country who understand the various varieties of harakeke. There are over 60 varieties and not all are suitable for wahakura. Each product requires a specific kind of harakeke, a specific size and width, and the weaver is also tasked with looking after the plant to get it ready for harvesting of usable materials.
“Young shoots come up in the centre of the plant, and the more a leaf sits towards the outside, the older it gets. It is a big job looking after the plants and it is an ongoing job.”
Two weeks go into the production of a wahakura, from initial harvesting to finished product, in which the drying process is critical.
“If you harvest in humid weather, the drying process will take longer.”
The collecting and getting ready for weaving is part of the time-consuming job.
“You try and get the plant ready for future use, so each year there is less waste to clean up. The older leaves on the outside of the plants are useful to anyone.”
She reckons the average plant will have 50 usable leaves.
Suitable harakeke are not that easy to find and Cyclone Gabrielle has wiped out most plants along the east coast. “In fact, much of the last year has been tough on weavers due to the wet weather conditions everywhere.”
Harakeke cultivars can vary from region to region and more than a few are region specific, so what grows here may not do well elsewhere. They also take a long time to establish.
“There are plants at Punahau / Lake Horowhenua and perhaps also on farms and market gardens that we could use, so if anyone has a few, let me know. You must always get permission first.”
Riwa said Manaaki Whenua does a lot of research into harakeke varieties and has built up a collection.
A plant is ready for harvesting at age 4. Manaaki Whenu - Landcare Research helped set up a huge plantation in Hawke’s Bay in 2011.
Each product a weaver makes requires a certain length and the leftovers can be used for other things, like shredded and plaited into handles.
Anything really leftover can be cut into small pieces and turned into paper or mulch for the garden.
Riwa learned weaving a number of years ago at Te Kokiri in Levin and followed that up with a degree through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
in 2006 she had an accident, which made sitting in an office on a chair all day impossible. Self-employment seemed a good option, because it would allow her to work at her own pace. After graduating she bought a house bus, intending to travel the country doing classes and meeting other weavers.
“Well, it didn’t last long. I got to Hawke’s Bay and the bus gave up on me.”
So, she adapted and joined a weaver collective there and began to teach. She developed her own design and techniques for the wahakura and organised contracts with buyers.
She now has a long list of customers who buy a set number of wahakura from her each month. She set up a network of experienced weavers, who know how she wants the job done, based around the country.
“You can do this from anywhere. Couriers will pick up and deliver.”
The doing this from anywhere hit home during the lockdown.
“My family had moved from Kāpiti to Christchurch, to help with the rebuild, and had come back to Levin. I became a grandmother, so I wanted to be closer to the whānau.”
She had swapped her house bus for a caravan by then and parked up at her son’s place in Levin. She set up shop at Te Kokiri on Hōkio Beach Rd but moved to Prouse St for more space and more freedom.
“I wanted everyone to have access to what I do, and I did not feel comfortable with restrictions put on people who were not vaccinated.”
She did a few weekend and night classes to share both her knowledge and her specific techniques with others.
“Weaving skills are needed for anyone who wants to take this on and sadly experienced weavers are hard to get.”
Weaving is not the only thing she does. She also invents tools that make the job easier for her. She has a patent pending on one that is in the final design stages.
She’s in line for a few business awards. Applying for any of these is very rewarding she said. “But also, time-consuming and I am behind already.”
She said the resulting meetings with other people has been enlightening.
“It was great to meet other business finalists in the Electra Business and Innovations Awards in the ‘meet and greet’ at the council foyer, and some of the judges over coffee, and I am looking forward to the awards night at the Southward Museum.”
Small business is hard, she has found.
“You must do everything yourself, because expertise costs money. I pay my contractor, but I only get paid if there is money. So, I end up doing administrations, videoing, website all myself. Holding and organising wānanga is also a lot of work.”
She said she could do with some help, besides the need for more weavers.
“I would like to video the process of making wahakura. Those then need to be edited and put online. Help with online marketing of my products would also be great. I already have four videos done that need editing.”
Besides wahakura she makes containers for placenta, ipu whenua, umbilical cord ties, muka pito tie, caskets for babies and containers for ashes.
For more on Riwa, her classes and products see: Wahakura | New Zealand | Art by RIWA