Why don't you come with me little girl...*

...on a Magic Carpet ride.

This morning Katherine and I returned to place our order with Ismed and his wife Lanni at Lao Magic Carpet. Ismed brought Turkmeni carpet-making knowhow to Laos and married it with the tradition of Lao silk to create lovely, 100% silk, naturally dyed, hand-made carpets.

They make traditional patterns, and have also created their own. We decided on a more contemporary design in browns, tans, purples, blues and golds. It's a larger version of the 3rd one from the top on this page.

Ismed and Lanni just got back from a London carpet show where they basically sold out their stock, so they are in the process of building it back up. As such, our order won't be started for a month or so, and will then take more than three months to complete.

We'll get to watch the progress, which should be fun. I've never commissioned anything before. I feel so high society.

Katherine negotiates a price. It was actually less a negotiation than a friendly conversation wherein the two parties agreed on what is a considerable sum of money but well worth it for the quality (I hope). I guess that is the very definition of a negotiation.



Hand-spun, naturally-dyed silk, drying in the sun.


*lyrics, not lecherousness.