The Crochet Hats of Dorze

I have a confession to make ... I am a magazine junkie. The third week of the month you can find me chasing down the mailman for my precious periodicals. One such gem is Selvedge magazine from the UK.
I tore off the postal plastic like a five year old on Christmas morning and took a deep breath...making sure I could capture the remnants or ink and fresh paper in my lungs. I settled into the corner of my couch and began my journey. What I read blew me away.

In southern Ethiopia, there is a region called Dorze. Here, the women spin and the men weave and in the missionary schools, boys as young as thirteen make colorful hats for sale using a crochet hook or a modified safety pin. The yarns used are cotton, wool or acrylic, often mixed together in dazzling stripes, chevrons and checks. Some of the most unique styles have a "stalk" on top...much like the decorations on top of their homes, which this region is known for. The hats are an outward symbol of the Dorze culture, identifying the wearer as being from the particular region. At the same time each hat is the individual expression of its maker and owner.