Weaving Palestinian Heritage with Lara Salous’ Wool Woman

Lara Salous with shepherd Rajeh Al-Essa at his house in Mughayer village where he shows her how to use the Palestinian traditional drop spindle (Ghazzale). Photo Credit: Raof Haj Yahya

To Lara Salous, the disappearing art of wool weaving needs a revival. “The loom is a tool that's now endangered in Palestine,” says the 37-year-old Palestinian artist and designer, who called me from her studio, nestled in Ramallah Al-balad, the old city, in the occupied West Bank. She’d spent the morning packing art frames, throws, and short stools that customers in Norway and Canada ordered from her home decor brand: Wool Woman.