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ikat

/ˈikɑt/
IPA guide

Other forms: ikats

Ikat is a method of weaving that uses tie-dyed thread. The colorful patterns of ikat cloth have a distinctive blurry look.

The blurriness of most ikat patterns comes from the fact that they're woven using pre-dyed, multi-colored yarn, making the patterns imprecise. Before a weaver starts the painstaking process, bundles of ikat threads are wrapped and dyed, with the process often being repeated several times. It's similar to batik or tie-dying, but the individual fibers are resistance-dyed rather than an entire piece of fabric. In Indonesian, ikat means "to bind."

Definitions of ikat
  1. noun
    a method tie-dying threads before weaving them into cloth to create a decorative pattern
  2. noun
    a decorative fabric made from the method of tie-dying threads before weaving them into cloth
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