The Press!!!

I finally got my book press!!! (Also called a Daab Press in Hindi)

The colour was a sweet surprise - time to start making those books in bulk!

Making Banana Paper : Stage 1

I found a banana plant that someone was throwing out... This was an excellent opportunity to try making some paper out of it!

The first thing I did was so strip the 'trunk' until I reached the bast

Banana fiber is surprisingly strong. This is what it looks like, when the bast is stripped down further.

I then cut up the bast into small pieces with a knife. I cut off the parts that were rotting and kept them aside for composting.

When I reached deep within the bast, I found beautifully rolled up, translucent leaves, ready to be born.

I then let the pieces dry in the sun

Travels...

The fir forest in Old Manali

Keylong