How are harakeke leaves used to make a kete?
To understand that there are methods of preparing harakeke for weaving.
Once the leaves are cut they can prepared for making a kete. This involves running the straight edge of a mussel shell over the leaf to make it soft. This is called hapine. Sometimes the leaf is boiled to make it soft.
How is a cloak made?
Run your fingers across a harakeke leaf and you will feel ridges. These ridges are made by muka that run along the length of the leaf. The muka is stripped from the leaf using the haro method. It is then twisted into a thread and woven into a cloak.
Video clip in te reo of Rangi Te Kanawa stripping the muka from the harakeke leaf.