Bosanke! Handmade Crafts

Created by Bosnian refugees living in Hartford, Connecticut


Handknit traditional socks, hand-crocheted lace and Kilim rugs woven the old fashioned method. (It takes an artisan more than a month to create a rug or crochet a square foot of lace).



    To see more items, please visit my photo page
     
    Price per item:


    two-color SOCKS -- range from $14-$16 a pair
    These are sort of a cross between socks and slippers. They do NOT have non-skid bottoms.
    Bosnians tend to leave their shoes at the door and pad around in these.

    crocheted lace or Kilim -- prices start at $25
    A word about these rugs: They are tightly woven, but the yarn is not tightly spun, so the fringes in particular are delicate. In their homes, the ladies put their rugs on top of other carpets so the rugs are better protected. In my hardwood-floor home inhabited by shoe-wearing people (three of whom are wild boys), I use my rugs as art on the walls and on the back of my sofas.


    Fatima's rug, made on a primitive loom, measures 22" x 49"

    FAQ

    Who are the women of Bosanke?
    Most of them are war widows with children who were driven from their small family farms during the war in Bosnia. Some are from villages where every male over the age of 13 was killed. One woman related a too-common refugee's story: One morning soldiers rounded up and killed every man she'd ever known. Her husband, brothers, uncles, nephews, father, father-in-law all were taken to a field and shot. She and the other women of the village were herded out to a primitive camp. She was not sure if she would live or die and despite her fear, rather hoped she might die and join her husband. Eventually she and the other women were taken to a refugee camp in Germany. She was shuffled between camps for years and at last came to this country in 2002. She is unusual only in that she finished high school. She now has a part-time job.

    Many of the women did not receive much schooling in their villages. Several cannot read in their native language. Their skills (milking cows, making cheese, tending fields, caring for animals, carding and spinning wool) are not much in demand in their new lives in urban Hartford. We hope you will enjoy the traditional skills they still employ -- knitting, crocheting and weaving.

    Fatima, a skilled weaver and knitter originally from a farm in Zrebenica, now lives in urban Hartford.

    Remiza, from Vlasenica, also weaves and knits. The war killed her family, including her mother, father, sister and brother, and left her a widow with two young children.

    I'm a rotten housekeeper -- and-- My hotel/hospital/restaurant is in dire need of thorough cleaning. Do you suppose a Bosnian would be able to help me?
    Funny you should ask! Many of the women are extremely skillful at cleaning. Thorough, fast, energetic -- these ladies clean a house like professionals. If you live in the Hartford area and are interested in finding out more, please contact the Job Unit of Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services at 860-548-0059.

    I'll just buy the socks, please. How do I wash my lovely new socks?
    I wash mine in the machine. I toss mine in the dryer too, but you might want to air dry yours.

    What are my socks made out of?
    Most of the yarn is donated to Catholic Charities. We have no idea what the material is, but chances are it is mostly acrylic.

    What is my tablecloth or rug made of?
    See the above answer.

    Yech! I hate acrylic! What should I do?
    The ladies are happy to make socks from yarn you send us -- at no extra charge. But don’t ask us to go out and buy a particular yarn/color. We’ve tried and it just doesn’t work. We’re not organized enough. They will also knit sweaters or other garments from yarn you donated, but they don’t follow patterns. You can describe what you want and they’ll try to make it. (I’ve had fair success with this, especially when you draw good pictures) It’s risky, though, and you’ll have to pay for their labor even if the garment isn’t exactly what you had in mind.

    Do they regularly make other clothing items?
    They make wonderful mittens too.

    Who will get the money?
    The women who made the items get every cent. To make sure your money goes where it's needed most, I only charge an extra dollar above shipping costs to defray handling expenses.

    Will you feature traditional crafts from other countries?
    Perhaps. We know an excellent embroiderer from the Sudan and hope to feature her work someday.

    How do you know these people?
    I met them in an English As A Second Language class I teach at Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services.

    But why do you work there? you're not Catholic!
    Volunteers at Catholic Charities belong to all sorts of faiths, Protestant, Muslim -- and Catholic. Some, like me, aren't affiliated with any religion. Many of the refugees that Catholic Charities helps (most of them, in fact) are not Catholic. The women of Bosanke, for instance, are almost all practicing Muslims.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES MIGRATION AND REFUGEE SERVICES
    Contact Doina Lechanu at 860-548-0059, or write to her at: Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee services, 25 Market Street, Hartford, CT 06103

    Mission Statement: Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services is a non profit program which assists people who have been forced to leave their homeland due to warfare, national disaster, and/or political and religious persecution. The resettlement operation is designed to help refugees help themselves become self-sufficient, productive members of our communities. .

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BOSANKE PRODUCTS
    davisrothwell@comcast.net

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