Ikat

Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric.

In ikat the resist is formed by binding individual yarns or bundles of yarns with a tight wrapping applied in the desired pattern. The yarns are then dyed. The bindings may then be altered to create a new pattern and the yarns dyed again with another colour. This process may be repeated multiple times to produce elaborate, multicolored patterns. When the dyeing is finished all the bindings are removed and the yarns are woven into cloth. In other resist-dyeing techniques such as tie-dye and batik the resist is applied to the woven cloth, whereas in ikat the resist is applied to the yarns before they are woven into cloth. Because the surface design is created in the yarns rather than on the finished cloth, in ikat both fabric faces are patterned.

A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent "blurriness" to the design. The blurriness is a result of the extreme difficulty the weaver has lining up the dyed yarns so that the pattern comes out perfectly in the finished cloth. The blurriness can be reduced by using finer yarns or by the skill of the craftsperson. Ikats with little blurriness, multiple colours and complicated patterns are more difficult to create and therefore often more expensive. However, the blurriness that is so characteristic of ikat is often prized by textile collectors.

Čikat

Coordinates: 44°31′50.10″N 14°27′32.44″E / 44.5305833°N 14.4590111°E / 44.5305833; 14.4590111

Čikat (Ital.: Cigale) is a cove on the island of Lošinj and a part of the town of Mali Lošinj.

It stretches from the church of the Annunciation in the south to the hotel Kredo in the north. On the west the cove open to the Adriatic sea, while to the east it borders with town centre of Mali Lošinj. This makes the cove a perfect choice for a harbour, as it is protected from all but western winds.

In 1534 the church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, often called the Annunziata, was erected; it was expanded in 1858. It is located on the southern cape from which local sailing boats were greeted on their entrance to the harbour, so local captains still sound the horn while passing by the cape.

Čikat is also a spa projected by dr. Alfred Edler von Manussi-Montesole, an Austrian architect. Besides him, both Leopold Ritter von Schrotter and Conrad Clar shaped the today's look of the area, and there are also promenades named after all of them. In the past as many as three shipyards were located in the Čikat cove. Today this area is the site of many villas that were once owned by Austrian nobles; now many of those villas have been turned into hotels and residences, of which the most well known are the Villa Karolina, Diana, Saborka and hotel Kredo. The majority of the hotels on the island are located in this area. There is also a camping ground covered with the forest in the cove by the same name.