Pongee is made from spinning either the cocoon of the silkworm or with silk floss to make thread, the plied silk thread then woven into a plain weave, but local specialties of Amami Oshima island, named Oshima Tsumugi and Murayama Oshima Tsumugi after the island itself, does not utilize silk thread; through a dying process known as itajime (one that uses 150 boards, running both vertically and laterally, a design is drawn onto a special semilogarithmic paper used for weaving, grooves are made based on that design, and the fabric is then interposed, has pressure applied to it, whereupon dye is then poured to dye the fabric) which allows for delicate, profound patterns to be realized. From the carving of the itajime boards to the manner in which cloth is wrapped, all aspects of its creation require a high level of skill, each piece taking a great deal of time and effort to achieve.