童年的記憶，是陳怜喻與傳統工藝最初的連結。

她生長於日月潭畔，外公、舅舅編織竹器是生活日常，鄰家的邵族長老也經常以本地特有的蕨類──Qruzi 逆羽裡白編製魚簍等生活器具。雖曾多次請求長輩教導，卻總被回以「長大再學」，未料待她真正長成，傳統技藝卻隨著長者凋零而漸行漸遠。後因家庭變故舉家遷往花蓮，生活奔波更使她與工藝中斷了聯繫。

直到多年後返鄉，重回伊達邵的土地，陳怜喻終於找回與文化的連結。2019年，她參加部落耆老袁光河老師開設的編織課程，主動要求從原料採集學起，堅信工藝的核心，來自對自然與素材的理解。她走入山林，認識植物的特性，也在手作的過程中找回自身節奏。

她的創作以實用為本，結合傳統邵族技法與個人美感，許多技藝靠自學摸索，並在器型、色彩與功能上進行細緻改良，讓傳統工藝在當代語境中重新展現生命力。

如今，她於南投縣魚池鄉邵族文化協會與自宅開課教學，並持續創作、採集，實踐著一種與自然共生、與文化同行的生活方式。她期盼未來能有更多族人加入，一同延續這項幾近失傳的工藝，讓山林的氣息與長輩的記憶，透過雙手流轉下去。 

“Childhood memories were my first bridge to traditional craft.”

Raised on the shores of Sun Moon Lake, Ali Lhkahihian grew up surrounded by handwoven traditions. Her grandfather and uncles crafted daily bamboo objects, while a neighbor Thao elder next door wove fish traps from Qruzi, a fern native to the area. As a child, she begged to learn, but the elders always told her, “You’ll understand when you’re older.” By the time she was grown, many of those skills had faded along with the elders who once held them.

A family move to Hualien further distanced her from the craft, and years passed before she returned to her ancestral home of Ita Thao. Back on familiar land, she finally rediscovered her cultural roots. In 2019, she joined a weaving workshop led by tribal elder Masawsang Lhnawnan, insisting on beginning with the rawest step—gathering materials. To her, the essence of craft lies in understanding nature itself. Walking into the forests, she learned about the characteristics of various plants and, through the rhythm of handwork, rediscovered her own.

Ali’s practice is rooted in utility, blending traditional Thao weaving methods with her own aesthetic sensibilities. Much of her knowledge has been gained through self-teaching and experimentation, refining forms, colors, and functions to give traditional craft a renewed voice in the present day.

Today, she teaches weaving both at the Thao Cultural Development Association in Yuchi, Nantou, and in her own home, while continuing to create and forage for materials. For her, weaving is more than a skill—it is a way of life, one that lives in harmony with nature and walks hand in hand with culture.