Dissolvable Base?

[lunia.livejournal.com]

I was browsing for patterns/ideas for a Knit-A-Long scarf and came across this really interesting how-to for what the author calls the Barely There Scarf. It's made on a sewing machine with ribbons and something I've never heard of - dissolvable base. I am highly intrigued and got to wondering if anyone has ever used dissolvable base and what I might be able to learn from others' previous experiences.

P.S. In case you are like me and have never heard of such a thing, I have gathered that dissolvable base is a fabric-like substance that dissolves when immersed in water.