WATCH: How Peruvian rugs are made – you’ll never believe some of the “secret” ingredients that are used in the dying process!
High in the Andes many people live and work much as they have for centuries, farming small plots of land using little more than hand tools, raising sheep, llamas and alpaca, and weaving their wool into beautiful blankets and garments.
In the tiny village of Chincheros, in the Sacred Valley of Peru we got a first hand look at every step in this weaving process.
The town’s weaving co-op is an effort to preserve these ancient ways by passing them on to new generations.
The artists and members of the cooperative work together in a way that generates a source of income by demonstating their techniques and selling the finished products.
Upon entering the small adobe building, we were offered coca tea to help us deal with the side effects of the high altitude of The Sacred Valley. We sipped as we staked out a spot on one of the benches that lined the walls.
Click here to learn how we dealt with altitude issues while in Peru
Within minutes, several women brought out items used in transforming loose wool into the beautiful blankets and garments that we saw all around us.
Speaking through our guide, Eddy, as translator, Adelma introduced herself, then spoke for the group and began the demonstration.
First the wool is washed using a soap made from a plant known as Sacha Paraqay.
When grated into water, the root makes detergent-like suds and the animal fibers come out naturally clean and white.
See all of our adventures in Peru!
After drying, the wool is spun into yarn on small spindles that spin like a toy top.
The spinning motion winds the fibers around each other forming a continuous strand that can then be woven into cloth.
But first some colors are added to liven things up. Only locally available, natural ingredients are used in the making the dyes.
A wide variety of plants and minerals are demonstrated as sources for the vibrant colors.
Aldelma shows us how a bug that lives on the local cactus provides a red dye when crushed.
We learned that urine from children 6 to 15 years-old is kept for a month to ferment and then used to set the colors into the wool. According to Adelma, it must be kids’ pee.
When we asked why, the answer was simple, urine from anyone older is “not good.” We can only assume that over time they have tested this theory and discovered it to be true.
Colors may be changed drastically – simply by adding ingredients like lemon or salt into the mix.
Once the yarn is colorful, it’s time for the weaving to begin. Two types of looms were demonstrated.
The first loom is very simple and stands upright. Two people thread the yarn through the loom by tossing it back and forth, producing a fabric that is reversible.
The backstrap loom is a bit more complex, but still uses the same basic methods. It is designed for one person and is named for the strap worn around the weaver’s back that keeps the strands tight.
This is better for the more complex designs and figures that are woven into the final fabrics.
It was amazing to watch these forms take shape one line at a time, as each strand of yarn was added. There are no patterns involved, each work is firmly rooted in the mind of the artist.
Most of the symbols are taken from nature, animals, mountains, rivers, plants or the like, in a showing of reverence for Pachamama, Mother Earth.
Sometimes they are arranged in a way that tells a story, commemorates an important event, or just depict life in the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
A day-to-day life that remains remarkably untouched by the so-called modern world.
In town Eddy tells us how the people of The Sacred Valley hold on to their traditions and directs our attention to the roofs of the houses. Small shrines including a cross indicating the family is Christian, ceramic bulls for strength and fertility, a cask of corn beer to tie them to their ancestors, and a vial of holy water to sanctify the house.
We sneak in some street food and grab a choclo con queso – yum! The cheese is unbelievably buttery.
David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
Delve Deeper:
See more secrets of The Sacred Valley in Peru!
Click here to learn how we dealt with altitude issues while in Peru
Click to see all of our adventures in Peru!
Click here to see our full adventure with Road Scholar – a not-for-profit organization – through Ecuador, Peru, The Galapagos Islands, Machu Picchu and much, much more!
I couldn’t refrain from commenting. Well written!
Thanks!
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find many of your post’s to be exactly I’m looking for. Would you offer guest writers to write content available for you? I wouldn’t mind creating a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write concerning here. Again, awesome site!
You can email us at [email protected] to discuss a guest post. Thanks.
I got good info from your blog
I enjoy whɑt you guys аre usually uup too. Such clevеr work and coverage!
Keep uⲣ thе great woгks guys I’ve incorporated you guys tto my personal blogroll.
Thanks for the info!
Hello. And Bye.
Hola, Me gusta mucho tu sitio, ?sigue haciendolo mejor!
Hola, Me gusta mucho tu sitio, ?sigue haciendolo mejor!
thwnks for the info
thx for the info
Hello mates, its impressive article regarding teachingand fully explained, keep it up all the time.
Hi!
Where did you find your guide? I will visit Chincheros tomorrow (?!) Look forward to hear from you & keep up the good work.
We were a part of a tour with Road Scholars so they found the guide. Have a great trip!
Hi!
I just came across your amazing blog today and plan to visit chincheros tomorrow. How did you find your guide? In the city of chincheros or in cusco? I hope you read this, I gladly take your advice. Either way I really enjoyed all the info and beautiful photo’s. Thanks!
Also, what was the name and location of this weaving coop you went to? There are a couple I see in Chincheros so I am trying to figure out which one to go to 🙂
Don’t know if there were any classes, but it was great to see and learn.
It seems like a great learning experience!I am wondering what the name of the coop was you went to?
Thanks 🙂
I think it was Awana Llagta Women’s Hand Weaving Cooperative.
Hi there!
Thank you for you blog post. I am travelling to Peru in may and am very interested in the textiles, the history and how they are made. This seems like a great place to learn all about 🙂 I am wondering if you know this coop offered any classes?
Thank you!
we were just at this coop in feb.-we knew nothing about it but our private guide took us there thankfully. AMAZING!!! we bought a couple of baby Alpaca scarves and wanted more but had luggage restrictions as flying to Galapagos next. WISH there was some way to order from these ladies. There were so MANY nice items, beautiful patterns and colors.
They are great Marty! Did your guide tell you about baby alpaca and “maybe alpaca”? Got to be careful when you’re in the touristy shops in the cities.
I visited this weaving cooperative in Chinchero in May 2013. So fun to look at your photos and video to relive the experience. The demonstration was the same, only the women were different. My dining room table is adorned by a runner I purchased there. I’ve been trying to find a way to purchase more of their weavings, but the only (limited) source I’ve been able to find is Shaman’s Market. If you know of a web site, or other source, I’d appreciate your sharing it. As a fellow weaver, I’d love to help support their artistry.
Glad to bring back some memories Nancy. Sorry, we don’t know of any places to order.
You can purchase weavings from the Chincherro co-op at ArtAndes,based in Minneapolis, http://artandes.com
Do you ever wonder if these ladies take off their colorful shawls after work and put on power suits? The insect dye is cool. I’ve gotta figure that was discovered back in prehistory by a swat to the neck.
Beautiful pictures! And such vibrant colors in that yarn. Sounds like an unforgettable experience 🙂
Thanks Molly, it was great!
That’s really awesome! The variety of colors is so wonderful (and pretty surprising whenyou think about it…)
I think the colours they use are just so beautiful! If I had any spare money at all I’d definitely be buying something here in Peru.
What a fascinating experience. I love the bright colors and what they produce. Beautiful photos – I especially love the one of the woman wit the baby on her back 🙂
Wow! Gorgeous pictures. Love the fabric colors but that’s some unusual techniques to get them. 😀
Thanks Sue, the colors are spectacular.
Fascinating post. So interesting to read about the weaving process. Child’s urine to set the colours – who would have thought? The colours are so vibrant.
What fantastic colors! Looks like the weather helped a bit too. Your photography is amazing~
Thanks Irene!
In my last life I was a dyer of fabrics and we used a lot of the same methods you describe. I am so happy to see the process being passed down and sustainable. When we were in India, one of the biggest complaints of the older weavers was that the next generation was not interested in carrying on the tradition. What great coverage you have given the artisans of this area. I love the older woman wrapped in all of her layers.
Thanks Alison, this whole area of Peru is still very traditional. It was great to see.
Thanks for describing the weaving process so thoroughly and your photos illustrated the techniques beautifully. We were lucky enough to visit several artisanal women’s weaving co-ops in Guatemala’s highlands and the artistry and skills are amazing. And it definitely makes one wonder how they discovered that adding urine to the mix sets the colors…? As to the use of a certain age group’s urine I can only speculate that it’s more acidic or alkaline… ???
We wondered the same thing Anita. How did they stumble upon this technique?
Great photos and description of the process to create the beautiful textiles. Kids pew…who knew it was so useful!
Typo– meant to say kids pee!
What colorful and beautiful photos! Peru is definitely on our list for next year. The people and craftsmanship seem so wonderful – thanks for sharing this!
The children’s pee factoid is unforgettable! There is nothing I like better than bright textiles. The patterns and colors are gorgeous. Thanks for this glimpse that honors the old ways.
They are beautiful… even if a little pee is involved. 😉
“We learned that urine from children 6 to 15 years-old is kept for a month to ferment and then used to set the colors into the wool. According to Adelma, it must be kids’ pee.”
Wow! Not sure what to say about that but it’s kind of fascinating that they figured out such things. We are interested in Peru, I know someone (online) who has a B&B in Cusco, but I’m not sure we’ll get there, hubby can sometimes have a difficult time with the high altitude. Would love to experience the culture though.
It is way up there, but the coca tea really does help.
What an intensive process to do all these weavings, fascinating story and thanks for sharing the process.
Glad to Noel.
It’s really interesting how the indigenous people of Peru share many of the same techniques and naturally-sourced products such as cochineal ( cactus bug) as the local people here in Oaxaca Mexico do. You got some great photos!
Thanks Michele, it does seem that there was some sharing of information, or perhaps it was just chance that they stumbled onto many of the same ideas. I doubt that though, I think that it was a small world even back then.
Really interesting post, guys! My sister spent her Summer in Peru and she was amazed of all the cultural things they have there and you can’t see in Europe! I wish this post was live before so I could have showed this video to her back in the day 🙂
Thanks Lily! It’s a fascinating country.
Isn’t Peru amazing? I was very impressed by the creativity of its people. And by the quality of its chocolate!
Most certainly Doreen, so much great stuff.
Such a painstaking process to weave these blankets and garments… Hopefully this weaving art can be preserved and handed down for generations to come :-).
Hope so too, and it seems to be happening.
Acadian farmers in the Canadian maritimes used pee to dissolve imported indigo, which created a rich blue dye. The pee of adolescent boys was highly prized.
Cochineal is the red dye from insects. In the early days of the Spanish conquest, the red from cochineal was also greatly sought-after in Europe.
You guys really got off the beaten track in Peru! Interesting.
Isn’t it strange how people so far apart come upon the same odd things. I guess it must work.
I love all of the colors of the fabrics. It’s a bit gross hearing how they get them that way, but the end result is beautiful.
Yes to both points. 😉
The textiles are gorgeous! It’s marvelous that mere salt or lemon can alter colors. Your photos and video go a long way in describing the process. Thanks for this.
Our pleasure, glad you enjoyed it.
Very informative stuff, Nesters! I have always wanted to visit South America but I must see Europe and the South Pacific first. I always look forward to recieving your dispatches!
Thanks. This was our first trip down there and we absolutely loved it. Haven’t made it to the South Pacific yet… there’s always somewhere new to go.
great reportage!incredible how they do this…
I think we have more to learn from them!!!
Hi Veronica and David!
ciao Lucia. We agree.
Wow! What rich colors they get from plants, bugs, and pee!! Gorgeous! 🙂
It’s all natural, Wow!
Thank you for this video! Very interesting!