Gaining a renewed appreciation for Pachamama's hues in Peru
How a textile dyeing and weaving workshop with alpaca fibres in Peru's Sacred Valley allowed me to support an inspiring mission
Calmly plodding by my side are two gentle llamas Llamica and Tomás, decked out in brightly coloured pom pom accessories. On this sunny May morning in the heart of Peru’s Sacred Valley, my furry companions and I are on a mission: in search of the ch’illka plant, a shrub that dyes yarn in different shades of green.
Upon reaching the roadside plant plot, I kneel down to painstakingly pluck a good amount of leaves, before gathering them into a traditional blanket which I tie onto my back.
Peru is known for its vibrant textiles, a vivid contrast to the surrounding natural colours of the earth. Since ancient times, Peruvians have used dyes made from local plants to dye their sheep, llama and alpaca wools all hues imaginable.
Having tried my hand at natural dyeing in Yunnan previously, I jumped at the chance to sign up for a private four-hour dyeing and weaving workshop with social enterprise Andean Colors.
My teacher for the day is manager Miguel Lopez Acevedo, a wonderfully attentive guide who instantly makes me feel at home. The tourism administration graduate decided to move from Lima capital to join Andean Colors three years ago. He wants to pursue his passion to share about the dyeing and weaving culture of Chinchero, a village famous for fine textiles for hundreds of years.
An important social mission
Starting the tour, Miguel launched into a detailed explanation about Andean Colors’ inspiring mission.
Founded in 2017, the social enterprise was started by Marco Zuniga and Hilda Mayta. Hilda, a domestic violence survivor and struggling single mother, was compelled to start a business that would help women with similar pasts.
Nearly half of all Peruvian women experience some form of violence, according to national survey data. In a groundbreaking study entitled “Prevalence of Violence against Women among Peruvian Ethnic Groups,” it found that one in three women has suffered emotional violence and one in 10 has suffered sexual violence, but many of such cases go unreported.
Entrenched misogyny, mistrust in the justice system and ultra-conservative legislation has also contributed to rising femicide, or intentional, gender-motivated murder of women.
For Marco, having come from extreme poverty, he fought to better his life, eventually becoming an official tourist guide and high mountain guide. After many years of taking tourists to textile centres, he noticed that they were often deceived into buying poor quality textile products. He wanted to showcase the great talents of the Andes textile artisans, but in the right way.
Together with Hilda and Marco’s combined life experiences and shared mission to improve lives, Andean Colors was born.
Today, Andean Colors now offers work opportunities to 38 single artisan mothers and domestic violence survivors in the highlands, so they achieve economic and emotional independence. Through workshops, tourists learn about indigenous techniques, and the cultural and historical significance of textile traditions in Peru.
Explains Miguel, “We hope to change the women’s mindsets that it is no longer necessary to depend on men. And through Andean Colors, they hone their techniques, achieve high quality of products and get the opportunity to sell their products too.”
Meeting the friendly alpacas and llamas
Then, Miguel led me outdoors to feed the friendly and adorable alpacas and llamas. Peru is home to about four million alpacas, more than 70 percent of the world's alpaca population.
Among the most prestigious varieties is wool from Andean vicuña and royal alpaca, followed by premium baby alpaca and baby alpaca, obtained by shearing the animal in the first two years of its life. Unfortunately, many garments that are sold at tourist shops are marketed as “alpaca” or “baby alpaca” are not the genuine article they claim to be. Instead, they are brushed acrylic or a blend of alpaca and synthetic fibres, and sold at low prices.
Miguel teaches me to differentiate between alpacas and llamas by their physical characteristics, such as their size, face length, length of ears. I learned the leader of the group is called Michael Jackson, a black alpaca named after the King of Pop.
Because llama wool is much coarser, it is used more for making rope and sacks and practical items than garments.
The colours of Peru
After harvesting the ch’illka plant, Miguel instructs me to toss the leaves into a pot of boiling water, mix it with minerals and then add the alpaca yarn in it. I also try my hand at using a big stone to pound moss into tiny fragments, which is said to give a rich brown or yellow colour.
The textile artisans usually dye the fabrics in large quantities to ensure colour standardisation. They also dye near the river because a lot of water is needed for the washing process.
Different natural materials are used, such as alum stone as a binding agent for the fibre to the dye, and sulphur dioxide to change the colour tonality.
As I occasionally stir the dye bath, Miguel jokes, “Now, you become an Andean witch because you are preparing a potion. But you’re a good witch.”
What is most fascinating is the use of cochineal, a tiny, cactus-dwelling insect native to Central and South Americas that has been used to create a red dye since the time of the Aztecs.
The red pigment comes from carmine acid, which makes up almost a quarter of the bugs' weight. Miguel crushes the white bug in his palm and I’m amazed to see a huge splotch of brilliant red blood appear. Interestingly, this was used by indigenous communities as lipstick too.
Miguel demonstrates how this base red can be transformed into different shades: ranging from orange to pink by adding acids like lemon juice, and brown, purple and black with the use of oxides.
Every detail in the fabric is laden with meaning. Red, which is historically one of the most important colours of the Andes, is symbolic of life’s vitality while blue represents the sacred skies and lakes. The colours in one’s poncho can reveal plenty about which area they come from, while intricate patterns depict the Incan trinity of the condor, puma, and snake.
The intricate art of washing and weaving
To get the impurities out of dirty sheep wool, I was given a local root called sachaparacay, which produces a soapy lather once grated into warm water.
“People in the highlands use it to wash their hair too, that’s why you don’t see many Peruvians with grey hair!” Miguel tells me, though he adds that this is becoming less common with the use of synthetic shampoo.
Other natural detergent alternatives include the agave root (agave is also used to make tequila) and quinoa grains.
Next, I’m faced with my greatest challenge: to do some traditional introductory weaving with traditional pushka, a small drop spindle. It’s a delicate skill that requires spinning and plying, twisting together the fibres after the first spinning.
I also have a go at a backstrap loom (one end looped around the weaver’s waist and the other secured to a tree or post) and four-stake looms (created by driving four wooden or metal posts into the ground to create a rectangular frame). It’s an everyday ritual that comes so effortlessly to the Peruvian women, but comes as a huge struggle to me.
Even more amazing is that the women plan the most technically difficult designs all in their head beforehand. Other fun facts: 150 threads can be used for just one design, and it can take anywhere up to two months or more just to weave a single textile piece.
Miguel, a fashion lover, confesses that he dreams of one day making a poncho with his own designs. Until then, he is patiently learning all he can from the women.
I also learned how to differentiate between organic and synthetic products. Alpaca fibre is known as one of the strongest natural fibres. Just like how the animal adapts to nature’s changing elements, alpaca wool keeps you warm on cold days and breathes in hot weather. Many alpaca products are made in the natural colour of the wool, or only dyed with natural dyes, which are more muted in colour. And most importantly, its environmental impact is also lower compared to synthetic fibres.
A tribute to Mother Nature
For textile weaver Noemí Hancco Condori, working at Andean Colors has radically turned her life around. The single mother started working for the social enterprise last November.
She gets emotional as she recounts its impact. “Being here, I get to learn many new things from the other weavers, how to combine different colours, and the skills needed to run a business. It has given me a lot of spiritual and emotional support.”
We ended the experience with a hearty lunch and I went home with the dyed yarn we worked on, woven bracelets, a beautiful handwoven scarf and adorable alpaca toys from the extensive on-site store.
It was a truly eye-opening experience to learn to all the work that goes into the beautiful textiles you see at the markets. More importantly, it was a great feeling to be able to support a mission to empower single women artisans, to keep the interest alive in indigenous traditions and gain a renewed appreciation for all the natural gifts and hues from Pachamama, Mother Earth.
A version of this story will be published on The Peak’s October 2024 issue.