Threads of Peru, ngo - handwoven, handspun textiles. Hermetania Huanca Ccana, weaver, preparing the warp. The Huaran weaving community in Calca village. The weavers are members of the Munay Urpi Association, supported by ToP. The president of the association, Master Weaver Andres, let the weavers use his place as a weaving center. The weaver is winding the warp on a four-post loom. Threads of Peru : Hermetania Huanca Ccana is a member of the Asociación de Tejedores Tradicionales Laraypas Indígenas de Amaru. She was born in Amaru in 1970. Hermetania has five children, three girls and two boys. Her husband is an agricultural worker. Hermetania attended school until the 2nd grade. She speaks Quechua. An average day for Hermetania includes working on the farm and taking care of her animals. Hermetania learned to weave when she was eight years old because all of the other girls in her community were learning to weave. She first began learning to weave by making the senkapa (a traditional thin wrap, used to adorn hats and skirts). Hermetania says that children now do not learn to weave until they are around 12 or 13, since most children attend school and do not have time when they are younger. She loves to weave bracelets and scarves the most. Her favourite dye colour is purple because it allows symbols to stand out.
Santa Cruz de Sallac Weaving Center, member of CTTC - Centro de Textiles Tradicionales Del Cusco, Peru (CTTC) Supplementary warp on the backstrap loom, ‘watay’ (ikat), embroidery, knitted hats. The weavers of Sallac are very proud of their recovery of the ‘watay’ technique which traces back to the Nazca and Huari cultures. The CTTC was founded in 1996 by indigenous weavers of the Cusco region and international supporters, to save, promote and spread the Peruvian traditional textile knowledge Handspun & handwoven texiles, all dyed with natural dyes.
Threads of Peru, handwoven textiles - Upis Village, with the sacred Mountain Ausangate in the background - Quechua Weavers. Weaver plying threads of yarn with a drop spindle
