These are the hands of a weaver in Chinchero, Peru by the name of Alicia. Alicia works a twelve-hour shift and walks two hours each way between her home and work. They are hardworking hands that create beautifully woven textiles.
Here she is showing how to create soap from a cactus leaf in order to wash the wool to prepare for dyeing.
Categories: All about Hoofbeats & Footprints, Peru and the Inca Trail
Emily Carter ~ Nature as Art 
I’ve always been impressed with the beautiful colors – these creative people can make as clear colors in a relative simple but effective way…
Amazing… 😉
Drake, you wouldn’t believe how they get the red. It is from a small black bug that lives inside a cactus leaf. Squash it and it becomes bright deep red. Amazing indeed.
I am impressed with this kind of work and knowledge. May it be preserved.
The amount of time they put into these pieces is just amazing. They share the art of weaving from granddaughter, to mother to daughter. Each generation starts with a specific weaving. The children- bracelets, the young women – belts, the women – small table coverings and the older women – large table cloths. They are making a point to preserve this in Chinchero and are now hosting workshops for international visitors.
Nice tight cropping and visual interest.
Thanks Alex ! Hope you’re doing well.