Secrets of Spinning, Weaving, and Knitting in the Peruvian Highlands

by Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez

Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez has gathered artisans of all ages to share their knowledge, lore, and deep skills, highlighting many of the techniques used by craftspeople in the Andes. They reveal clever highland secrets for everything from skeining yarn and knitting in reverse to weaving tubular borders and embellishing fabric with complex stitches. For many of these techniques, they provide concise step-by-step instructions accessible for North American crafters. Thoughtful, detailed descriptions of Andean cultural traditions frame each section, providing context and rare insight into what textile work means as a living heritage of the Quechua people.

Genres: Nonfiction, Crafts, Knitting, Art

149 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2017

About the author

Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez is an indigenous Quechua weaver from Chinchero in the Cusco region of Peru. She is one of the founders and Director of the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco where she works with ten weaving communities to preserve and promote Cusqueñan textile traditions and to support the weavers and their works. She holds degrees from the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco, and speaks internationally as a recognized expert in Cusqueñan textiles. Nilda lives in Cusco and Chinchero with her husband and two sons.

Reviews

[Heidi Kirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

This book is more National Geographic--Textile Edition than practical but that is no fault at all. It just surprised me the first time through. The focus instead is the skills and traditions of the Peruvian Highlands region. Within, its divided into 3 sections. The author gives an excited history and use of each craft (we call them crafts but they are or were a necessary part of this area) with little asides and vocabulary. This whole volume is profusely illustrated in vivid color. I've run across other histories of textiles that have mostly line drawings and maybe an inset of photos in the middle. This is so not that. Within each of the three sections (spinning, weaving, and knitting) there is a tutorial to start us on each of the skills. These tutorials are photographed like we're used to in blogs, with each direction having its own photo. I've knitted but never spun and only weaved from kid bead looms so I can't attest to how easy they are. To me they aren't beginner lessons. The knitting portion has three different ways to start a chullo (based on geographic areas.) I was kind of hoping it would show how they knit around their necks. It mentions that they generally use 5 needles, sometimes fashioned from bicycle spokes (cool.) The last section (a fourth one, I guess) is all about finishing--be it tassels, pom poms, and lots of seaming.

Overall, from an anthropological perspective, this is the history book every fiber lover wants. Throughout the book, the author keeps mentioning skills that are extinct or nearly so and this book specifically is the preservation of so much of that history as well as its place in our world today.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is stunning, both visually and in content. It gives an overview of Peruvian handcrafts, with plenty of pictures and step-by-step instructions for replicating the techniques. A must-have for anyone interested in South American textiles.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler alert: the main "secret" to these textiles is years and years of practice. But this is still an incredible book, with dazzling illustrations, explanations of the extremely labor-intensive process of making the stunning textiles, and step-by-step instructions for ambitious fiber artists to try their hand at it. Surrounding these are bits of narrative, cultural background, and historical tidbits that flesh out the role textiles play in the community. If you'd enjoy a chance to watch the work in person, you'll like this book.

[Sherry Monger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful look into the weaving and knitting techniques that have been employed in the Peruvian Highlands for generations. There are beautiful pictures to go along with the text - anyone who has admired Andean textiles will delight in the possibility of being able to reproduce some of their most revered and ancient patterns.

[Nancy Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely and incredibly detailed book about fiber arts in Peru. I'm about to spend two weeks there, including a day with some weavers, so wanted a preview. The multi-color knitting puts my colorwork to shame...

[Kati · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great overview of the traditional fiber culture in Peru near Cuzco, and I found it very interesting for that. Be aware that it is not really an instructional book, despite how the title may sound. You'll pick up a few cool tricks, like the scalloped cast-on for a chullo or weaving a tubular border onto an existing piece, but it will only be small tips and tricks, nothing comprehensive.