Following our feeding, bonding session with the llamas and alpacas we watched some local Peruvian dressed women spinning and dyeing llama wool.
The two distinct breeds among alpacas are distinguished by the type of fleece they grow. Their fleece which is referred to as alpaca's fibre is shorn once a year in spring and then spun into yarn and woven into fabric.
The fleece of Huacaya alpaca grows out from the body in tightly crimped curls that intertwine and provide protection in the cold winter months. The fleece is soft, fine and fluffy. Suri alpacas have longer dreadlock-like fleece that grows downwards in curly locks that feel smoother than the fleece of the Huacaya breed. Suris often look smaller than the Huacaya because their fleece doesn't fluff out, but the alpacas are the same size underneath all of their fleece.
Alpaca fibre is softer than sheep wool so it is suitable for clothing that touches the skin. The texture of the fleeces of the Huacaya and Suri alpacas are different so the fibres are used in slightly different ways. Huacaya fleece is used for clothes such as socks, mittens and sweaters. Suri fleece has much more lustre and feels more slippery so it is ideal for making high-quality outerwear such as shawls and coats.
We saw a demonstration of how the wool fibre is spun into yarn on drop spindles. The traditionally dressed women's fingers were nimble and quick and they were able to spin the fleece into yarn so easily. We were fascinated by the dyeing process that follows the same methods, passed on over the centuries. It was really interesting to see the number and variety of natural leaves, insects and berries that were displayed for us. Each ingredient by the community members use to create vivid dye for colouring the yarn. Since ancient times, red has been a very important colour to the Andean people. It is the brightest and most highly-saturated colour that could be produced with natural dyes and so it dominants the other bright colours of traditional Andean cloth.
Cochineal is the most commonly used substance to make red dyes. We watched in amazement as a community woman squashed a tiny scale insect (like an aphid) that is found on prickly pear cactus –very common in this area of Peru and out of its body came a red substance. We were told that the insects are dried in the sun and then ground into a fine powder using stones, a mortar and pestle, or a hand-turned grinder. This powder is then added to water and boiled as the basis of the dyeing process. Fixatives are added to ensure fastness and intensity of colour. Salt, iron oxide and urine are added as different fixatives depending on the colours being made. The range of shades that are created from cochineal include vivid reds, pinks purples and more. We watched as some yarn was dipped into pot of boiling dye, simmering on a wood-fuelled open fire.
Next we moved into an outdoor area where brightly dressed women were engaged in weaving cloth by hand. They sat on the ground, singing or chatting as they wove. Although weaving is symbolically a traditional women's task, men also weave traditionally. Here we saw both genders at work. Some women joked that they are faster weavers and create a tighter weave than their male workers. However we thought that all the weaving was beautifully and wondrously made.
The tour ended in the project's gift shop where we were able to see a whole range of high quality, well crafted clothing and objects to buy.
Awana Kancha's gift shop is a large, split-level store where just about everything inside is made of Alpaca hair. I saw (and touched) gorgeous jackets, sweaters, hats, scarves and boots. There were blankets, ponchos, mittens, gloves, shawls, caps, bags, rugs, purses and many more products. We purchased an original alpaca product for mum. It was a pair of beautifully, ever-so-soft alpaca lined socks which really warmed up my hands in minutes – such is the touch of real alpaca wool. Mum will have warm feet next winter.
The prices were expensive but the products were genuine. Everything was still less expensive than the same items sold at a boutique in town or at the airport. We knew that the dyes would not run, the yarn was strongly woven and that the monies raised with each purchase, would go to the many families who keep the work at the Awana Kancha project going so that tourists and local kids can learn about the history of Peru's weaving industry and the animals that provide such unique fibres.
