Students and teachers from the Hathaway Brown School in Ohio came biking down the Patacancha Valley and stopped to have an educational exchange with the weavers of Rumira Sondormayo the first weekend in June. Threads of Peru Project Leader Terra Fuller met the group and provided an introduction to the weavers and explained the importance of supporting this ancient art form. The students asked lots of questions about fair wages for the weavers, life in developing countries, and how to get involved with Threads of Peru projects, such as summer internships and selling ToP textiles at their winter school fair.
Project Leader Terra Fuller introduces weavers of Rumira Sondormayo to students of Hathaway Brown School.[/caption] Then the weavers invited the students to try their skill at using the p’ushka to spin sheep and alpaca wool! The girls practiced their Spanish and asked Maria Quispe Cruz, the President of the weaving association, questions about their lives and families. The girls all gasped when Maria demonstrated the technique of swinging a baby up over her head and (safely) onto her back in a lliclla, the traditional woven blanket for carrying loads on ones back. For the opportunity to learn more about Quechua weaving, speak to weavers and try the backstrap loom for yourself, check out our unique Threads of Peru weaving tour!