Category - Textiles
100% Adult Alpaca Wool Wall Hanging from Peru
This 46" x 30" adult alpaca wall hanging is made by hand on a loom, in a cooperative in an area near Cusco. It depicts Mother Earth, and the yarn is dyed with coloring extracted from plants. The Quechua people, descendants of the Indus civilization, are proud and talented people. They produce wall hangings in many sizes, masks, blankets, shawls, and other clothing items. All the items produced are either done in the actual color of the alpaca or dyes extracted from plants. The suppleness of the material surpasses anything we have come across. Purchasing from a cooperative ensures that people’s livelihoods are maintained and keeps us connected as people. Your head would spin with all the choices that were offered. We finally settled on the few items we acquired because we listened when they spoke to us.
100% Baby Alpaca Wool Throw from Peru (Beige)
We visited an alpaca farm and cooperative near Cusco. This place employs many people who make their wares at home. It ensures that the people who have this cottage business are paid fairly for their work while maintaining the culture of Peru. It was a bustling place with many textiles, from outerwear to blankets, shawls and leather products. This blanket measures 51” x 72” and is made of 100% baby alpaca, an incredibly supple material that begs you to touch it. It is produced using the animals’ natural colors. This beige colored, checkered pattern blanket, although lightweight, will keep you warm always in addition to accessorizing your home in a modern, contemporary feel.
100% Baby Alpaca Wool Throw from Peru (Gray)
While in Peru, we visited an alpaca and llama farm near Cusco. After learning about and feeding the animals, we visited the store. It was a large cooperative that protects the people and animals by preserving the culture and cottage industries that keep Peru going. The blanket we picked out was in the natural color of the baby llama and designed with bands of gray with fringes along the width. It is very soft and supple. The animals are well cared for as they contribute to the very important livelihood of the Peruvians. You will love the look and feel of this baby alpaca throw. It’s a perfect gift for someone special or a luxurious treat for yourself. It measures 51” x 72”
100% Baby Alpaca Wool Throw from Peru (Blue)
We visited an alpaca farm and cooperative near Cusco. This place employs many people who make their clothes at home. It ensures that the people who have these cottage businesses are paid fairly for their work while maintaining the culture of Peru. This cooperative takes care of people and animals. When you purchase from a cooperative, you are extending a human touch to someone and helping to sustain the culture and livelihood of another. You get a beautiful ware to enjoy always. It was a bustling place with many textiles, from outerwear to blankets, shawls and leather products. This blanket is made of 100% baby alpaca wool dyed in shades of blue with touches of yellow, red and green, all from the pigments of plant extract. It measures 48” x 72”, and this thin, lightweight throw promises to keep you warm always.
100% Cotton Blanket from Peru (multicolored)
We visited a huge local market while in Cusco. It sold everything from sweet breads to quinoa, cheese and a myriad of textiles. It was a bustling place with hundreds of shopkeepers. Being there begs you to buy something from everyone. The blanket we purchased measures 51” x 96”. It is made of 100% cotton yarn and dyed in bright colors of red and blue. It is a tightly woven blanket and is designed with a typical Peruvian pattern, but also a pattern that is versatile and can be used anywhere. It promises to keep you warm on the coldest night and brighten your night while doing so.
Baby Alpaca & Silk Shawl from Peru (Green)
In a cooperative and animal sanctuary near Cusco, we purchased a shawl made of 100% baby alpaca and silk yarns. The yarn dyed with natural plant extracts in shades of green is so supple that the wearer will never want to take it off. It measures 28” x 80”. This cooperative is a place that employs many people who make their wares at home. It ensures that the people who have this cottage business are paid fairly for their work while maintaining the culture of Peru. It is a wonderful place to visit and support.
Baby Alpaca & Silk Shawl from Peru (Blue)
This shawl is is so soft you can’t imagine. It is 28” x 80” and made of baby alpaca and silk yarns. The dyes used to produce the rich colors are all natural extracts from plants. This one is done in shades of blue. There were so many choices that it was difficult to choose just one. The quality of the work is outstanding, and despite the thinness, this shawl will keep the wearer warm. They will enhance any outfit. Made at a cooperative that runs a llama and alpaca farm near Cusco that’s also a rescue sanctuary for other living creatures, these items provide a living for hundreds of people, ensuring financial stability and independence.
100% Adult Alpaca Wool Table Runner from Peru
This table runner measures 16” x 60” and is made of 100% alpaca and natural dyes. The border of this runner depicts the different facets of the Inca civilization and culture. It’s done in deep red and blue. While traveling and hiking on this trip, we met the local Quechua people, the descendants of the Inca civilization. They are strong, proud and resilient, and their work ethic reflects this. We stopped at a small cooperative started by a few women who needed to improve the financial situation of their families. Each woman has a different role, they care for the animals, shear them, produce the wool, and manufacture the yarn using tried-and-true methods. Everything is done by hand by them and on their land. Everything, from the soap they use to clean the yarn to the dyes they use, is from Mother Earth, an important part of everything they do. They welcome visitors who pass through their village with a tour of their place and an opportunity to support their cottage industry.
