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

Ten years after the publication of her seminal book Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands, twenty years after founding the iconic Center for Tradition Textiles of Cusco, Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez provides an inspirational new view into the world of Andean textiles. The Peruvian highlands are home to one of the world’s finest textile traditions. The native Quechua people of the region use tricks and techniques dating to pre-Inca times to create sophisticated and beautiful handspun, handwoven, and handknitted clothing and household goods. Callañaupa Alvarez has gathered artisans of all ages to share their knowledge, lore, and deep skills, highlighting many of the techniques used by spinners, weavers, and knitters of the Andes. For many of these techniques, they offer concise step-by-step instructions accessible for North American crafters. Poignant and 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. Callañaupa Alvarez pays special recognition to the Young Weavers Groups who are proudly carrying forward the textile traditions of their ancestors with ingenuity and innovation.

Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez 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 work. Nilda grew up in Chinchero, Peru, learning spinning, weaving, and knitting from her family and other elders of the community. She holds degrees from the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco, and is an international speaker and expert in Cusqueñan textiles. Nilda lives in Cusco and Chinchero with her husband and two sons. Her previous titles, Weaving in the Peruvian Highlands, Faces of Tradition, and Textile Traditions of Chinchero have sold more than 40,000 copies.