FRAZADA RUGS FROM PERU

Spinning A Tale of Colorful & Vibrant Rugs

Every piece is a unique creation, hand loomed with techniques passed down through the generations in the Andes Mountains. Let each piece spin the story of Peru!

The origin of these beautiful and vibrant rugs begins high in the Andean mountains where the alpacas and sheep, whose wool is used for these rugs, roam freely.

Their cozy winter coats keep them safe from the chilly weather found in high altitudes where they live. The campo, or Peruvian countryside where these animals live can sometimes reach incredible heights of over 3 miles high!

The shearing season begins at winter's end when the temperatures begin to rise. While shearing thousands of sheep and alpaca is a bit of an undertaking, it is also a calm and stress-free job that is both ethical and cruelty-free. The bi-product is a sustainable resource used to make these incredibly beautiful rugs.

Once the animals have been sheared, the women are tasked with washing and sorting the wool into color and quality, or "grade". 

The rich and vibrant colors are created by women who source plants that grow in the area. This knowledge is passed down from one generation to the next. The naturally sourced plants are boiled extracting their color then the spun yarn is added.

The depth of color is dependent upon the amount of plants added and the length of time the yarn is boiled. The colors created can be quite vivid!

Once the yarn is removed from the dye bath it is placed in the sun to dry.

Once the yarn has dried, it is ready to weave into a blanket or rug. The artist selects the colors and the length of rug they are going to create prior to starting to determine the amount of yarn that will be used. 

While a preplanned design is often used, an experienced weaver works from the mind.