Our workshops

Learning to weave on a traditional backstrap loom is a challenging but rewarding experience. Children begin learning when they are about 6-8 years old. The first textiles they weave are thin ribbons called jakima. Your instructor will guide you through the ancient process of learning to weave on a jakima, beginning with plain-weave and moving on to simple designs. For those with prior experience, the class starts with more complex designs on larger textiles such as the chumpi, or belt.

Have you ever wondered how weavers use a simple drop spindle to produce the huge quantities of thread they need to create their beautiful textiles? How do they keep the spindle spinning, and what really are the mechanics behind it? Learn the answers to all of these questions and more as you practice making your own alpaca thread with a pushka, the Quechua word for drop spindle. Spinning instructors from the different communities one-on-one instruction to help you master the deceptively simple art of spinning.