Emily Chan
In 2005, Taquile’s hand-knitted textiles were considered so special and valuable that UNESCO deemed them Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Since then, their expertly crafted items have been recognized worldwide.
Boys start their training in knitting young, at five or six years of age. The first chullo a boy knits is white.
Later on, he will use sheep wool dyed with plants and minerals found around the island. The boys will continue refining their knitting skills until they are able to make a hat that is neat and tightly woven.
It can take a while before they manage to perfect the task due to the intricate patterns a chullo consists of. Even experienced knitters need almost a month’s time to complete a chullo.
The chullo’s patterns are unique to the creator’s family, identity, and aspirations. Chullos are also important in pairing couples together.
When it comes to marriage, the number one quality that is looked for in a man is his ability to knit. A sign of a good partner is that they can knit a well-made chullo with extremely thin needles.
Additionally, men are judged by how tightly knitted their chullos are. Potential fathers-in-law test the chullos by seeing how much water drips out when carried over long distances.
If no water leaks through the hat, that means the creator of the chullo has impressive knitting skills, making him an ideal husband.
Women must also show off their weaving abilities when it is their turn to be married. From a young age, they are taught to weave on a traditional loon constructed from wood, string, and bone.
They spend time weaving chumpis, which are thick belted waistbands worn by all men. Chumpis are meant to tell stories through elaborate symbols and patterns.
To prove her worth as a wife, a woman will gift her husband-to-be a chumpi with strands of her hair woven into the belt.
