Completing a shawl

After finishing his work on the backstrap loom, an Otavalo weaver finishes a piece, cutting the tassels hanging from the bottom. (Learn more)

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In the Otavalo Valley, the labor of creating woven goods is traditionally divided by gender. Typically, women — with help from their children — clean, card, and spin the wool. The actual weaving is usually done by men. The work is difficult and labor-intensive, and it can take hundreds of hours to produce a single piece. Finishing work, such as sewing together larger pieces, is usually done by women.

Learn more about Ecuador, South America, clothing, crafts, craftsmanship, gender roles, weaving, work, and world cultures.

Definitions

card n.
To prepare wool for spinning by separating the fibers and combing out impurities.

Links

  • Lesson plan: Threads through South America: Weaving in Ecuador This lesson for grade six takes a look at the weaving and textiles created in the Andes of Ecuador in and near the town of Otavalo. In addition to learning about Ecuadorian weaving, students may also create their own woven artifact.

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