| Even though there’s more rain here in the Sacred Valley than snow, Awamaki is still feeling the holiday spirit! |
Our very own Andean elves have been hard at work knitting, looming and sewing away to create special, one-of-a-kind gifts for all the good little (inner) children.We know all too well how difficult it can be to choose the right gift for your loved ones, so our WCP volunteers thought a little gift guide could help make the season more merry and less maddening – for your families and ours.
It costs a family in the communities we work with an average of s/. 1000 to feed 6 members – about $320. To feed a student during 1 month of primary school education, it costs a family s/. 35, about $12. The cost of one doctor visit is s/. 15, about $5. With a fair trade Christmas gift from Awamaki, make your and their holiday bright!
The coco cowl looks as stunning against winter white just as much as it is functional. Match it with our tote bag to bring any outfit together. Our totes are roomy and versatile. Use the durable bag for books to brick-a-brac. Our seamstresses put a lot of love into each individual tote. It takes approximately 10-13 hours for Awamaki to make a tote bag, between the weaving and sewing, depending on the artisans.
We just love how cozy our garnet lace double infinity scarf is. An artisan makes s/. 32 for every double loop scarf. Tie it up as a big, candy-cane-bowed package with a matching coco cap and fingerless gloves. It’s like a big knitted hug for that special someone.
All of our knitwear is made with 100% alpaca fiber. Alpaca fiber is finer, softer and warmer than sheep fiber. It doesn’t contain the oil lanolin, which makes it hypoallergenic and come in seven colors.
The hand-spun cap and Hillary cowl are the best gift for your friends living anywhere near the arctic north – or at least anywhere that feels like it. The thick cowl fits snugly and can be pulled up like a hood for when the winds really start to blow. They are hand knitted by women from our knitting cooperatives of Rumira and Puente Inca and the fiber is hand spun by our spinning cooperative in Huilloc.
For that someone on your list who loves to decorate, add a little Peruvian cheer to their living room with one of Awamaki’s pillows. The unique accents come in two sizes and are made with a square of traditional textile and comfortable drill backing.
Awamaki’s woven textiles are made by the Patacancha and Kelkanka cooperatives on back-strap looms. The process starts when weavers shear their own sheep and spin the fiber on drop spindles to create yarn. Once the yarn is spun it is dyed using natural plants, fungus and cochineal beetles.
The talented artisans of the six cooperatives we work with are proud of their products. The season of generosity reminds us of how magnanimous the women are in their communities and to the Awamaki team.
Give a gift that keeps on giving. Each purchase shows how much you care for your loved ones and for the empowerment of our women!