Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez Collection

We’ve gathered three articles for you from past issues of Spin Off and PieceWork, spanning from 1985 to 2022, that show the evolution of Nilda’s work and connection to her Peruvian community of makers. Download a PDF collection of the following articles below.

In a 1985 “Profile of Nilda Callañaupa,” Ed Franquemont recounts his experience meeting Nilda as a 14-year-old weaver in her home village of Chinchero and describes her early roots in spinning (before the age of 5) and shepherding (at the age of 8). He goes on to relay how she developed skills that revolutionized the textile traditions of her town before she was 20. Also included are Ed’s instructions for some Andean spindle techniques.

In her 2001 article “Spinning Andean Adventures,” Kaye Collins fulfills her lifelong dream when she visits a series of remote Andean villages—including Nilda’s hometown—to observe indigenous weaving and learn how to spin and knit the Andean way, crafting durable and nearly waterproof articles from tightly spun and tightly plied yarns. You’ll gain tips for the Andean method of drafting, spinning, plying, and dyeing in this visually-rich account.

A more recent PieceWork interview for “The Long Thread: Voices from Our Community” with Nilda reveals what drew her to the old ways of weaving and spinning in her village, and her mission to revive, sustain, and practice these skills to pass them on to the next generation. Nilda talks about the labor-intensive work of capturing colors of natural dyes that are part of her heritage and why they are worth it, plus her role in establishing the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco (CTTC) and what that means for the weavers in the Andean highland villages it serves.