Emily Chan
The fiber arts have traditionally been associated with women, but here on the tiny Peruvian island of Taquile, knitting is considered a masculine practice.
The island is located on the Peruvian side of Lake Titicaca and is famous for producing some of the best-quality textiles and clothing in Peru.
For more than 500 years, men in Taquile have been making hand-knitted crafts. The tradition is reserved exclusively for men and plays a major role in the island’s social structure, allowing them to express themselves and attract partners.
Women do not partake in knitting as much as men do, but they are still involved in an important part of the process.
They are in charge of spinning and dyeing the wool for the men, in addition to tending to the sheep that provide the wool.
Various textiles and articles of clothing are produced on the island, but the ones that stand out the most are tall, floppy, knitted hats called chullos.
The chullos hold a lot of cultural significance. The direction that the chullos are worn on men’s heads indicates their marital status and aspirations in life.
The roots of the tradition can be traced back to the ancient civilizations of the Inca, Pukara, and Colla peoples.
The Inca created headdresses that were similar to the chullo in function, but they differed vastly in appearance.
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