Spinzilla

Spinzillita Spinning Week Results

Spinning Week in the Andes

The unofficial Spinzillita Spinning Week in Independencia, Bolivia went off without a hitch. It is the 5th year the rural weavers have spent the first week in October spinning and eyeballing each other’s progress. For lack of a TNNA Spinzilla sponsor they could not officially compete.

Sisters Spinning Together, Doñas Maxima & Narciza

Mid-week Doña Maxima contracted a vehicle for the ride winding up the mountain west of Independencia, along the ridge top, and halfway down another mountain into Huancarani. Doña Justina had the 19 participants in that community organized for a photo shoot and evaluation of the yarn spun thus far. Being dry season, the rough track that serves as a road to farmsteads to the west was passable. A stop was made near the farmstead of Doña Narciza, Doña Maxima´s only sibling still residing in Huancarani, who was out and about with her goat herd. Backtracking to the central part of Huancarani, a large group of spinners were waiting at the soccer field. Spinning and chatting the group headed uphill together in search of Doña Toribia who was in a large meadow, and perfect picnic spot, spinning and watching over her flock of sheep.

Doña Toribia and Her Flock

On Monday, the day following the end of Spinning Week, Doña Maxima, Doña Antonia, and Vilma made the trip to Huancarani to measure the yarn spun. PAZA paid a wage to the latter 2 because help was needed for measuring. In the past, PAZA volunteers were on hand to help with the wearisome task of measuring out yard after yard of 2 ply yarn between 2 marks on a wooden table. Although the enthusiasm for Spinning Week has grown, the results were the lowest in 5 years.

Doña Antonia Measures While Vilma Tallies

In 2017, the Cloth Roads team Warmi Phuskadoras last official participation in Spinzilla resulted in 70,390 yards spun on drop spindles placing them in 27th place out of 70 teams. This year the yarn spun dropped to 54,524 yards, which would have placed them in the 24th place out of Spinzilla´s 38 official teams. Doña Maxima´s norm was well below past years because of travel days. She was probably exhausted as well because Spinning Week began the day after her daughter´s 3 day wedding and celebration in Cochabamba. She was 100% in charge during Wednesday´s all day trip to Huancarani which meant more work for her and less time to spin. This is the first blog posting where she is credited with the photos.

Mother & Daughter, Doñas Eulogia & Cirilia Upped Their Yardage Spun This Year

Doña Casimira had her 3rd win by spinning 3,852 yards. There were 3 first time competitors, all young! Maribel, who was spinning in her second competition, beat Doña Maxima. When it comes to hand spinning, it is the elder women who place highest. Their skill will be recognized and celebrated at their December 19th meeting and feast. The prize this year is a mesh shopping bag.

Maribel Spun 352 More Yards Than Last Year

By strict adherence to the Spinzilla rules, the event has offered the women opportunity to learn to problem solve and to work together as a team. This year 4 unregistered spinners did spin during Spinning Week. During a Skype call with PAZA, Doña Maxima asked 3 different ways if it was possible to get around the registration deadline to be able to give the unregistered spinners a prize. One of the spinners is her mother-in-law, who she prefers not to upset. Registration closed the end of July, the rules can’t be changed, and the PAZA budget is fixed. The PAZA suggestion was to ask the registered spinners to take up a collection to purchase mesh bags for the 4 extra participants, especially since they paid no participation fee as in years past.

This Year’s Winner, Doña Casimira Who Spun 3,852 Yards

The spinners say they are accustomed to Spinning Week and would be disappointed if it is cancelled. PAZA has not found a 2019 TNNA sponsor, and with the decline in participation in Spinzilla this year, its future seems uncertain. However, PAZA hopes to find a way to help the spinners carry on the Spinning Week tradition and celebration of their spinning skill. The key word is “tradition” these women are the last generations to live the ancient farmer subsistence lifestyle that intertwines spinning and weaving with self-identity.

Thank you Sue Brady, Patty Tompkins, Jenny Heard, and Rob Nash, the team’s Spinzillita supporters and friends for your generosity. PAZA is still raising funds to cover expenses for December’s annual meeting of the Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani and Spinzillita Celebration and the ongoing expenses of the Club de Artesanas in Independencia. Dorinda Dutcher, October 29, 2018

The Warmis Phuskadoras Spinzillita

Photo Day, 1st Spinzilla, Huancarani, 2014

The Bolivian Warmis Phuskadoras Spinzilla spinning team has not lost their enthusiasm for Spinning Week although they will not be competing in the The National Needle Arts Association (TNNA) event this year. PAZA and Doña Máxima, Team Captain, have organized a local event. Registration took place during the month of August and 29 spinners signed up. Between now and October 1, the 1st day of Spinning Week, the spinners will be preparing fleece for spinning as there is no roving locally available for purchase. That prep process is labor intensive and includes wheelbarrows and the Palca River, click here to link to last year’s tale.

Rinsing Fleece After Hot Water Wash Over Fire

The spinning event will involve contracting a vehicle on 2 different days for the trip to Huancarani, where 21 of the participants will be spinning. A trip mid-week gives the spinners an excuse to congregate, socialize, and eyeball each other´s progress. Since childhood, they have vied with one another in their spinning and weaving skills and that competitiveness hasn´t lessened a whit. Doña Maxima is tasked with photographing during these rare opportunities to capture images of the evanescent farmer subsistence lifestyle. Monday, October 8th, will be Measuring Day and Doña Maxima will hire 2 folks to help with the exhausting job of measuring around 68,000 yards of yarn, one yard at a time. The spinners want every ball of yarn to be measured by the same method, so no niddy noddys or yarn counters can be used.

Heavy Wet Fleece to Transport Home

All 6 members of PAZA’s Club de Artesanas will be participating.This is the first Spinning Week competition for the two new members. They are young mothers originally from the community of Sanipaya, but now live in a new neighborhood in Independencia. Doña Maxima said their mothers are thrilled that their adult daughters are becoming more involved in their textile heritage. The 2 new Club members know how to weave using the embedded double weave technique employed to weave traditional celebration weavings. Since joining the Club, they have learned the pick-up pebble weave style of weaving used by the Huancarani weavers and in the PAZA weaving

Doña Claudia´s First Weaving Order

orders. Doña Máxima related that she is impressed with the fineness of the straps they wove to fill their first PAZA order. She was overdue for apt weaving pupils, she has tried to teach many teens and women who have been in the Club and lacked the interest to get over the initial learning hump.

As mentioned in the last posting, purchasing phuskas (drop spindles) in Independencia has become a problem since the last phuska maker died. Doña Maxima asked if phuskas were available for sale in Sanipaya. The spinners from Sanipaya responded no, that they buy phushkas in the city of Oruro when they go to visit family and sell their corn at the harvest fair which attracts vendors of all ilk. Fleece from highland Oruro is coveted by all the spinners because of the long fibers compared to the local sheep fiber.

Measuring Day, Sanipaya, 2017

Doña Máxima will be hustling back from Cochabamba to be in time for the start of Spinning Week in Independencia. Most of you who have visited PAZA in Bolivia have met her daughter, Zoraida, who resides in Cochabamba with her family. Zoraida and Luis will be married on September 29th. In attendance will be their 10 year old daughter Zunilda and her 1 year old sister Luz Ariana. Marriage ceremonies for rural Bolivians usually take place years after a couple has started a family, simply because the expense involved in feting the community for 3 days isn´t a priority. Because they live in the city Zoraida was able to reduce their celebration to 2 days without raising eyebrows. Zoraida weaves when she is in Independencia and has worked at all the PAZA sales activities in Cochabamba.

Doña Antonia Measures, Maribel Tallies, and Doña Justina Rewinds Her Yarn

Thank you Susan Weltman and Lyn Lucas for your continued support of the Bolivian spinners and weavers. PAZA funds will be wired to Doña Maxima next week to cover the expenses for the Club de Artesanas through the end of the year, the Spinzillita (Little Spinzilla) activities, and for the end of the year Centro de Artesanía (CAH) annual meeting and the Spinzillita celebratory feast and prize awarding to be held in December. Those expenses total $1,065 which is 44% of what is in the PAZA operating fund. Please consider clicking on the “Donate” button above to support this effort to help women to help themselves and their families through their fiber arts skills. The team is still looking for a TNNA sponsor for 2019. Thank you. Dorinda Dutcher, September 12, 2018

“Spinzillita” and Club de Artesanas News

1st Group Visited, Spinning Week 2017, Huancarani

What to do with no 2018 Spinzilla for the Bolivian team Warmis Phuskadoras? Spinzillita (“Little Spinzilla”) is the answer! Doña Maxima, who has been the team captain the past 4 years, mentioned in a Skype call to PAZA that the team would like to spin during Spinning Week. The social aspects of Spinzilla Spinning Week are important to the weavers and by participating they have had skeins ready for the dye pots when the dye plants become abundant a few months later during the rainy season. The participants who spin but no longer weave have yarn to sell, which PAZA and the producing weavers snap up.

Group 2, Huancarani, 2017

Going through the annual routine of registering the participants, spinning during Spinzilla Week, having photo day in Huancarani, and measuring the results is an excellent learning opportunity for all involved. It will be Doña Maxima´s first opportunity to be 100% in charge without PAZA´s direct influence. The rural spinners are all famers and because Spinning Week falls during a lull in the agricultural calendar they are in the habit of happily dedicating the week to spinning and socializing.

Group 3, Huancarani, 2017

PAZA has estimated a budget of $400 for the local event, which includes 2 trips to Huancarani, extra wages, a trip to Cochabamba for Doña Maxima, and the annual prize for each participant. The budget for the annual prize will be between $3 and $5 per participant and one suggestion was for a mesh shopping bag. The prize is important as tangible recognition of the participants´ spinning skill and a reward for participating.

All Met at Soccer Field, Doña Narciza Had to Bring Her Goats, Spinzilla 2016

PAZA is working on securing a sponsor for Spinzilla 2019, who will be able to send a representative to Independencia with Dorinda for 2019 Spinning Week. Spinzilla would feel more “international” to the weavers if they could meet and interact with their TNNA sponsor. There has to be a TNNA member out there whose sponsorship of the Bolivian team will enhance their business while speaking to its mission and values.

Doñas Julia, Alicia, and Maxima, Spinning Week, Huancarani, 2015

Thanks, yet again, to Laverne Waddington who mentioned the weavings for sale on her blog, they literally flew out the door. All that is left in the U.S. inventory are more than 50 of the yoga mat straps and a few belts and guitar straps. Over half of the sales funds received were returned to Bolivia yesterday along with the next weaving order. Getting the weavings from Bolivia to Bozeman is a work in progress, but hopefully something will work out in time for holiday shopping. There will be another weaving order placed in January to ensure that the weavers have money to purchase school supplies when the academic year begins in February.

Group 1 Visited, Spinning Week, Huancarani, 2014

Doña Maxima continues to work on Tuesdays and Thursdays as the trainer for the Club de Artesanas. She has taught 2 young mothers in the neighborhood to weave. The Club members have been trying to draw locals into the PAZA store/workshop to purchase the bags made from cloth and backpack material they have been sewing to sell. They haven´t received many customers, but there is interest in the backpack design Vilma sewed and that her 8 year old daughter is carrying to school.

PAZA sent funds yesterday for the Club to purchase backpack material and sewing supplies so the women can sew and test designs. PAZA will continue to support the project for production of a few backpack designs for the next school year. The abysmal quality of the “made in China” children’s backpacks sold at the vendor stalls during market day is a crime against the mothers who are so challenged in finding the cash to pay for school supplies. There should be a local market for quality locally made backpacks and pencil bags created by the Club mothers with their and their children´s needs in mind.

Doñas Antonia, Casimira, and Maxima, Huancarani, 2014

PAZA has done no fundraising for activities since early in the year because of the transition of turning all management of the activities over to Doña Maxima. She is doing admirably. The Club activities continue and she´s organizing for Spinzillita with the rural weavers. She is preparing to manage the 2nd weaving order entirely on her own, which means she has nobody to fall back on if a weaving must be rejected due to inferior quality. PAZA activities average about $200 a month and the upcoming Spinzillita is budgeted at $400. PAZA activities in Independencia continue to move forward and the time has come to ask for financial assistance, please consider making a donation. Thank you. Dorinda Dutcher, July 31, 2018

WANTED: 2018 TNNA Spinzilla Sponsor

2017 Spinzilla Spinning Week, Huancarani

Please pass the word that the Bolivian team the Warmis Phuskadoras (Women Spinners) is in need of a TNNA sponsor for the 2018 Spinzilla Spinning Week. This is a super opportunity for a TNNA member who has an affinity for the Andean textile traditions. What better way to develop a personal relationship with rural spinners/weavers? Expenses have been met annually thanks to social media help rallying support for the team. Information about the team is archived on the blog during the months of September and October going back to the team’s first competition in 2014. All spinning is done with phuskas (drop spindles) which is a central activity in the fading rural way of life. The Warmis Phuskadoras love competing and socializing during Spinning Week.

If you are interested or would like further information, please contact Dorinda Dutcher who coordinates the team in Bolivia. dkdutcher@hotmail.com. Dorinda Dutcher, February 27, 2018

Fiber Arts February

Jhesica With a Water Color Portrait She Painted

Annual registration for the Club de Artesanas (CdA) is in February after the women and teens settle back into Independencia following Carnaval. The CdA chicas lost teen trainer Abigail who now lives with a family in the city providing child care part time and attending high school. Jhesica who will turn 16 this year has begun her second year as a teen trainer and was thrilled to receive a wage increase.  Each of the 3 teens from last year invited a younger friend to join and many bring young siblings so there is a lot of youthful exuberance on Saturdays.

Adviana & Her 2 Youngest During 2017 Spinning Week

The CdA women will miss Adviana who has been a devoted member since 2012. She and her family migrated to the city during the vacation. She entered the Club as a timid 17 year old mother and through the years she learned to weave and was completing orders regularly to earn income to care for her 3 little ones. It was mainly because of her that the waiting list was added so more spinners could enjoy Spinzilla Spinning Week in 2017. She begged to spin, but not being up to speed with the older women the wait list was implemented to accommodate and encourage her and 2 other young spinners. May her self confidence that grew through the years of CdA activities and with the support and friendship of the other Club women enable her to transition successfully to life in the city.

Surya, Teens & Their Siblings Posing with Printed T-Shirts

Club attendance was low in February because of women and teens spending much of the month in their rural communities. That allowed Surya, the visiting artist, to work one on one with Club members as well as with groups. Doña Máxima learned to embroider in primary school and on her first embroidered piece working with Surya she learned new stitches but her designs continued to be just outlines. On her second piece she made the leap to use newly learned stitches to fill in her designs and kept then kept stopping to admire and show off the results.

Dye Day Results

Surya taught two of the teens how to use the sewing machine, including using the instruction book as a resource when there is a question or problem. Nelva had finished a beaded embroidery piece under Suyra’s tutelage which she sewed into a bag. Veronica learned to sew by making a small shoulder bag with a button closure and a zippered pencil bag. The teens also learned about perspective in drawing and had fun with water colors. Suyra had brought all the supplies to teach screen printing and worked with the teens for 2 months ending with the final project of a printed t-shirt.

Surya at the Loom

The weavers of Huancarani began dropping off skeins to be dyed as rainy season is dye season. The Club held a dye day to take care of the accumulating skeins from the Huancarani weavers. The dye pot of suyku leaves produced light and dark greens skeins. Fresh turmeric root had been purchased from a sidewalk vendor in Cochabamba in October, and although roots were beginning to sprout once mashed up one dye pot of vibrant orange skeins was produced. The turmeric pot was mixed into the fifth dye bath of cochineal to dye skeins a rich dark orange.

Embroidery Projects… Notice Use of Weaving and Thrums on Surya’s Piece

Surya taught a batik workshop to Vilma and Doña Maxima and they experimented on cotton cloth, silk scarves, and cotton t-shirts with varying degrees of success. The leftover dye pot of the turmeric and cochineal was almost exhausted so further experimentation will take place with stronger dye pots on the upcoming dye days.

Doña Maxima´s 2nd Work with Filled-In Designs & Another of Suyra’s Fun Contemporary Pieces

Surya, is the second volunteer in 8 years to take advanced classes from Doña Maxima and complete a weaving on the loom. She is the first volunteer to weave the cloth, strap, and border to assemble a ch´upsita (small shoulder bag). It is surprising there are not more weavers who have visited to take classes with Doña Máxima to learn traditional Andean weaving techniques. Surya taught embroidery stitches and worked on her own pieces for an exhibition at the Kiosko Galería in Santa Cruz Bolivia beginning on March 15th. She cunningly incorporated an end piece of her weaving and used the thrums as embroidery threads, which was a tug of war with each one because of their rough texture. However, the results were stunning with the natural dyed wool blending together for a natural looking portrait.

Surya Explaining How Her Visit Influenced Her Art Which Will be Exhibited

The PAZA order that will be traveling to the U.S. the end of April is almost complete. It is a bit early to be without an order for the weavers, so any preorders for the woven cloth which are the fajas (70” x 5” bands, $38), weavings (63” x 9.5”, $68), zippered pouches ($16), zippered pouches with a wrist strap ($17), or yoga mat straps ($22/$23) will enable additional orders to be placed over the next 2 months. The sizing may seem odd, but the weavers work in centimeters not inches, well except for Doña Dionicia who at 86 years of age gets away with using hand spans instead of a measuring tape. The weavings that are 63” x 9.5” were sized to be cut up to make 6 zippered bags. If you need a different sized weaving for a project you may place a special order. Contact Dorinda at dkdutcher@hotmail.com for further information or to place an order. Dorinda Dutcher, February 27, 2018

Annual Meeting & Spinzilla Celebration

Hauling Meat Tray to the Oven

The annual Centro de Artesanía, Huancarani (CAH) meeting and Spinzilla Celebration were held outside under brooding clouds. Once again, Doña Toribia donated her wood burning oven and it was fired up before the contingent from Independencia arrived with the 49 pounds of beef cutlets, a first time veggie option, tomatoes, oil, condiments, and sodas for the feast.  Weavers arrived singly or in pairs dragging branches for firewood or with an aguayo filled with just harvested potatoes or onions. Doña Toribia donated iceberg lettuce for the salad which is rarely seen and never for sale in the Independencia market. All set about prepping the food and laying it in metal trays. Branches of the

Mudding the Wood Burning Oven Closed

th’ola shrub were cut and tied to a branch to sweep the oven´s brick bottom clear of ash. Potatoes were tossed inside, the trays were set on top of them, and the oven cover which had been fashioned from the end of a metal 55 gallon drum was sealed shut with mud.

The women settled on the ground for the annual CAH meeting with one eye on the rain falling in the mountains to the south. A new Board of Directors was elected, Doña Justina stepped down as President after 4 years of doing an excellent job of coordinating with PAZA for workshops, meetings, and Spinzilla activities. Twenty year old Maribel took over as Secretary, because she can read and write she will set an example for the future of that Board position. Two new members joined CAH and both are younger than the median age of 60 for the members.

2018 Annual CAH Meeting, Huancarani

The weavers voted to establish an “honorable member” category to waive the annual membership fee for elderly women who no longer spin or weave but enjoy the social occasions the CAH offers. Doña Teodora, who hasn´t woven in decades because of a poorly healed broken shoulder, was CAH´s first honorary member.The new CAH banner was unveiled and all declared it to be beautiful. The intent was to have it made in time to take to the Tinkuy, but the 2 piece pole was so long that it was impractical for travel. It will be marched around the soccer field in Huancarani in the civic day parades.

Doña Teodora with her Photogenic Smile

The vote was unanimous to continue competing in Spinzilla Spinning Week. They asked, “Why wouldn´t we? We spin almost every day anyway and we like winning a prize”. They voted to raise their registration fee 5 Bs. from $1.44 to $2.16 per participant.

The New CAH Banner

Time was spent discussing whether or not to raise the price of the weavings and a vote for a small increase was passed. Thanks to Laverne Waddington the fajas (4-1/2” x 71” bands) are gaining popularity with U.S. weavers who purchase them to design and cut up for their own projects. The 2018 price was raised from $35 to $38. The price for a kilo of handspun yarn went from $10 to $11.50.

Viewing the Tinkuy Photos

Doña Máxima and Doña Justina spoke about their Tinkuy experiences and photos were passed around. The women were able to put a face with the name they hear many times during Spinzilla and that person is Marilyn Murphy of Cloth Roads who has sponsored the Bolivian team for 4 years. There were also photos of Doña Máxima and Doña Justina presenting thank you weavings to longtime supporters Lyn Lucas and Dorothy Thursby. The photo of Karen Sprenger at the exhibition table with Doña Justina and Doña Maxima was appropriate because she´s been instrumental in helping with sales of the inventory stored in Kansas.

Doña Narciza Receives Her Shawl and Spinzilla Photo

The meeting adjourned and the moment all had been waiting for arrived with the handing out of the shawls, the 2017 Spinzilla prize for all participants. Doña Máxima and her daughter Zoraida had selected and purchased the cloth in Cochabamba. The material was divided between Zoraida and the CdA members so they could earn a wage by crocheting the borders and adding fringe, thus personalizing each shawl. Unfortunately, a group photo was not taken because the wind picked up and the clouds had darkened.

The 1 hour and 40 minute meeting coincided with the exact time needed for all to be pulled out of the oven cooked to perfection. Many of the women bagged up their meal and headed home hoping to stay ahead of the rain. The meal was a hurried affair as the rain rolled implacably towards the group. In the end all scurried to clean up and head home. Doña Narciza commented a few weeks later that the new shawls came in handy as a warm layer against the cold rain for her and her neighbors who had a long trek home. Thanks again to everyone who supported the Bolivian Spinzilla team! Dorinda Dutcher, January 8th, 2018

Tinkuy 2017 Report

Readying for the Tinkuy Inauguration Parade

Congratulations to Nilda Callañaupa, the Tinkuy International Weaving Conference Organizing Committee, the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales de Cusco (CTTC) weavers, and all the Tinkuy volunteers for creating an incredible 4 day textile extravaganza. All 5 senses reeled under the color, movement, texture, and sounds of Tinkuy 2017. Wow! It is still impossible to summarize coherently but references to the Tinkuy will be ongoing because there was so much information relevant to PAZA´s activities and idea possibilities for the future.

Doña Maxima in the Spinning Competition

Doña Maxima and Doña Justina loved their hands on experiences that included the spinning competition, giving their weaving/knitting demonstration, and taking the workshops. For life-long weavers, both found the advanced backstrap weaving class and the chinchilla border class challenging. The 17 minute presentation they were to give was the last presentation before the closing ceremony, so the burden of that upcoming event was carried throughout the conference. Doña Máxima and Doña Justina marched up to the stage, faced the large crowd, and stoically gave their presentation, “Stories of the Traditional Weavings of Independencia, Bolivia”. The English translation was a disappointment,

Doña Maxima Weaving and Doña Justina Knitting at Their Technique Demo

but there are probably only a handful in all of Cusco who could translate Quechua to English. The 5 months of research to put together the presentation led to some intriguing questions that will be fun to investigate and report on in future blogs. The women spoke in Quechua which was understood by the majority of the audience who were the hosting Quechua speaking CTTC weavers. It was a thoughtful way to end the 4 days of presentations.

There were numerous anticipated meetings between the Bolivian weavers and long-time PAZA supporters. The weavers met Lyn Lucas and David Anderson who were PAZA´s first supporters in 2010. Doña Máxima who has been the Spinzilla Cloth Roads Warmis Phuskadoras team captain for 4 years and Doña Justina who coordinates Spinzilla activities in Huancarani finally met sponsor Marilyn Murphy. Dorothy Thursby who has been an ongoing supporter of PAZA renewed her acquaintance with Doña Máxima from the 2013 Tinkuy. Katie Simmons who has been to Independencia 4 times and helped in the 2013 Tinkuy trip to Cusco was a welcome familiar face. Teena Jennings, WARP member and longtime supporter, met the weavers and introduced her husband and daughter who had

On Stage
(Photo Credit: David Anderson)

accompanied her. Prior to this trip Doña Justina who turned 60 this year had never been anywhere that wasn´t to visit family and on those trips she was always accompanied by family. The weavers met Karen Sprenger who lives near Dorinda´s parents in Kansas and has promoted the weavings in the local fiber community. As Doña Máxima chatted with Deborah Chandler in Spanish she was unaware that Deborah is the go-to person for advice when PAZA hits a snag in the road.

There have been many comments about Doña Máxima´s unsmiling countenance. It is cultural. For years she has been able to look through the PAZA photos to select those of herself and her family for developing. She never selects photos where she is smiling, she says they are ugly.

Karen Sprenger with the Weavers. All Weavings are in Kansas and are Available to Buy.

Dorinda has gifted many “happy face” photos to Doña Máxima who graciously accepts them, but who knows what she does with them when she gets home. The expression that should have been captured on film was Doña Maxima´s beatific smile when she walked off of the airplane in Cochabamba into the arms of her daughter, son, and 2 granddaughters. The smiles and tears of joy and relief on the faces of Doña Máxima´s family and Doña Justina´s 2 daughters and grandson would have made you cry. They were so happy and relieved to have their mothers safely home.

The inventory of weavings in the U.S. is building up, and that slows down PAZA´s rotating fund for placing and purchasing orders with the weavers. ‘Tis the season… Weaving a yoga mat strap is where a beginning weaver starts weaving to earn income, although all the weavers weave them. If there is a yogi on your holiday shopping list the yoga mat straps for a 1/8” thick sticky mat are $21 and for the ¼” thick exercise mat the price is $22.

Yoga Mat Straps on Models Shannon Dutcher & David Whetzel

Is there a weaver on your gift giving list who would delight in hand spun, natural dyed cloth with Andean motifs to use for her own projects? The fajas are bands of cloth 67” x 4.5” and cost $35, larger weavings PAZA uses for making the zippered pouches are 63” x 9.5” and are $64. The 75” x 1.5” straps are $19. The lined zippered pouches are $15 and $16 with a wrist strap. There are dress/tunic sashes measuring 60” x 2.5” for $35. Also available are chuspas in a variety of sizes and priced accordingly.

All the weavings have a story, and that´s what makes them such special gifts. Orders will be accepted until December 14th, with the last shipping date on December 15th. Contact Dorinda at dkdutcher@hotmail.com.

Thank you Lyn Lucas and David Anderson, I hope it´s not another 7 years before our paths cross again! Thank you lifelong friend Geoff Folker for your support last month. Another thank you is in order for the P.J. Broderick Memorial Foundation whose support made it possible to attend the Tinkuy. Thank you everyone who has supported the Bolivian weavers, teens, and kids this year.  Wishing you the warmth of joy and laughter with family and friends this holiday season. Peace on Earth. Dorinda Dutcher, December 3, 2017

October Fun, Fun, Fun

Vilma Juggling Her Spinning Week Results on Measuring Day in Sanipaya

October was a super month. The Cloth Roads team Warmis Phuskadoras placed 27th out of the 70 Spinzilla teams. The Bolivian spinners spun 70,390 yards, all with drop spindles. The annual celebratory feast and prize awarding ceremony will be held in Huancarani in early January. Shawls are the prize for all of the Huancarani spinners. Doña Máxima will be purchasing the shawl material in Cochabamba and the Club de Artesanas (CdA) members will be crocheting the borders thus personalizing each shawl. Vilma, a skilled crocheter, was tasked with crocheting a sample to determine the labor cost and the amount of yarn needed per shawl. Her timid response was a wage of 25 Bs.($3.60) per shawl. After much discussion about the time and skill required PAZA upped the wage to 60 Bs. ($8.65).

Rebecca & the Chicas

Australia has come to Independencia. The year started out with Laverne Waddington’s visit to teach weaving workshops. She is from Australia but has made eastern Bolivia her home. The next visitor was Australian Cheryl Cartwright who was a great help in measuring the 70,390 yards of Spinning Week yarn. After Spinzilla, the women and teens spent a week working on cross stitch projects taught by Rebecca Rich. She lugged the workshop supplies and wonderful chocolate treats from Melbourne to Argentina, Peru, and finally Bolivia. The chicas adored their new friend. They showed up during the CdA weekday afternoons as well as Saturdays to work on their projects and hang out with Rebecca. She brought out a world map at least 3 times and all grew to feel a familiarity with that world so far away. You can read Rebecca’s visit report on the volunteer page of this blog.

Huddled in the Entry on an Inclement Day

An observation that Rebecca made early on was that Doña Antonia would probably make fewer mistakes if she had glasses. Rumor has it that the women will not wear glasses because glasses are associated with being educated, which most of the rural women are not. PAZA handed out about 2 dozen reading glasses a few years ago, but there wasn’t any encouragement to continue. Shockingly, Doña Antonia agreed that she needed glasses and actually wore them thus dramatically improving the quality of the butterfly she was cross stitching on a bib for her granddaughter. PAZA will invest in more reading glasses.

Doña Justina´s Chuspa Will Debut at the Tinkuy Parade

Preparation for the Tinkuy reached a feverish pitch by the end of the month, although the planning began in June. Doña Justina dropped by most Sundays to practice her part of the presentation. One Sunday she brought the ch’uspa she had just completed to wear in the Inauguration Parade. Doña Máxima practiced the presentation 3 times a week with the PowerPoint photos and without them at home. She spent her spare time during the day at her loom and worked on her beaded tulmas (braid adornments) at night. The local carpenter took forever to finish the simple leaning frame loom so that Vilma could get started on sewing a carrying case for the loom, flag pole, and the banner pole. Her results created a panic because the length was unmanageable. The preparation provided many a challenge, but, whew, the work is done, and all that is left is to enter the magical colorful whirlwind that is Tinkuy.

Readying Orders and Weavings Going to the Tinkuy Sales Table

The CdA will close for 3 weeks, allowing Doña Maxima a breather following the Tinkuy. She plans to spend a few days in Cochabamba to make the purchases for the Spinzilla prizes and enjoy her daughter Zoraida´s 4 month old baby girl. Yes, 8 year old Zuni finally has a sibling! Many have met Zuni who as a toddler spent long days playing in the PAZA sales tent at Cochabamba craft fairs. Dorinda is headed to the U.S. after the Tinkuy and will return to Independencia in late December. She will be accompanied by volunteer Surya de Wit who has been considering a visit to

Bibs & Bags

Independencia since 2013 when she was an artist-in-residence for Sustainable Bolivia. Surya draws, paints, and uses textiles in her art. The teens are excited about an opportunity to progress with their drawing skills. The women are curious about learning new dye techniques.

Thank you Rebecca for your kindness and generosity. Thank you Lyn Lucas and Dorothy Thursby, we look forward to seeing you at in Cusco where you will finally get to see for yourselves the results of your years of continued support! We are so excited about seeing everyone at the Tinkuy! Dorinda Dutcher, October 30, 2017

Measuring the Spinzilla Spinning

Measuring Team at Work, Huancarani

Early Monday morning following Spinzilla Spinning Week the measuring team headed to Huancarani. The back of the contracted pickup truck was loaded with the measuring equipment for 3 measuring teams. Those necessities included a wooden table, 3 plastic chairs, 2 wooden stools, 2 plastic buckets, and a small washtub. It is important to the participants that the same measuring method is used for all of the yardage.

A few of the spinners had already gathered near the porch of the church where the measuring is done each year. Those who had flocks to attend to were given priority by the other spinners. Doña Máxima and Vilma

Cheryl Tallying

sat down on either side of the table and marked off their side with a 1 yard measurement. A bucket was placed to their left to hold the ball of yarn to be measured. As they measured off each yard it was passed to the spinner who stood on their right and rewound her ball of yarn. After measuring 5 yards the measurers hollered out “cinco” to Cheryl who sat at the head of the table tallying the results.

Comparing Balls of Yarn

It works best to have unbiased help in charge of the tallying. This year we were fortunate that Cheryl Cartwright who is volunteering for a few months in Bolivia was able to make a spur of the moment trip to Independencia and handle the tallying. Cheryl comes from Australia, another country with a large sheep population and spinners who participate in Spinzilla. Dorinda marked off a yard on the edge of the church porch and using the small round washtub to contain the ball of yarn measured while Don Julio, driver and husband of Doña Máxima, marked the tally sheet.

Doña Casimira has Won Her 2nd Spinzilla Competition

Measurements were taken for 17 spinners plus 3 on the waitlist. The balls of yarn for 2 other waitlisted spinners were collected for measurement in Independencia, the repetitive action of measuring was wearing. The balls of yarn are 2 strands, so only half of the total is measured. The women wind a ball of yarn by placing the tip of a filled spindle between the big toe and next toe of each foot and wind the 2 strands together. They will ply the yarn after it is dyed.

The measuring took about 5-1/2 hours and a few of the women were able to make a day of it. Doña Justina was wonderful by keeping an eye on the measuring and lending a hand to keep the yarn from tangling when it was not rewound fast enough. There were a few giggling sessions over jokes and some raucous laughter. All had brought a dish to share during the communal lunch. PAZA supplied the drinks. Huge cumulus clouds in all shades of gray rose over the mountains in the afternoon, a spectacular sight not seen in the valley where Independencia lies.

Measuring in Sanipaya

On Tuesday, the truck was reloaded and the measuring team headed past Huancarani to the rural community of Sanipaya. As in the past 2 years the measuring took place at the home of Doña Beatris. She splits her time between Sanipaya and Independencia and attends the Club de Artesanas when she can. The 6 spinners had gathered early to cook up a feast for lunch. A short meeting was held after lunch because it is the only PAZA visit to Sanipaya each year. The women asked if their prize could be different because they have a lot of shawls. There is a fiesta around Christmas time when a tree is adorned with shawls and through the years they have all accumulated plenty. They asked if their prize could be a sweater or a petticoat which they can use every day. The answer was yes, because they didn´t have any input into the prize decision.

Sanipaya Meeting

The results cannot be announced until after the official Spinzilla announcement. The team did spin more than in any of the past 3 competitions. Last year there was a community meeting and the inauguration of a potable water system in Huancarani and the 2 events impacted the amount of yardage spun.

Thank you Cheryl for helping out in so many ways! Cheryl responded to the S.O.S. put out by Milli Spence, former National Director of Sustainable Bolivia, to help with the measuring for Spinzilla. It is with great sadness that the 10 year partnership that PAZA has enjoyed with Sustainable Bolivia ended when they closed their doors in Cochabamba this summer. Many volunteers have found their way to Independencia through Sustainable Bolivia´s volunteer program. A huge thank you to Erik Taylor and all those who have worked in an administrative capacity through the years for your support and friendship, you will be missed. Dorinda Dutcher, October 12, 2017, dkdutcher@hotmail.com

Spinzilla Spinning Week in Huancarani

Doñas Maxima, Justina, & Vilma Spinning with the 1st Group Visited

Since 2014, the Wednesday of Spinzilla Spinning Week is spent taking photos in Huancarani and checking in with the majority of the Cloth Roads team Warmis Phuskadoras who live in that rural community. Each year it is more fun, probably because the spinners have come to realize that Spinning Week offers social opportunities just for them without added responsibilities or work. Fiestas and civic day celebrations involve cooking for a big crowd and then cleaning up.

Maribel Spinning at Home, Daniel Eating la Cayote Squash

A small pickup truck was contracted and driven by Don Julio, Doña Máxima´s husband. Besides driving he provided the community service of collecting signatures for paperwork that will be submitted to the national government for disaster relief from crop damage due to hail and wind last March. Doña Justina was waiting by the turn onto the new “road” leading to the north side of the community. Somehow she managed to effortlessly spin with her phuska (drop spindle) packed into the backseat with Vilma, Dorinda, bags, and stuffed aguayos. Don Julio parked on a grassy flat that offered a spectacular mountain view. Spinners were spotted walking and spinning from 4 different directions, except for Doña Julia who carried her phuska in one hand and a bowl of potatoes, eggs, noodles, and lettuce to offer the visitors. The spinners spun, and some of their husbands arrived to meet with Don Julio.

The 2nd Group Visited

Doña Andrea, who is competing for the first time since 2014, is the mother-in-law of Maribel, the youngest Huancarani weaver. Maribel is waitlisted for Spinning Week so although her name was not submitted to Spinzilla she is competing for the first time as a team member locally. Doña Andrea is Don Julio´s sister and she invited the visitors to their home a few steps away. It is rare that an opportunity arises to visit one of the rural farmsteads. The visitors were treated to a bowl of la cayote, a huge squash, that is normally undercooked and lacking in flavor. Doña Andrea had simmered the squash over a low fire all day the day before releasing the sugar which gave it a sweet delicate flavor with a hint of cinnamon. Yum!

The Hen Leading the Sheep, Goats, Dogs, & Spinners

The visitors headed back to the main Huancarani road and stopped half a mile above the community center of school, church, soccer field, and an irregularly staffed health post. Doña Ines with her youngest, Doña Casimira, and Doña Verna were sitting in a picturesque field chatting and spinning. As soon as the visitors made their way to the group Doña Toribia and Doña Eulogia came up behind them herding Doña Toribia´s mixed flock of goats and sheep. The odd thing was that a plump red hen of Doña Eulogia´s was leading the parade apparently unconcerned about the large mammals following close behind. Doña Eulogia´s daughter Doña Cirila arrived, she recently returned to Huancarani after years in the city and is competing for the first time. Don Julio took over keeping the flock from scattering so the women could chat and spin.

Following Doña Justina to Meet the 3rd Group

All too soon it was time to move on. Doña Máxima and Vilma wanted to walk to the next and last stop so they could spin. Doña Verna enjoying the opportunity to socialize joined the group for the walk. Doña Justina led the way down the mountainside past farmsteads, fields waiting to be sown, and a flowering field of potatoes. Unfortunately, yodeling is unknown in the Andes because it would have served well in the search for the third group of spinners. Doña Justina spotted a bit of color and the group headed left down a path where they found Doña Eulogia sitting peacefully on a large boulder spinning but keeping an eye on her goats who ranged down a wooded draw and up the other side. Doña Francisca arrived, it was her birthday and she was in high form with

Where is the 3rd Group?

jokes that kept all laughing. Doña Dionicia arrived with 2 plates of food to share with the visitors, which was the signal for all to plop to the ground, put down their phuskas, take the aguayos off their backs, and pull out plates of boiled corn and cheese or boiled potatoes, noodles, and fried egg for a communal lunch. The visitors had brought soft drinks, juice, and water that were served at each stop and much appreciated on this hot sunny day.

Last to arrive were Doña Antonia Calcina and Doña Julia with their flocks of sheep. Doña Julia is spinning on the waitlist this year because she couldn´t decide whether she had the energy to compete or not. They spun with the group and chatted for a bit then headed further afield with their flocks. It was a perfect day!

The 3rd Group Chatting and Joking

Spinzilla is more fun every year while offering learning and problem solving experiences for the women as individuals and as a group. A one-time experience would not be enough to make any impact on their lives, so with that in mind thank you to those who have supported the team and PAZA for multiple years! Thank you Kris Fister, Dorothy Thursby, Patty Tompkins, Margaret Tyler, and Linda Switzer for your continued support! We have reached our goal to meet the Spinzilla expenses.

Now, a true confession…. I could not do justice to the incredible photo opportunities to document the disappearing lifestyle of the Huancarani spinners. We have not had a social media volunteer the past 2 years and it is obvious when comparing the quality and content of the 4 years of Spinzilla photos. We have also not made a short Spinzilla documentary since 2015. It would be wonderful for all involved to have a fiber artist volunteer with photography skills join us next year! Dorinda Dutcher, October 5, 2017