Textile and dyeing experience

Posted By : Julia U
We had an absolutely wonderful experience at Andean Colors learning about the traditional ways of dying, spinning and weaving wool. Miguel was a wonderful and very attentive guide who taught us so much about the whole process. I loved being so involved in everything and getting to know the animals and the area. We had an amazing lunch as well and ended the day with many great impressions and our hand-dyed wool and woven bracelet!
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Posted On : 2024-05-05

Posted By : Mobile11045388760
BEST PLACE to visit in the Sacred Valley! What a special experience! I am extremely grateful to Miguel and the whole team for the four-hour dyeing workshop with lunch. Andean Colors has an inspiring mission, and their passion for sharing the dyeing and weaving culture of Chincero shines through. First we had lunch; then met the llamas, alpacas, and guinea pigs; walked to harvest a dye plant; worked with various natural dye plants and substances from the region; cleaned and spun wool; and did some introductory weaving. The team was super patient, encouraging, and detail-oriented — these skills are not easy to teach to beginners in a multi-lingual setting, and they excelled! Miguel speaks great English and the whole team speaks Spanish and Quechua. They truly went above and beyond to communicate with me in advance to make plans, including being flexible on day/time; help me figure out transport. They even walked me back to the bus stop at the end and made sure I got on correctly. The team extended a really kind, fun, and loving energy. I went home with the dyed yarn we worked on; beautiful woven bracelets; and some gifts from the extensive onsite store. I love knowing that I can gift my family genuine alpaca items that have been naturally dyed, nothing artificial, and in support of an amazing mission to empower single women artisans. THANK YOU ANDEAN COLORS! <3
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Posted On : 2024-05-02

Posted By : Z5789HEkathrynm
This is an absolute must see in Peru. It is a wonderful experience and way to appreciate all of the woven and hand-dyed materials that we wear everyday and especially those we are lucky enough to purchase in Peru. The Andean Colors family and friends are impeccable hosts You're welcome. You from the start and share their skills, talents, and practices in hand dyeing from Mother Earth. We got to pick our own herbs and oil yarn which you get to take with you. Lunch was incredible and there was a vegetarian option which I really appreciated. You get to feed the adorable and friendly llamas and alpacas. We were able to arrange through Andean Colors for a ride from our Cusco hotel which took about an hour which made it so easy to do. I recommend you wear dark clothes and shoes that you're okay with getting splashed with a little die and some dirt. The items available for purchase are absolutely stunning and handcrafted to perfection. One review said things were overpriced, but when you consider that you're supporting an organization that helps women escape domestic violence, I think it's a wonderful and very worthy cause.
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Posted On : 2024-04-19

Posted By : KimberleyPa
This was one of the best things I did during my stay in Peru! The drive from Urubamba through the beautiful highlands was an experience in itself. After a delicious lunch (vegetarian for me), I was shown around the farm by Naomi and Miguel, and introduced to all the animals living there. The rest of the afternoon, I learned about the different materials and substances used to treat and dye the wool. We went for a short walk to pick Ch’illca leaves, accompanied by two cheeky alpakas. I also got to try my hand at weaving, which I was allowed to take home with me alongside the yarn that I had dyed! As I am a knitter, I of course couldn't leave without a few skeins of hand-dyed alpaka wool from their beautiful artisan shop! Everyone made me feel super welcome and Miguel did an amazing job explaining all the techniques, and the cultural and historical significance of textile traditions in Peru. If you want to get an insight into all the work that goes into the beautiful textiles you see at markets in Peru, as well as support an important project, I would definitely recomment this experience!
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Posted On : 2024-04-14

Posted By : JENJCalgary
We had a large group of 9, including seniors and young kids ages 5 and up. This was an exceptional and lovely place. The owners Marco and Hilda were so knowledgeable, warm, and welcoming. Their entire team was so kind (Paula and Miguel and others). We had such a unique experience. We arrived in the rain and were greeted with cozy ponchos to keep us warm. We got to feed the llamas and baby alpacas. My 5 year old son was scared of the llamas, and the team was so accommodating to him. They took us to the pen with little guinea pigs, and the kids absolutely loved holding the baby guinea pigs. We then got to learn about alpaca textiles and the coloring dyeing process. We were then treated to the most delicious traditional meals and really got to know the team, which was so special. What made this experience the most exceptional of all was the core purpose of Andean Colors and Hilda's very inspirational story of how life as a struggling single mother motivated her to start this beautiful social enterprise to support single mothers in the community. They have a lovely shop with all local products. This place is truly a hidden gem. We will be back!
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Posted On : 2024-03-28

Posted By : jennifer_s
This was absolutely the best thing I did on my 9 day trip to Peru. I booked transportation through the vendor and didn't have to think about anything but showing up on time. I was welcomed with a family lunch, then we toured the farm, and I took a llama/alpaca for a walk to get leaves to use for dye. I learned to clean the wool, to spin it into yarn using only my hands and a top type object, then learned all of the different ways they use natural items to create a variety of colors of yarn. When I learned that pinks came from a cactus my brain exploded. I was taught to weave...difficult! And was given my 3 yarns that I dyed as well as the weaving I did. It was such an incredible and authentic experience. I cannot recommend this enough! Plus, this is an organization that is giving back to single artisan mothers.
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Posted On : 2024-03-19

Posted By : Herabouts
This was a truly amazing experience! I was the only one there so it even felt more personable. Everyone was so welcoming and nice! It was incredible and interesting to be part of a start to finish experience of weaving. I got to feed the alpacas, learn about plants for dying the yarns, walked to pick plants and then boiled and dyed the yarn. Also, made yarn and attempted to weave… they set it up for me and after learning it and how technical the weaving part is alone - made me appreciate the process and experience even more. I also understand why the real and fake woven pieces are priced the way they are and have a new appreciation for the real thing:) I was able to take home the dyed yarn too; 3 big year bundles! Lastly, I was provided a lunch which included alpaca- so tasty! Thank you so much to this organization for what they do and opening this up to a tour/experience.
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Posted On : 2024-03-13

Posted By : 33dallas
We really enjoyed this hands-on workshop. It is off the main road and down a series of dirt roads. It was accurate on Google Maps. It started with a delicious lunch and a visit to the guinea pig kennel. Then they explained that this group is working to help single mothers become self-reliant through the textile industry. We walked a llama and an alpaca down the road a bit and picked a bunch of leaves. When we returned we used those leaves to create a dye. We created 2 other dyes as well and used them to dye some wool. We learned to clean and spin sheep's wool and then ultimately we opted to start weaving a belt. In the end, we toured the items they had for sale and took home 3 sets of dyed wool and a started belt for each of us. The staff were accommodating and did everything they could to make this a great experience. It will be one of the highlights of our trip and I recommend it to others.
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Posted On : 2024-03-06

Posted By : Nicole N
This was such a great experience! They let you feed and pet the alpacas/llamas and even hold a baby one. Then see the guinea pigs. The dying experience was very cool, and the shop had authentic goods for all price ranges. We had the cuy meal and it was very tasty. Even better than at the fancy restaurants. The staff are very kind and sweet, and even the bathroom was clean and well stocked. The best part is this place has a mission to help single mothers earn an income to support themselves and their children. Overall a great experience and I highly recommend.
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Posted On : 2024-02-28

Posted By : yukako e
I feel so lucky that they had guided us along the way even prior to us arriving on Instagram. The experience was so special and I’m so grateful for you guys sharing such an indigenous experience with us. I highly recommend this charming and heartwarming place. This place is also created to support safe place for women. Please support this place I feel that the world needs to see and experience traditional craft to feel grounded😊
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Posted On : 2024-02-19