The alpaca (Lama Pacos) is a member of the South American camelid family and is closely related to llamas, guanacos and vicuñas.

They are native to the Peruvian Andes, where they have been domesticated thousands of years ago. Currently, there are an estimated 3.5 to 4 million alpacas in South America; 95% of these are found mainly in the southern regions of Peru.

They are raised at altitudes that vary from 3,500 to more than 4,500 meters above sea level, where they can naturally withstand temperatures that vary from -20 °C to 30 ° thanks to their fine fur.

It is the smallest of the 4 South American camelids. It lives in the plains of the Andes, 4000 meters above sea level. Its natural distribution extends from Ecuador to northern Chile and Argentina.

It is sheared once a year in a ceremony called Chaku. It is a respectful practice to obtain and protect a very precious and necessary resource for Andean cultures.

The territorial and social stability of the vicuña is a reflection of the balance of the ecosystem in which it lives. In contrast to the southern guanaco, the vicuña does not suffer severe seasonal climatic changes that impose the need to abandon its territories and feeds on local grasses.

Its location extends across the Andes mountain range, from northern Peru to Tierra del Fuego, including Argentine Patagonia. where there are 95% of the total population.

Like the Vicuña, it is a wild species, so its shearing must be done carefully to avoid stress to the animals. Finer than cashmere, this fiber is brown, woolly, thick and short. Shearing takes place once a year, during the warmer months, taking place from November to January. The use of its fine fur is very similar to that of the vicuña and is usually spun by hand to create unique handcrafted pieces.

Like the Alpaca, it is a domesticated species that lives in the South American Andes area. It is characterized by the quality of its fiber: very resistant, durable and easy to wash. It offers a wide range of natural colors and can also be dyed with a variety of natural dyes. Shearing is carried out annually to be able to process and spin the fiber manually and by hand as well as industrially. It is characterized by having a very warm fiber, ideal for creating warm garments.

Currently, most of these animals are concentrated in Argentina, the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. The so-called Merino Sheep has highly valued characteristics, mainly due to its high thermal insulation capacity. Sheep wool tends to repel water, absorbing up to 30% of its weight in water and keeping the skin dry thanks to its great ability to transfer perspiration vapor to the outside of the fabrics. It is an odorless and fire-resistant fiber.

Cotton fiber is composed of pure cellulose. Its great softness and air permeability make it very comfortable in hot climates and very easy to wash. Cultivated in about 80 countries, cotton is one of the most widely spread crops and uses In the
present, organic cotton is the most common fabric that is sustainably sourced and kept free of pesticides. The native cotton of Peru produces fibers of extraordinary natural colors with variants that include wine red, light and dark brown, reddish brown or red, light and dark lilac, beige, yellow, cream and white, just to name a few. This production was generated from the recovery of ancient seeds and only represents 5% of global cotton production.

It is the fiber of the flax plant and the first plant fiber that was accepted in the textile industry. Linen, like cotton, is mainly composed of cellulose. It is capable of absorbing up to 20% of its weight in water, without feeling wet to the touch. The breaking resistance is almost double that of cotton and in first class fibers it is even higher. The characteristic freshness of linen fabrics is easily explained considering that this fiber is a good conductor of heat. This circumstance makes linen especially suitable for hot climates.

El CHAGUAR O CARAGUATÁ es una fibra vegetal utilizada ancestralmente por los pobladores del norte argentino. Pertenece botánicamente a la familia de las bromeliáceas. Tiene diversos usos: alimenticios, decorativos, medicinales, entre otros. Estas redes de malla son una de las técnicas textiles más antiguas de Sudamérica.

El trabajo del CHAGUAR es una actividad netamente femenina que realizan las mujeres Wichi.

Las fibras se separan, se remojan sus hojas durante un día y se pelan manualmente una por una; luego se someten a golpes y raspado con la intención de limpiarlas.

El hilado se hace imprimiendo un movimiento envolvente con la palma de la mano sobre haces de fibras colocados en el muslo, torciéndolos y retorciéndolos.

Las mujeres Wichi, conocedoras de lo que el monte les puede brindar, extraen de él raíces, frutos, corteza y hojas, que, mediante el hervor, permitirán obtener los colores para los hilos que luego tejerán.