New Mexico's Fiber Tradition

I only learned to knit in the last few years and, with the move to Vashon, was introduced to a vibrant culture of knitting, weaving, spinning and natural dyeing.  While not having much talent, it has been fascinating and opened my eyes to appreciate the treasures that exist in New Mexico.  In fact, the introduction of sheep to the Americas was thanks to the Spanish explorers.  They brought a hardy breed from the Iberian Peninsula called the churro (originally churra).  The breed is known for its ability to survive harsh conditions and ewes often have twins and the lambing is successful without human intervention.  The sheep were important for food and fiber in the Hispanic culture of the Southwest and quickly adopted by various Indian tribes.  Both Hispanic and Navajo weaving became rooted in the two cultures.  Different techniques are used by each, with different kind of looms.  Both made rugs and blankets from the wool produced from the churro sheep.

The churro became so popular that the Mexican churro pastry was named after the wavy churro sheep fiber.

The sheep population grew in Arizona and New Mexico, as well as Southern Colorado and Utah and there may have been some overgrazing.  In the 30's, when drought devastated the US, misguided and insensitive federal agents basically exterminated the breed, shooting thousands and leaving their carcasses to rot, in their efforts to control overgrazing.  They also thought it was a breed inferior to the sheep from Northern Europe.  The breed was reduced to around 500 animals and only recent efforts by biologists and some ranchers have brought it back.  I am told it has wonderful properties for rug weaving in particular, and is a sweet and healthy meat.  To the latter I can attest.

Prize winning Churro sheep

Shepherd's Lamb is one of the Hispanic ranches that has cultivated the breed in the area around Chama.  They provide wool to the Tierra Wool weaving co-op and meat to the area as well as to high end restaurants.  They still graze their flock on wild land, moving the sheep to higher pasture in the summer.

Seasonal flock move to higher pasture

In 1983 the Tierra Wools Weaving co-op was established to keep alive the Hispanic tradition of spinning, natural dyeing and weaving in the area.  The co-op is a few miles south of Chama in the small town of Los Ojos.

Tierra Wools Weaving co-op

Tierra Wools Showroom

Natural Dyed Churro Wool

Tierra Wools Weaving Studio

For those those who have a fiber passion, here are some more references.

http://www.nmmagazine.com/love-of-lamb/#.VZvPu2BsU9X

http://www.newfarm.org/casestudies/tierrawools/gerard2.shtml

http://www.santafetravelers.com/our-travels/tierra-wools-2/

Going back a few weeks to the Santa Fe area, the town of Chimayo is known for a centuries old tradition of Hispanic weaving, with the Ortega and Trujillo families being prominent.  The BD brought his book and patiently waited while I visited three studios, Ortega, Trujillo and Centinela.

Chimayo is still a small village and the fiber arts are the big attraction.  The fact that it is still sleepy and centuries old is really special.  While other wool is used, churro rugs and blankets are still made.  I treated myself to a pillow made from natural colored churro wool in the very traditional pattern for the couch in Pancho.

The pillow will be woven in the pattern and colors above and shipped to me in the next few weeks from the Trujillo studio.  The picture doesn't do the colors justice, the browns and carmel are quite rich looking.

At the Centinela studio I found a lovely wall hanging.

The hanging is made from naturally dyed wools using:

green-indigo and chamisa
tan-black walnut
pink-cochineal
blue-indigo
purple-logwood
orange-madder root
natural wool colors of cream and black



Some of the plant material used in the area that was new to me included chamisa

Chamisa

Chamisa

as well as Yerba de la Negrita.

Yerba de la Negrita