Knitting is not a new creation, and neither is yarn. A wonderful example of how art weaves a thread of commonality across time and space can be found in the story of Pakucho, a 100% cotton yarn that holds a very special place in history.
The history of Pakucho yarn
"Pakucho" is an ancient Inca word that means brown cotton, an appropriate name for this organically grown, naturally dyed cotton that has survived near-extinction and preserved the farming, spinning, and weaving traditions of the Indians of Peru who have been harvesting this amazing crop for over 5,000 years. Peruvian farmers and artisans have been credited with having the oldest recorded tradition of spinning and weaving in human history.
According to a highly informative article, entitled "A Thread Woven Through Time – The Native Cotton of Peru," published in the Spring 2005 issue of Interweave Knits magazine, brown cotton has a very colorful history. Pakucho had become nearly extinct by the late 1970s after the Peruvian government passed laws in the early 1930s calling for its destruction due to fears that it would contaminate the increasingly popular (and highly profitable) white commercial cotton hybrids.
In 1977, an American anthropologist searching among fragments of cloth from mummy wrappings found remnants of the ancient cotton. He soon learned that this naturally pigmented cotton was still being carefully and guardedly grown, hand picked and sorted, and then spun by native Indians as their ancestors had done thousands of years before. Thus began the Native Cotton Project of Peru, which today consists of about 5,000 peasant farmers and artisans who transform the native cotton fiber into beautiful yarns and fabrics using ancient farming techniques to ensure sustainable cotton harvesting and environmental resource management.
Of particular importance to the environmentally-conscious is the fact that the cotton is 100% organic, using no dyes or chemicals to grow, soften, or color these fibers, making Pakucho one of the purest yarns available. Perhaps a knitter who conducted a review of Pakucho for Knitter's Review said it best when she said that "For me,the yarn shows how amazing Mother Nature can be when we get out of her way."
Where to find Pakucho yarn
Because of the scarcity of the cotton from which it is derived, Pakucho is sold in limited quantities. On their company website Pakucho's manufacturer, Peru Naturtex, has a link directly to EcoButterfly. Other online suppliers include GreenSheepShop and FabulousYarn. Pakucho yarn can also sometimes be found on eBay.
Sources:
Knitter's Review. Yarn Profile: Pakucho Cotton (accessed January 15, 2011).
Peru Naturtex Products (accessed January 15, 2011).
Peru Naturtex Products. Native Cotton Cultivation as an Alternative to Coca Production in Peru(accessed January 15, 2011).
James B. Vreeland, Jr. The Revival of Colored Cotton. Scientific American, April 1999 (accessed January 15, 2011).
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