Everything begins with an idea of your own or someone else's, which will eventually become the most recognized traditional Argentine textile garment, a poncho.
As a weaver, I want to share with you the complete process of making it through an example, in this case the second poncho made for the same person who some time ago saw my work on the internet and wrote to me, telling me that she wanted a poncho.
That is the first step, the intention that then leads to an exchange that I find fascinating, because it is defining that original idea and transferring it to a concrete project.
Ideas come and go, what design, what color, what size... And when faced with projects, feedback: this is possible to do, this is not. Are you looking for a traditional design or something contemporary?
I really enjoy that stage. There are people who ask you for something very specific and those who tell me to be blue, or red, or black, for tied guard or for tilling, and they let you create.
This is the case I present to you. Like the first one, she wanted it to be worked and have four edges, and since that one was red she told me that this one should be blue, and in her design she suggested that I weave it with flowers as a drawing. That was her idea and I began to look for possibilities, variants, always revolving around her suggestion.
Luckily there are many old ponchos that can be taken as a reference, both in Argentina and in Chile. And it is in these where I particularly focus on what I can create and what I cannot. In that search the new challenge takes shape in my head and in that theoretical development and exchange I see what the other person likes and what they don't, until we arrive at a version that we both like.
Once the poncho to be woven is defined, we must begin to work on it materially.
In front of the mirror
Now I have to introduce myself, so that you know what my line of work is within the beautiful world of traditionalism. And noting that I am not Mapuche, I maintain that I do not make Mapuche ponchos; To be more precise, I define myself as someone who knits in their style. I specialize in their textiles and make garments that are reminiscent of those created in the 19th century, in particular.
I am a disciple of Jorge Mari, who has trained artisan knitters who are easily recognizable by the quality of the pieces they create. Like all of us who start in this trade, first we knit sashes, which are what give you the necessary practice to be able to move on to larger pieces, the matras, the thread cushions and the ponchos.
It is a whole process that takes a lot of practice and a lot of time. In my case, I have been knitting for twenty-seven years, and I am always willing to improve.
The raw material
You have to prepare the threads that will be used, calculate what quantity is necessary for each color, make the corresponding dyes until you get the desired color and, sometimes, it does not come out the first time... Then wash the wool, dry it, and wind it.
This simple description hides an important diversity. First let's talk about the yarn; the finer it is, the better the quality of the textile. Undisputed. And there are two ways of spinning: by hand with a spindle or a spinning wheel, or industrially, always with sheep's wool.
This means that I can do the whole process, from the fleece and spinning on a spindle or spinning wheel, it doesn't matter. The thread is made by the hand of the craftsman and the craft, not the tool.
As for the wool, we no longer have the Pampa sheep, which gave a very special thread, so I prefer to use wool of intermediate quality, rustic but that doesn't itch when in contact with the skin. Merino is too fine. I lean more towards other breeds, for example, Corriedale. Manual spinning has a drawback, a good thread takes a lot of time and considerably increases the cost of a poncho. For this reason, we knitters usually offer an industrialized but very good thread that allows us to offer the pieces at a more affordable cost. And this is the option most chosen by my clients.
We have the thread, and now we have to dye it. Natural dyes are my favourites, but if I have to use aniline, I do. After all, aniline dyes are already 150 years old. In my case, I can only use one natural dye that I know the Mapuches used, indigo. Since I live in the province of Misiones, the rest of the dyes they used are not accessible to me.
The only natural colour I have not yet been able to achieve is black. No way, I have tried all the available recipes and it doesn't work... I always use aniline.
The loom
In the Mapuche way, it is very simple: two wooden poles about three metres long with two crossed wooden crossbars that rest against a wall. In order to be able to weave our warp, we have to lay the loom down because otherwise it would be very uncomfortable. The warping can take a few days. As I put it together, I notice if the colors I chose look good, if I like how they combine. It usually doesn't, and I simply take it apart and correct the unwanted color.
With the warp in place and pleasing to the eye, the loom must be stopped and all the tension of the threads that make it up must be regulated. If this process is not carried out, weaving would become a headache.
In the middle of weaving. With the loom leaning against a wall in his home in Misiones, the section of the already made garment is rolled up for the convenience of the artisan. Photograph by the author.
The next step is to put the heddles that will allow me to cross and uncross the warp to be able to pass the weft and form the fabric.
While these stages are taking place, I really like to send photos to the recipient of the poncho so that he can see the idea slowly becoming a reality, so that he can also enjoy the process. This exchange is very rewarding.
A four-edge poncho
It follows a fundamental step that differentiates me from other weavers, transforming the fabric to achieve the four-edge garment. What does it consist of? A poncho can have structural fringes, added fringes or lack them as a distinctive feature.
Those in the Mapuche style can have structural fringes, which are sections of the warp that are left unwoven to form the fringes, or without fringes, which are called four-edge, because they are woven from the very end of the poncho. They are more difficult to make and therefore rarer.
There was, and even today there is, a great deal of symbolism in the textiles of this people that can be seen in the yarn, the colors used and the drawings that are displayed on each poncho. Everything had a reason for being, everything had a purpose, although there is still much to be learned about its meanings among the members of the original communities.
The poncho was like an identity document, revealing, for example, the origin, the hierarchy and the character of the wearer; all information of great importance, at that time it was necessary to know who was a friend or who was an enemy.
And even, a poncho could serve as a safe conduct for a white man, when it was voluntarily given to him by a member of the tribe, the case of the poncho that Mariano Rosas gave for that purpose to Colonel Lucio V. Mansilla is well known.
The designs
The symbolism was abundant, we can see it today in the many ponchos that fortunately are preserved. But, I insist, we only know some of those meanings, very few unfortunately. However, I resort to that little knowledge to decide what design to make on the garment to be woven.
The fabric has reached the mouth, which can already be seen at the top of the loom. Photograph by the author.
You always have to look at and study old ponchos, respect those drawings and the techniques used and try to combine them in a way that seems logical and that a weaver could have used in her time, that is what I propose with each poncho I make.
Faced with so many unknowns, I am sure of one thing, you never stop learning.
* Special for Hilario. Arts Letters Trades