the journey of a sweater

The making of a sweater starts with the cotton pod, grown on the arid Andean coast.  The cotton species Gossypium Barbadense has been principle to Peru as an important export.  

Grown on small plots of land by Indian families Peru’s native cotton has helped support many development programs benefiting Andean communities and cooperatives… keeping the farms sustainable. It is not a secret that if it wasn’t for crops such as cotton and giving these families a means to support themselves, many of the families would have to leave their Andean communities and seek work in the cities.

Most of the cotton is grown in Arequipa Peru where it finds its way from the farms to the factories for processing. Once the cotton is spun, it is dyed. Some of our programs use natural dyes and others use Swiss dyes.  Each type of dye that we use is lead free. 

Our sweaters begin with an idea or an inspiration!  At Mollygoggles we nurture a group of very talented textile designers who work with the luxurious natural fibers such as Peruvian cotton and baby alpaca. From our very first drawings that are started on Martha’s Vineyard, these drawings find their way to Peru where our very skilled knitters begin the journey of interpreting them.

Working with a palette of colors and stitches, the artisan breathes life into each design through graphing.  After making the graphs, they start with the first samples making sure the gauges are just right and the dimensions of each part of the sweater are what the designers want. From there the first samples are sent to the designers for approval.  Sometimes, reworking the style or a piece of the sweater.  

For each one of the phases of production, from the first sample to the finishing touches of tucking that last thread neatly inside, the artisans are patient and work carefully.

By working with artisans we can help preserve a piece of the Andean textile tradition that has been in their families for hundreds of years. What we might see as a challenge to knit, the knitters sometimes only has to look at the drawing to they create the sweater design.

It’s magical to watch this happen. Even the most difficult of designs seem easy to them.  Each knitter puts their heart and soul into each sweater to become a true art form.