Posts Tagged ‘alpaca’

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Help Our Friends Give Back to Peru!

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

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Just last week we got some awesome news from our friends Dave and Kevin of WAVES for Development. Kate, Dave and Kevin were in the same Peace Corps group in Peru, where they worked directly with communities, Fair Trade associations, and non-profit developers. In 2005, Kevin founded WAVES for Development with the purpose of creating life-enriching experiences in coastal communities through educational surf programs and encouraging surf volunteerism to engage travelers and transform their world view.

WAVES is releasing a documentary project entitled CAPTURE, which profiles the journey of Jeremy Koons, a ski photographer from Salt Lake City Utah as he travels to Lobitos to teach the Peruvian children how to use digital cameras and modern software to shoot and print their own photographs. The goal of the film is to spread awareness of the WAVES organization by documenting one volunteer’s experience as he interacts with the Peruvian children and culture. It is has been a life-changing experience for the 50+ people that have already volunteered for the WAVES program and is exactly what we strive to capture in this short documentary.

Surfers! Are you interested in volunteering?! WAVES is a awesome opportunity to volunteer (and surf!) in the small town of Lobitos, Peru and teach the local children sustainable skills for a better future. Lobitos is a somewhat secret gem for surfing and is growing more and more popular by the day. WAVES aims to teach the locals how to create income from the growing surf tourism industry there. Kate remembers visiting Lobitos and raves about the beauty of the surrounding area. Think about it!

We are so proud of our Peace Corps friends; it is very rewarding seeing others helping with development issues and empowering the people of Peru. The proof is in the pudding: people fall in love with Peru and it’s people!

Check out Mayu and other Peace Corps businesses to see how others are giving back. If you want to know more about Peru, Peace Corp inspired businesses or how you can get involved, follow us via Twitter@shopmayu, our blog or Facebook.

WAVES has setup a fundraising site here: http://kck.st/9LIb5j. Should you choose to donate, you will become a part of the film, receive updates on the production, a DVD of the film and authentic Peruvian gifts and WAVES gear.

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Peruvian Carnival!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Happy Friday!

Big weekend plans? For those of us who are stateside, it may be just another weekend, but for our friends in Peru, they are just wrapping up the year’s biggest party. Carnival is a huge celebration throughout South America. The celebrations begin on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and conclude at the start of Lent. Because different countries celebrate at different times, the dates are always subject to change; but what is constant is the noise, energy and celebration of music and dance.

Across Peru, the various Carnival queens and revelers showcase their floats and other Carnival paraphernalia. Kate joined in on the party while working for the Peace Corps: “we all danced around a tree, taking turns hacking at it with an axe! It was filled with candy and sweets; and when it finally fell, we scrambled towards the tree, gathering all the candy we could.” Trees filled with candy? Yes, please.

As fun as the party sounds, the preparations begin weeks in advance. There are floats to be made, candy-trees to be harvested and costumes to sew. Many of the costumes incorporate alpaca fiber, oftentimes dyed in rich hues of orange and red. For added flare, alpaca and ribbons can be weaved together, creating a fun and festive look. Elaborate meals are also planned, as Peruvians must engage in all their indulgences before the start of Lent.

As Carnival winds down, we wish our Peruvian friends a happy and safe year. Our artisans are our inspiration, and their culture and traditions are what makes Mayu products so special. For more details on Peruvian culture and lifestyle, stay tuned, we have some yummy recipes brewing at Mayu headquarters!

Following us on Twitter@shopmayu, our blog and Facebook.

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Mayu Film Recommendation: Soy Andina

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Mid-February is about the time when we all grow sick of winter. The holidays have come and gone, the snow has worn out its welcome and we just want to get back outside! But, while we patiently wait for the warmer months to roll through, Mayu has a movie recommendation for your indoor entertainment.

Soy Andina is “the dazzling story of two women raised in different worlds — an immigrant folk dancer from the Andes, and a modern dancer from Queens, NY — who return to Peru to reconnect with roots and an astonishing world of traditional dance and celebration.”

We’ve mentioned Huayno dancing a number of times in past communications, but this movie truly highlights the cultural significance to Peruvians. Dancing ignites the importance of folklore and tradition within the Peruvian community as people look to express themselves through various forms of movement. Both traditional and modern, Huayno is the preferred dance of Mayu’s artisans (and of course one of our favorite Peace Corps activities!). Click here for a sample of wiki huayno music! In the film, you will catch a glimpse of rural Andean life and have a better understanding of where our artisans come from.

This wonderful documentary was created by Mitch Teplitsky. Mitch has partnered up with founder/organizer of the Foreign Film Club and New York Spanish Language Meetup, to screen Soy Andina on Saturday, March 27 at Iguana in NYC. The event will include a showing of the film, Q&A with Mitch and Cynthia (main character); followed by a Peruvian dance workshop and Salsa! This should be a fantastic event. Readers, let us know if you plan on attending…a possible Mayu meet-up?!

There you have it; Mayu’s inaugural film recommendation. So get a copy of the movie, get cozy under your Mayu hand-knit alpaca throw and hunker down for just one more night of winter.

Stay up to date on movies, Peruvian culture and hand-knit alpaca accessories by following us on Twitter@shopmayu, our blog and Facebook.

Enjoy the show!

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Alpaca Garments: Dry-clean vs Hand-wash?

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

The dreaded “Dry-clean Only” tag…

There are plenty of opinions on dry-cleaning out there; be it concerning the environmental effects, necessity or cost. But what it all boils down to is, hand-washing is a far easier method for cleaning your garments. You can conduct business from home, using regular household items (i.e. shampoo) and have complete control over the process! No more concern over Perchloroethylene, also known as perc, PCE, C2Cl4, or tetrachloroethene, the solvent used by 90% of dry-cleaning businesses in the United States! This chemical is highly toxic and has several harmful side-effects if not used correctly.

The good news? All of Mayu’s hand-knit alpaca products are hand-wash! Should you want to dry-clean your products, you certainly may, however we suggest washing them in Woolite or shampoo. This is the method used by the Peruvian artisans; in the photo is Mari–after a long day of traveling with the alpaca fiber, she hand-washes the fiber in baby-shampoo and when she is done, she will take it up to her roof  to dry in the strong Andean sun. If you choose to hand-wash, lay the items FLAT to dry. The shampoo leaves the alpaca soft and smelling yummy (as opposed to the smell of dry-cleaning chemicals!) If at any point your item becomes wrinkled, press it with a steam iron.

So there you have it, one more reason to buy alpaca! Don’t forget to read more about Mayu and shop for alpaca to help support artisans. As always, we appreciate your comments, questions and ideas. Please follow us on Twitter@shopmayu, follow the blog and become our fan on Facebook.

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Volunteer in Peru: Home of our Artisans and the Alpaca!

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Mayu Readers-

We want to share an exciting volunteer activity in Trujillo, Peru, happening this summer. As a reminder, Kate lived in Peru, while working for the Peace Corps, so the location is near and dear to our hearts. Kerry Steinberg and Giovanna Ayesta started an amazing organization, VEN Peru, and are looking for volunteers for the Summer of 2010. The program runs from June 3rd to July 2nd, 2010. Many of the Mayu artisans live in Trujillo, and a lot of the hand-knitting takes place in the city.  We would love to help them find volunteers as the more help we can bring our Peruvian friends, the better! The ideal volunteer is someone who is interested in learning about Peruvian culture, while also volunteering their time.

Past engagements included working in an orphanage, medical clinic, animal shelter and on an organic farm. We encourage you to visit the website to see testimonials, pictures and also receive further information (cost, transportation, accommodations, etc) about the project. If you are unable to volunteer your time in Peru, the organization would still love your help. You can reach Kerry, and the rest of the VEN Peru organization, at information@venperu.org or by phone at 404-906-0569 For our readers in the Atlanta area, you may also attend one of two informational sessions on February 18th at 6:30pm or March 4th at 6:30pm. Please see the website for further information. And an added bonus to traveling to Peru? You can see AND feel your very own alpaca. Just as soft as we promised!

Further, if you are interested in Peru, the artisans that work there, and the lovely alpaca, don’t forget to read more about Mayu and shop for alpaca to help support artisans. As always, we appreciate your comments, questions and ideas. Please follow us on Twitter@shopmayu, visit our awesome blog (coverage of great issues and topics) and become our fan on Facebook.

Enjoy the weekend!

Your friends at Mayu

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Why is Alpaca Fiber better than Cashmere?

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

When I was in college, I remember my Mom coming home with sweaters for me. Although I lived in the freezing Chicago weather, I didn’t wear sweaters very much, nor did I appreciate a nice winter scarf. The sweaters my Mom would show me were made of Cashmere and she always told me how soft they were. I never accepted her offers, until one time when I chose two sweaters, one light blue, the other black. Both were Cashmere cardigans and they were different brands. Terrible decision! After wearing the sweaters only a few times, both started to pill terribly. And, piling is one of my pet-peeves so I was not happy. One sweater actually stretched until it looked funny on me. Needless to say, I gave it away and have stayed away from Cashmere ever since.

Fortunately, my experience in the Peace Corps in Peru introduced me to something that would become my life saver during the cold Chicago winters; Alpaca Fiber! The Peruvians really know how to do it right, especially those who are living high in the Andes Mountains (without heat).

Alpaca is definitely as soft (if not softer in many cases) as Cashmere and therefore they are competing materials. However, most people are unfamiliar with the true qualities of Alpaca which make it a better choice than Cashmere.

Let me briefly explain.

Alpaca is warmer, more durable, wear resistant (it won’t pill and it will look new forever), wrinkle resistant, stretch resistant, hypo-allergenic, and shinier. And, what many consumers are not aware of is that biodegradable Alpaca is an eco-friendly and renewable resource, unlike Cashmere. In fact, the raising of Cashmere goats has increased rapidly over the past decades in order to produce mass quantities of wool. This production is extremely harmful to the environment as it causes dust storms and contributes to the desertification of land in Asia.

Give Alpaca a try. I promise, you won’t go back. Alpaca or Cashmere?

For more on Alpaca, watch Mayu’s video or visit www.whatisalpaca.com.

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Shearing Alpacas

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

I want to clear something up because I think people are curious about the whereabouts of the Alpaca materials.

No, Alpacas are NOT killed for their fiber!

And no, it does not hurt the Alpaca when it is being sheared!

In fact, Alpacas are sheared once per year, when their coats are really, really warm and heavy. Usually, this is in the Spring time so they do not overheat in the Summer and warmer months. How convenient? Shearing an Alpaca is a natural and necessary process.

To learn more about the Alpaca, check out Mayu’s video, “What is Alpaca”

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Meet Carmen, one of Mayu’s Alpaca Knitting Artisans!

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Carmen Knitting

This photo is of Carmen knitting while her baby plays in a plastic wash tub! The freedom to work from home is important to our artisans as they are all mothers who desire to be with their children and families. They can earn a steady income by knitting Mayu’s one-of-a-kind alpaca products. Mayu not only supports artisans financially, but also supports this lifestyle and family culture.

Our artisans have many children although some of them are widowed, married and separated from their spouses. The extra income they make from Mayu helps them support their children in a variety of ways including school fees, new clothing and more nutritious food.

Please take note of the project Carmen is working on…the folds of fabric make me think that it could be a shawl or a fringed halfie. Too bad I don’t remember what she was working on at the time!

For more information on our artisans, check out the “Why Mayu?” video!

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Finishing the Product

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

Yesterday’s Wordless Wednesday photo was of one of the ladies sitting in the doorway opened onto the sidewalk as she is finishing up her work on a shawl. They are always so relaxed and laid back. It is truly amazing how much they love to knit.

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Our Artisans Knitting

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Bercilia

This is Bercilia and her daughter. Bercilia is one of our regular artisans, as we have nine solid artisans. Notice how relaxed Bercilia and her daughter look as they sit while Bercilia knits on her current project. Our artisans knit all the time and knit everywhere. They take their knitting everywhere they go and you can find them meeting on street corners to knit together. They will even knit while they walk! The ladies love knitting and that is what you will find them doing when their hands are not busy doing something else. They are such skilled artisans that there is no need for them to be focused while they knit. Their hands just move, creating stitches like it is second nature, which it is since they learn to knit at very young ages. Many of the women have daughters aged 15-17 who will assist them in knitting Mayu’s Hand-Knit Alpaca products. Isn’t that fascinating?

Just look at the folds of knitted alpaca yarn in her lap that she has already finished…doesn’t it make you wonder what she was knitting and what the yarn feels like? Do you wonder how long it takes her to knit one of our alpaca throws? Well, we hope to tell you little details like this in upcoming posts.

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