The Bamboo Scarf Weavers of Guatemala

Written by Mary Anne Wise

The Bamboo scarf weavers of Asociación Maya de Desarollo (Maya Weaving Association) in Guatemala, is one of the longest organized cooperatives we’ve had the privilege of working with. Originally, the women banned together for safety and support during the Guatemalan civil war…. and now many of their daughters are taking on leadership roles within the organization. We love getting to know the faces behind our pieces, experiencing the magic of weaving first hand. This group works with over 150 women to create one-of-a-kind scarves that are not only beautiful, but sustainable. From the dyeing of the yarn, to drying in the sun, each step carefully done.

It Starts With Winding the Warp - Warp threads are the threads that dress the loom. The number of threads are carefully calculated for the specific width of each scarf. In the photo below, this young woman is winding warps for 6 scarves.

Space Dyed Yarns - The yarn dying in various color dye baths. What makes each bamboo scarf unique is the water-color affect achieved by dipping the bundles of warp threads into a variety of colors. The colors ‘bleed’ into one another creating a color combination unique to each scarf.

What makes each bamboo scarf unique is the water-color affect achieved by dipping the bundles of warp threads into a variety of colors. The colors ‘bleed’ into one another creating a color combination unique to each scarf.

Preparing the Warp Threads for the Loom - After the warps have been dyed, the women place the colorful thread bundles on a tool called a swift. Next, they wind the warps onto a pegged warping board to separate layers of threads in preparation for threading the loom.

The Loom - A backstrap loom is nothing more then a collection of sticks. Yet the level of woven sophistication and artistry achieved is astounding!

We absolutely love all of their color combinations, find them at the store and online.