This practice predated the Spanish conquest and even the Inca Empire. People in the region primarily used cotton to weave blankets; later, during the Inca period, llama wool was used. With the arrival of Spanish looms and spinning wheels, textile production took on an industrial purpose. During the colonial period, this production was centered in “obrajes” where laborers worked in exploitative conditions.
After the abolition of the “obrajes,” people of Otavalo continued with textile work as a family craft. Textile production process was intricate, encompassing everything from wool washing, carding, spinning, dyeing, to weaving.
