Momestenango

Sunday morning we met at 8am in the park, just in time to grab a delicious chocolate mint latter from &café. This morning we headed to a community outside of Xela called Momostenango. We traveled in a private micro with a representative from the family we visited. Every week, a husband, Luis, and wife, Thelma, team brings woven goods (purses, rugs, bracelets, etc) to our Spanish school to sell and this was the family we visited. Their weavings are a product of their family business. They presented us with the process for making the goods and the history of their family.

To start, the family buys wool from a neighbor sheep farmer. They used to have their own sheep but when the children would herd the sheep in the forest, they would not want to return for their schoolwork so the family decided to get rid of them. After the wool is sheared, it is washed with soap and water. This washed wool is combed using two metal bristled paddles. The soften wool is spun into thread using a hand crank. The thread is then wrapped around wooden polls to create the long bundle shape. The long bundles are then colored using natural dyes. The green comes from plant leaves, the red from crushed insects from Mexico, the purple from fruit from Mexico, the orange from a nearby plant, and a combination of these. The grey and black are from the different type of sheep’s wool. They use ash and calcium to preserve the stained colors. Once the colors are set, they are set up on a foot loom. With a photograph of a previous design as a reference, they set out weaving the wool within pieces of string stretched out as the foundation. A rug takes two weeks and a larger rug or blanket takes longer.

Throughout the presentation, we had the opportunity to try each step. The weaving reminded me of an arts and craft kit I used in my childhood but the detail would never have matched. The process is incredibly tedious and requires lots of practice to become efficient. The products are made exclusively by Luis, Thelma, and their 7 children. Luis learned the process after 8 years of studying with is father. Their family is the fifth generation to participate in this process. All of the children go to school in the morning and work in the afternoon. Neither Luis nor Thelma can read or write so it was important to them that education be prioritized. The oldest of the children is 23 and currently attending the university in Xela to become a doctor. He continues to work in the business, too. He wants to serve as the doctor of Momostenango because there is not one in their community. The second oldest is a PE teacher in Xela. The youngest is only 2 years old.

After the presentation, we were offered fresh tortillas off the fire (delicious!) with beans, queso fresco, and guacamole. We also got to see the finished products. They had hats, gloves, jewelry, purses, jackets, and more. I bought a full-size blanket. I had been admiring their work at school for a while now but once I saw the process, I felt drawn to support this family. I am waiting for it to get colder before I start using it.

When we returned to Xela, we were dropped off at Artisano. I picked up my stuff bread (think sausage bread menus the sausage plus veggies and more cheese) and headed home. Hannah, Rachel, and I met up with Geoff (who had camped the night before) and went to the Xelaju soccer game. Xelaju won 1-0 after a goal by our drama queen in yellow kicks.