On the shores of Lake Titicaca, high in the Andes of Peru, the air is cold, so knitting alpaca wool clothing has been a must for hundreds of years. In Peru, knitting is not limited by gender or age, but rather woven into the culture and involves everyone in the community. Mothers teach young children to knit and the tradition of creating fun whimsical creatures as finger puppets is passed on to other generations.

Within their rich textile tradition, what may have started as a mom making a stuffed animal toy for her kids, has become an important source of additional income for many talented women. Knitting empowers the women of the community and household by providing an income while caring for their children, tending their crops and watching over their llamas and alpacas. Amazingly, even in their tough environment, their cheerful spirit shines through in the quality and creative detail they proudly knit into their puppets.

Choosing these organic cotton and alpaca wool finger puppets further supports small scale and sustainable agriculture in Peru.