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The parakeets, unique Mexican garments in danger of extinction
Puebla (Mexico), January 31 (EFE). – The parrots, unique woolen garments woven with pedals, are being forgotten by industrialization and have kept the few Mexican artisans in check who still produce clothes in Tetela de Ocampo, in the central state of Puebla. The parrots are pieces that are handmade after a long process, as it goes from shearing the sheep to obtain the wool to making the garment. This clothing is an emblem in the city of Acatlán, belonging to the municipality of Tetela de Ocampo, a municipality recently called a magical city, as the Ministry of Tourism nicknamed the most charming places in Mexico. The clothing is brown and embroidered with decorative motifs such as horses, deer, horseshoes, hats, flowers or Aztec symbols, which often stem from the imaginations of weavers. A LIFE BEHIND THE OBJECT At the age of 92, Luis Raymundo Herrera Barrios struggles to keep the tradition of pedal loom weaving alive and regrets that this activity is being forgotten by everyone. Currently, this Mexican craft is appreciated only by those who love charrería or horseback riding, activities that are no longer so popular. “The designs can be personalized, it depends on the taste of each person interested. You can weave an image or the person’s name, but also the last name or just a few decorative details,” he tells Efe. He said his eyesight or body mobility could fail at any time at his age, so he would stop working after 70 years of weaving. Only one of his ten children has expressed an interest in taking a loom and making the parrots. It’s a very slow process, he recalled, as it takes about two weeks and requires a lot of concentration. TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION PROCESS The weaver has his own livestock, which he uses to obtain the wool approximately every six months, the time the animals need to grow. Step one to make the garment is to shave the wool or “pluck” the sheep, then the material is washed to separate strands to remove thorns and debris it may contain and then any imperfections that may be contained are removed. have the material removed. “The sheep have to be plucked, sheared, the wool has to be washed. People don’t want to do it anymore, so sometimes I do it myself,” he said. Later it uses a trascaladora for carding the thread, where it gives thickness according to the design of the garment. Finally, he places his material on a loom he made more than 60 years ago and that shows the test of time. For the craftsman, however, this is the best part, because then the imagination flies and a unique garment is created. The outfit is a zippered vest and iconic bags of the place. “While knitting my clothes, I cannot be distracted by talking or listening to music because if I have made a mistake in the fabric, the garment will not work automatically. You have to be focused on the movement of the feet and hands he concluded. NEW GENERATIONS INTERESTED Uriel Herrera Huerta, the craftsman’s tenth son, is 49 years old and started learning the art from his father because he doesn’t want the tradition to be lost. He knows that the old man is already old, and every day he will leave the loom that has brought him so many times – and especially a decent job. “I am glad that my father is still alive at the age of 92, he is the teacher for us, for the next generations. And we hope to learn all the good from him because it is a very difficult subject and not everyone knows how. to do it, “he stressed. He said he was never interested in making parrots because it is hard and poorly paid work, but now he wants to keep the tradition going. Also Hugo Herrera Abasolo, the grandson of the weaver and law student, decided at the insistence of his grandfather to learn how to weave and to avoid forgetting this art. At the age of 19 he now takes his first lessons. “Personally, I like to learn. It is a tradition that we must not let die and we must keep doing it. It is not abandoned in any way as it is an activity in which we can get something extra financially “, concluded. (C) EFE Agency