Learning the Unay Way

Two women sitting against a brick wall, working with wool or textiles, in a rustic indoor setting.
An elderly woman dressed in traditional clothing, including a large black headscarf and multiple necklaces, demonstrates spinning yarn with a drop spindle at a rustic indoor workshop with wooden walls and shelves of hats and textiles.
Close-up of a white wool fibers.

Embark on a journey into the family life, work, and ancestral techniques behind the complex creation of the Kichwa traditional hat

A young boy kneeling on the floor, folding clothes or performing a chore, in a room with rough, textured walls and a cluttered table with various items.

family introduction

Meet Belen Picuasi and her incredible mother! Their inspiring bond and cultural richness offer an inside look at the beautiful story they share. This family life is not just unique but also a vibrant celebration of their heritage.

Life’s Work

A beautiful documentary about a typical workday at Unay Muchiku. First, you'll get to witness the hat-making process in action. Afterwards, you'll visit the famous Otavalo market, known for its wide array of traditional textiles and handicrafts.

What is happening today?

Why is the traditional process no longer practiced? Modern techniques enable speed of creation to give the buyer a cheaper price point but at the expense of quality. It is also incredibly labor intensive. Since just one hat takes a week to two months to create and little profit is returned, it’s understandable that artisans resort to easier, more profitable ways. One must have the physical and mental stamina as well as the passion to fight for the sombrero tradition. Unay Muchiku prides itself on this high standard. 

The Unay Muchiku Process

  • 1 - Locally Sourced

    We locally source sheep and alpaca wool from our communities. This is very important to help sustain the economy while also promoting unity of all Kichwa people.

  • Person wearing traditional Ecuador clothing of the Kichwa people, including embroidered blouse and wide-brimmed hat, crouching in water and handling white material in a basket.

    2 - Shake and Sanitize

    Shake out the impurities and set in boiling water. Afterwards, rinse with plenty of fresh water.

  • A close-up of raw wool fibers hanging outdoors, with a garden and a stone building in the background.

    3 - The Sun Decides

    Hang the wool up to dry in the sun. Time is dependent on what nature decides.

  • An older woman dressed in traditional clothing, kneeling on a woven mat, working with raw cotton in a rustic indoor setting. Several children in uniforms sit on the floor in the background, with hats hanging on the wall.

    4 - The Whip Stick

    A long stick is used to whip out any leftover impurities of the wool and soften up its fibers.

  • Three women dressed in traditional clothing working with wool or cotton fibers, sorting or cleaning the material on a table inside a rustic room with a brick wall.

    5 - Select the Best

    Separate the wool into 3 categories: fine, thick and low grade. The low grade is never used in Unay Muchiku sombreros.

  • A woman dressed in traditional Ecuador attire, wearing a white embroidered blouse, is sitting and holding a wooden washboard.

    6 - Hand Carding

    Use the hand carder to manually clean, separate, and align the fibers. The traditional manual way allows us to stay attentive to every detail.

  • A person wearing traditional embroidered blouse and orange beaded wristbands is working with raw wool on a wooden table, preparing it for processing.

    7 - Layering

    Sheets of uniformed wool “layers” are formed. Place the layers in a special way in order to create the initial hat shape.

  • A woman in traditional colorful clothing preparing or folding fabric in a rustic workshop with shelves of textiles and rolled fabrics.

    8 - Create a Package

    The layers are then placed within a thick, cotton cloth and tied up neatly creating a “package”.

  • Woman preparing a fire to heat up the bronze dome plate, smiling as she prepares to create hats while steam rises from the dome.

    9 - Bronze and Fire

    By this time a fire has heated up the Unay Muchiku bronze dome. The shape, material, and dimensions are perfectly customized for traditional hat creation.

  • A woman dressed in traditional colorful clothing and red beaded jewelry presses her hand on a wrapped package on top of the bronze dome used for creation of hats by compacting.

    10 - Compaction

    The package is placed on the dome and the compacting process begins. One must use the hands and forearms to continuously beat down on the package.

  • Person holding a piece of molded wool up to the light, allowing light to shine through the mold.

    11 - Quality Check

    A cone shaped “hood” has been created. Untie the package and check for thin areas or holes using the light as a guide.

  • A woman rolling wool with her hands on a wooden surface, wearing traditional colorful attire and orange beaded bracelets.

    12 - Roll and Wring

    Submerge the hood in boiling water. Then roll it tightly on a flat surface with soap and squeeze the liquid out.

  • A person reaching into a large, round, woolen hat with a wide brim, which is placed on a wooden surface. The person's hand has a red and orange beaded bracelet and is wearing a white, eyelet lace garment.

    13 - Formation

    The hood is now ready for the final molding process. The hat is formed using a wooden “hat block”, a piece of thin rope, and a rock.

  • Two hats molded out of wool, one large and one smaller, placed on a rustic wooden shelf against a brick wall background.

    14 - Trim and Dry

    After the hat is formed, use scissors to trim the brim as needed to fit the desired style and then let it dry.

  • A person is cooking with a clay pot over an open fire outdoors, using logs and bricks for the fire. The person is stirring the contents of the pot with a spoon for the creation of natural color dyes.

    15 - Nature's Gift

    If color is needed, we use 100% of the nature to create the dye ourselves.. Our unique and traditional process gives the hat an exceptional color while protecting the environment. It is a step that is often overlooked but is essential to maintaining high quality and honoring tradition.

  • Colorful Ecuador sombreros decorated with multicolored feathers and pom-poms, placed on a table.

    16 - Decoration

    The final step is decoration. Every design represents a specific cultural identity of the Kichwa people. Contact us to learn more about our culture and how you can help protect our heritage.

Boutique

Hats, Scarves, Ponchos, Household, Accessories

The Artist behind it all

The life of Belen Picuasi and the inspiration of Unay Muchiku

read before shopping

Learn what to look for in high quality wool products