Weaving in Beauty
Traditional Navajo Weaving Tools, Supplies & Classes
Located at 213 W. Coal Ave. in downtown Gallup, Weaving in Beauty is a one-stop shopping resource for weavers. They specialize in Navajo weaving, with a colorful selection of Churro yarns, as well as looms, and all necessary tools and supplies. They source churro wool from Roswell, New Mexico, sending it back east to be processed according to their specifications. The yarn is sent back in natural hues and dyed in New Mexico.
Weaving in Beauty also offers classes, including online classes. They teach traditional Navajo weaving to students from all over the country, with several international students participating. Click here for more information about upcoming classes.
Navajo Weaving Traditions
Woven Navajo blankets and rugs are some of the most colorful, well-made fiber arts produced by North America’s indigenous tribes. According to Navajo oral history, Navajo aptitude for intricate weaving was bestowed by two holy ones: Spider Man and Spider Woman. The legend says that Spider Man created the loom of sunshine, lightning and rain, while Spider Woman taught the Navajo how to weave with it.
Historically the tradition began when the Spanish brought Churro sheep to the area in the 1500s. Churro sheep are known for long, smooth, silky fibers, which are ideal for weaving. By the middle of the 17th century, the Navajo were herding sheep, passing skills and knowledge from one generation to the next for centuries. That tradition continues today, with Navajo sheepherders tending their flocks on many of the backroads between Gallup and Farmington.
The Puebloans were growing, spinning, and weaving cotton long before the Spanish arrived. They introduced the Navajo to the vertical loom, which allowed weavers to create larger textiles, like the blankets and rugs they are known for today.
Fiber Art For Practical Purposes
Though weaving is almost exclusively performed by women, men are usually tasked with building the looms. However, weaving is the last step of a long process that begins with herding sheep. In fact, a study conducted with Dine Community College in 1973 estimated that it takes an average of 345 hours to make and sell a blanket: 45 hours to sheer the sheep, 24 hours to spin the wool, 60 hours to prep and dye wool, 215 hours to weave, 1 hour to sell.
Unlike other souvenirs created specifically for tourists, often with no discernible utilitarian value, vibrant Navajo textiles were functional in day-to-day life, used for everything from apparel to housewares: dresses, sashes, saddle blankets, door covers, etc.
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213 W Coal Avenue Gallup, New Mexico 87301 (505) 297-6343
1830 State Hwy 602 Gallup, New Mexico 87301 (505) 778-5544
235 W Coal Avenue Gallup, New Mexico 87301 (505) 863-3401