Teotitlán del Valle is a small weaving village some 20 miles outside of Oaxaca City, famous for their woolen rugs and mats known as tapetes de lana. The time-honored process begins up in the mountains, where wool is gathered from flocks of sheep and washed in a river with a special soap that comes from the amole root. The clean wool is then sold to one of the many family-owned weaving coops in the village, where it’s carded and combed to get out the gnarliest knots. The real magic starts at the spinning wheel, where the lumpy clumps of wool are spun into long strands of yarn. The bundles of yarn are then immersed into hot vats of dye—almost always made from natural ingredients like the famous grana cochinilla worm, which makes a deep crimson. After 8 hours, they’re ready to dry, after which they’re finally ready for the loom. Read Less