High in the Peruvian Andes lies a small community called Huilloc Alto. Its small population includes skilled spinners, dyers, weavers, and beaders.

The residents of Huilloc Alto wear very brightly colored clothes, but the colors of this hat were inspired by their work with more muted natural dyes. The Huilloc Alto Hat uses seven colors of Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift fingering-weight yarn. It incorporates a motif that I saw repeated everywhere: skirts, beaded hatbands, and wide woven cloths were likely to include it. The Huilloc Alto Hat has a flat top and can be worn upright, with hair tucked inside, or slightly slouchy.

My visit to Huilloc Alto was made possible by Awamaki, a non-profit agency that supports education and training for indigenous Andean women. All profits from the sale of this pattern will be donated to Awamaki.