Since its founding in 1968, the non-profit knitwear cooperative Manos del Uruguay – set up by five women who pooled their resources to support rural women – has upheld age-old techniques, proudly preserving an authentic, electricity-free approach.
In farming communities, wives had few opportunities beyond tending to chores and practising heritage crafts like weaving and knitting while their husbands worked the fields. These artisan women kept traditional techniques alive, but their handmade objects were used and appreciated privately, unseen by the rest of the world.
“It wasn’t like now, where you can take a photo and upload it to social media,” says Ana de Prado, a designer and product manager at Manos del Uruguay. “In the 1960s, there was no internet, no way to sell these beautiful products.” Determined, the women formed a logistics centre in Montevideo and sought commercial avenues for their traditional wares. Over time, they refined and improved the techniques, moving towards a cohesive visual style. In the 1980s, the cooperative started to export its knitwear to the United States, gradually widening its market – today, people across the globe can enjoy the quality craftsmanship Manos offers.
“All our wool is of Uruguayan origin, and sometimes we mix it with alpaca fibres from Peru,” Ana explains. “The sheep are healthy and well taken care of, they graze on the fields and eat grass.” In the early days, the artisans obtained the lanolin-rich wool immediately after shearing, washing and drying it by hand. But Uruguay’s reputation for premium wool has made it a main export and purpose-built mills have sprung up to meet international demand. “They know exactly which ranch the wool has come from, and it’s all high-quality and sustainable.” While the majority is processed at a mill Manos collaborates with, small proportions are still prepared in-house.
Manos artisans spin this wool by hand before dyeing the yarn in three-litre wood-fired barrels. The fibres are left to dry in the sun, and the leftover water is neutralised before being returned to its natural source. “We also create space-dyed colours,” says Ana. “Some of our new knitwear for TOAST has been dyed this way.” This technique involves tying knots in the skein, applying one dye, opening those knots, and repeating the process with another colour. Once knitted, the result is a medley of complementary hues, together creating a dynamic effect which varies from piece to piece.
Each knitted garment is finished by hand, and labels with the artisan’s signature are attached in recognition of the hands that made it. These processes sometimes occur in different locations – Manos’ 12 cooperatives are scattered across the countryside, from Paysandú on the Argentinian border to Fraile Muerto in the east, with anything from five to 20 workers based in each.
Introducing modern elements like space-dyeing is a challenge Manos artisans embrace. Working with the TOAST team, Ana, a core designer at Manos, takes historic silhouettes and adapts them to contemporary tastes. “The poncho is a traditional shape in our country, worn by gauchos,” Ana explains. These folk figures, who were nomadic cowhands in eighteenth-century Uruguay, dressed with durability and practicality in mind. “We have improved the design to make the resulting wrap scarf more wearable today.” It is a balancing act executed in perfect harmony; the pieces are inspired by the past but made for the future.
For the TOAST Autumn Winter 2024 collection, we have collaborated with the cooperative to create a knitted jumper and vests which are hand-framed in space-dyed local wool, hand knitted beanie hats in a vibrant blue and mustard palette, and a check merino blend wrap scarf.
While preserving tradition is central to the Manos mission, its primary purpose is unwavering: supporting Uruguay’s underappreciated artisans. The women aren’t employed by Manos, but rather are co-owners. “Each cooperative is managed independently, and the artisans receive formal training and are supported as they start working,” says Ana. “Typically, it is the husbands who work in these communities, so it can be a difficult transition.”
These efforts are why Ana has been with Manos del Uruguay for almost 20 years, continually adapting to industry currents and securing fair prices for the artisans. Many stay for decades, even bringing in their daughters when they are old enough. Currently, three generations of women from the same family work together, a testament to the inspiring culture Manos has fostered – a culture that transcends the craft itself. “It would be a shame if these skills were lost,” Ana reflects, “But what’s most important to us is providing job opportunities for women in the countryside. It’s rewarding to work for an organisation where people matter.”
Shop the TOAST Hand Dyed Marl Sweater, Hand Framed Stripe Tank, Check Merino Blend Wrap, and Space Dyed Wool Knitted Tank.
Words by Bébhinn Campbell.
Photography by Raquel Kelmanzon.
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