Manos del Uruguay is a women-led knitwear cooperative founded in 1968 to support rural makers. Spread across 12 locations, from Paysandú on the Argentinian border to Fraile Muerto in the east, the organisation provides opportunities for women from remote communities who have preserved time-honoured techniques. Manos uses these methods to create weighty wool pieces inspired by traditional dress but updated for modern wear.
The women artisans have made a small selection of knitwear and accessories for the TOAST Autumn Winter 2024 collection, Patterns & Pathways, including the Check Merino Blend Wrap Scarf. This versatile design is a distant relative of Uruguay’s traditional ponchos, woollen garments worn by nineteenth-century indigenous horsemen called gauchos – in many cases, such an item would have been these wanderers’ only constant possession. “The poncho is historical and men and women wear it because of its cultural imprint, but at the same time, it is extremely modern,” explains Ana de Prado, a designer and product manager at Manos. “It has no gender or size; it continues to resonate in contemporary fashion because of its shape and design.”
Manos acknowledges recent advancements and incorporates them organically, but continues to look to the past for guidance – as far back as Uruguay’s Paleolithic Age, when plant and animal fibres were woven together. Using natural materials sourced from the land is important for the cooperative, predominantly wool from the native sheep population who graze freely on verdant pastures. “Besides an excellent climate and land conditions, Uruguay’s environmental conditions are favourable for high-quality wool production,” says Ana.
While the Check Merino Blend Wrap Scarf is inspired by early ponchos, it has been reimagined in a lighter, softer merino wool to make it more comfortable. “We have used extra-fine merino wool, which is one of our most popular yarns due to its softness and warmth.” The skeins are dyed in three-litre wood-fired barrels and left to dry in the sun before being hand-woven on manual looms into the desired shape: a long, wide rectangle which can be worn poncho-style, wrapped around the shoulders or draped like a shawl. The TOAST design team worked with Manos to decide on the colour palette, a medley of slate and ecru strands which form large, repeated checks. It is finished by hand with fringed edges and a label featuring the name of the artisan who made it.
“We had worked with Manos del Uruguay within our knitwear collections previously and were attracted to the softness of the wool, the weave, and the scale of their poncho design,” says Dana Sheen, Senior Print and Weave Designer at TOAST. Together with the wider design team, Dana used varying scales, colourways and layouts of checkered patterns to create the oversized monochrome check. “The poncho is large and cosy and will be a welcome addition to any winter wardrobe.”
The best way to honour the care that has gone into this piece is by continuing to care for it throughout its life. Wool, though durable by nature, requires some simple maintenance to preserve its condition. “Merino has short and fine fibres which bring softness to the fabric,” Ana explains. “But because they are very short, they can over time come loose from the yarn and generate ‘pilling’ on the surface of the fabric.” She suggests using a pair of scissors to carefully and slowly remove these small balls of wool, which will appear less frequently over time. Wool naturally repels dirt and odours, so simply airing the garment periodically and using a gentle wool-specific detergent is usually enough to keep it clean. “We make our clothes with love and care, and if you treat them the same way, they will return the favour with many years of warmth,” Ana adds. “There is nothing more special than treasuring your wool garments and returning to them every season.”
Shop the TOAST Check Merino Wrap Blend Scarf.
Words by Bébhinn Campbell.
Photography by Raquel Kelmanzon.
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