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Elsa Rodriguez

Elsa Rodríguez was born May 15, 1947 in Lima. Her grandmother came from Arequipa, a city where textiles are produced. "My grandmother taught me all kinds of things, like how to spin the wool to form a cone so it could be knitted or woven," Rodríguez recalls. "That's where my love for textiles began.

"I really enjoy knitting and creating new designs. I've taken a number of classes to learn new stitches, and the designs themselves come from my own fantasy. For example, baby alpaca wool is a natural fiber [so-called because it comes from the first shearing]. I thought about a sweet little alpaca living in the Peruvian sierra, and from there, my imagination took hold until I had created the final product. I work in cotton, too, to create crocheted bedspreads, mats tablecloths and other pieces.

"With my art, I want to preserve the legacy of hand-knitted textiles I love so much. I show my new creations to friends and family, and I now have people who help me. I show them my work, and then they begin to help.

"I'm also active in social work, and craft bedspreads to send to economically challenged communities in Peru. And I volunteer during natural catastrophes.

"I think you'll find that my designs have their own personality. They're unique, lovingly handcrafted with soft natural fibers. Each kind of yarn lets me develop new stitches, textures and styles to offer you."