Knitting Spokes

In Peru, they knit Chullo hats, scarves, and ponchos using the wool of the Alpaca. The Alpaca looks like a lama with a thick long wooly coat of fur.

And the Peruvians knit using, believe it or not, bicycle spokes. Here is one report of this:

They are wonderful ladies who have an extraordinary amount of patience for our clumsy attempts at learning to knit differently. So first off, the five needles we are given are hooks at one end and pointed at the other and made from bicycle spokes.

Interestingly, the Chullo hat makes a nice hat for a bicyclist. It covers the head, very close, and has ear flaps. The hat fits nice and tight underneath bicycle helmets. The wool keeps the head and ears warm, while still allowing perspiration to escape. It ties under the chin.


If you want to make your own chullo. You can find how-to instructions and free patterns online. By the ways guys, in Peru, the men make their own chullos. And to personalize them, they include images relevent to their life. That might include images of objects, animals, or other things that are part of their life , or that have been part of their past, or that are of interest to them.


You can get yarn for your chullo online or you can find some stores around Santa Monica. There is a non profit shop on Pico blvd , between 33rd and 32nd street that carries many colors and varieties.