We’ve seen a lot of looms in our day. But never have we seen a loom with so many threads - 2,500 to be exact. Crisanto explained it takes up to five days to thread a loom so it's ready for weaving – i.e. five days before the real fun begins.
As we looked on as Crisanto shifted foot pedals, traded shuttles, and catapulted them back and forth, we instantly knew we were watching a true genius at work. As a fourth-generation weaver, Crisanto has spent over fifty years mastering the craft. But he’s not content to stick to the same-old, same-old techniques - Crisanto is a true innovator, always testing out new techniques, unexpected materials, and intricate patterns. He follows no instructions, he comes up with the designs as he goes.
He spends his free time traveling around all of Colombia evangelizing the craft. From building looms in rural communities to even visiting jails to teach prisoners the trade, he loves this tradition and wants to ensure it has a place in this day and age.