Sewing instruments

This figure shows a selection of needles from Elvira Espejo's collection

Fine sewing needle (agujilla de cosido)

For fine textiles, a fine needle made out of metal, bone, wood or cactus spine that has an eye through which a thread passes and whose functions are i) to join physico-structural components with stitches and joins, ii) to join attached components and iii) to join together extended components.

Darning needle (agujón de cosido)

For bulkier textiles, for example blankets, a thick needle of metal, bone, wood or cactus spine, that has an eye through which a thread passes and whose functions are as above.

Crochet needle (aguja para croché)

Needle made out of metal, bone, tooth, wood or cactus spine with a doubled point used to finish selvages and borders in crochet. Nowadays crochet needles are made out of metal, but there is some evidence of the use of archaeological instruments of teeth to carry out crochet techniques from the Middle Horizon. The figure above shows a selection of instruments probably used for crochet made by camelid incisors, Tiwanaku, Middle Horizon 400-1000 AD (Project Lukurmata, courtesy of Julio Condori and Claudia Rivera).