Making wicker hats
"Mrs. Tránsito" -an old lady- has been working on this art all her life. She got the talent from her grandmother and in turn, Mrs. Tránsito has taught this trade to her daughters. It is a tradition inherited by the Collazos family. Mrs. Tránsito says: "to make a very nice hat, you have to take into account its three parts: the stencil, the crown and the brim". The knitting process starts by the stencil and in the center, it has a circular shape. To knit the stencil and the brim it is not required any instrument. After this, it is necessary to round out the brim of the hat. This process is called "remate" (the ending).
The process of fine knitting takes thirty days depending on the thickness of the wicker and its degree of difficulty. Generally, this work is carried out when the weather is cool, otherwise, the craftsman has to soak the material continuously and this causes that the wicker gets black and loses its quality.
