How the idea came about

The idea of selling Peruvian knitwear in the UK was born at the same time as Amanda Ruiz's first child.

Mother and daughter: Amanda and Nina enjoy the brightly coloured knitwear

She met her Peruvian husband, Manuel, five years ago and with the birth of Felix came presents in the form of this colourful and warm knitwear rarely seen on the high street.

"Friends commented on the bright colours and strangers in the street stopped me and said how wonderful they were," Amanda says. "People loved them!" 

Amanda decided there and then she wanted to share similar items with other mothers, and she immediately began to carry out some market research.

Trip  to  Peru

She made a buying trip to Peru, where she saw in their native homeland items including hats, scarves, gloves and ponchos.

Convinced of a gap in the market in the UK, Amanda created a website and her own range of Peruvian knitwear was launched in September last year.

Amanda's stock is made in Peru in a factory where every effort is made to make the environment pleasant, with good working conditions and clean, comfortable uniforms provided for each of the women knitters.

Traditional clothing: Peruvian ladies in their traditional attire

Indeed Amanda regularly travels to Peru to ensure these conditions are maintained.

How  is  it  made?

Each item from Peruvian Knitwear starts life at a machine, but is finished by hand. This creates one-off pieces and also gives something back to what is still a developing country - the knitting women earn a decent wage to help support their families.

The Peruvian Knitwear collection is made from alpaca wool, chosen because it is as soft as cashmere but with insulating microscopic pockets to provide exceptional warmth.

Alpaca - known in Peru as El oro de los Andes or the Gold of the Andes - is also hardwearing, breathable, comfortable, and naturally hypoallergenic and lanolin free.

Finally, it's machine washable as the alpaca wool is blended half-and-half with acrylic.

The alpacas that provide the wool are free to roam in the Andes mountains, where their wool keeps them warm in temperatures down to -30°C and comfortable in intense sunlight.

The  collection

Pink poncho: one of the many beautifully crafted pieces

The carefully chosen collection is for adults and children and includes berets, scarves, ponchos, jumpers and mittens. Most popular is the chullo, a kind of hat with funky ear flaps.

Amanda sells her products online and has no plans in the near future to open a shop.

Amanda loves getting feedback from customers.

One thanked her for making her two-and-a-half-year-old son look cool and another said:

"I get so many comments when I'm out and about in grey London on my bike wearing my gorgeously warm, original and colourful poncho and rainbow hat.putting on these vivid Peruvian colours on a dismal, autumn morning lifts my spirits and for a second I feel some of that passionate Latin-American vitality sometimes so lacking on these shores."

So, whether you choose a piece for yourself or as a gift to a friend or relative, you can be sure you are sharing something made with love and care using the oldest form of art from the heart of the Andes mountains.

Further  information

Amanda's Peruvian Knitwear - with items from as little as £6.99 - is available from Peruvian Knitwear online.