Soft and warm alpaca wool connects us to the distant Andes Mountains. But do you know how the fluffy fleece taken from alpacas is transformed into yarn and then into various woven products? Two artisans from Japan will guide you through a soothing wool journey, using discarded alpaca fleece to practice hand-spinning and learn the art of making yarn. Come and take part in this healing experience with alpaca wool!

Date & Time: Saturday, August 2, 2025, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Location: Sousou Corner｜No. 4, Lane 16, Taishun Street, Da’an District, Taipei City
Instructors: Ayako Yoshida, Founder of MAITE & REIKOMONO, Spinning Artist

In the highlands of Peru, we encountered hand-spinning in the most unexpected ways—suspended in mid-air, on the ground, or even while walking with a radio on one’s back. Sometimes, tools were made from potatoes! It was spontaneous, creative, and truly free-spirited.

Iqa——阿拉伯音樂的骨幹

Iqa，是阿拉伯文「節奏」之意。從貝都因遊牧民族的民俗歌謠，到阿拉伯宮廷裡華麗的穆瓦夏哈Muwashahat古典詩歌（一種源自10世紀的古典阿拉伯抒情詩歌），都以Iqa作為音樂結構的骨幹，通常由手鼓、埃及鈴鼓、框鼓打節奏。自古至今，已知的中東音樂節奏有兩百多種，每個節奏都有它的名字。

Maqam——阿拉伯調式音階

除了節奏之外，阿拉伯還有獨特的調式音階系統「Maqam」，不僅是音階，還包含旋律框架、傳統慣用語句及即興演奏的技巧，但只有大概的規則，且常即興出例外的狀況，難以完全地系統化，這也是為什麼阿拉伯音樂自古以來就是以口傳為主，難以譜記的原因。

《到南方》中東音樂講堂 x 即興音樂會｜憂鬱與狂喜：一場'Iqa與Maqam的對話

Together, we’ll learn the basic principles of spinning and experience the quiet joy of creating thread with our own hands—while imagining the rhythms of life in the remote mountains of Peru.

Our hands, often busy with screens and hard surfaces, will soften through gentle, unfamiliar movements. The skin—sometimes called our “second brain”—will awaken as we touch something soft and soothing.

Join us for a calming, tactile journey into the world of yarn, and discover a new way to connect—with materials, with distant cultures, and with yourself.

｜Date & Location
August 2 (Sat), 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Sousou Corner Flagship Store｜No. 4, Lane 16, Taishun Street, Da’an District, Taipei City

｜Workshop Highlights

Opening Introduction: An Overview of Peruvian Alpacas and Andean Culture

• The Andean way of life

• The role of spinning in daily life (with comparisons across different cultures)

Spinning Experience

• Introduction to tools

• Live demonstration

• Hands-on spinning session

Tasting & Social Time

｜Workshop Fee
Regular price: NT$1600 per person
Early bird (before Friday, July 25): NT$1380 per person / NT$2600 for two
Limited to 20 participants

｜特製點心

• 鷹嘴豆泥法拉費口袋餅(Falafel)

由磨碎的鷹嘴豆、香料、洋蔥和大蒜混合後製成球狀並油炸至金黃酥脆，是極受歡迎的中東小吃。

• 阿拉伯薄荷茶

以綠茶為基底，加入新鮮薄荷與大量糖熬煮而成，香氣清新甘甜，是北非與中東常見的待客飲品。