We’ve been studying ancient civilizations in our social studies class, and I just couldn't help but want to make these quippas after we’d read about them while studying the Incas. The Incan empire covered thousands of miles, much of it down the western coast of South America. They didn’t have a system of writing, but they did have sticks and ropes. They would use different colored strings and a system of knots to communicate. I had a wonderful teacher back in elementary school -- I wish I could remember her name and thank her! -- and I wanted my students to enjoy making these as I had when I was about their age. It felt, just for a tiny second, like I was an Inca too. Experiencing a bit of history is a fabulous thing.
