Once the toquilla palm is cut, boiled, and dried, the hats are woven. This step in the hat’s creation takes place in the coastal region. Typically this job is performed by women who learn the skill from their mothers or other women in their family. Depending on how fine the hat’s fibers are — the finer the fibers, the higher the quality — weaving a hat can take anywhere from five days to six months.Once the weaving is finished, the hats are sent to one of Cuenca’s six factories to be molded, bleached, and finished.