It’s funny how sometimes things just fall into your lap, right? Like, how in the world did I get my hands on cashmere spun in Afghanistan? Afghanistan! I didn’t even know there were cashmere goats there. Not that I ever researched the topic. At any rate, it started with an email from one of the owners of our local yarn store here in DC – Looped Yarn Works (I just love them. They are in Dupont Circle. If you are ever in DC you really should make an effort to stop by and see them, the store is adorable.) Anyway, Susan emailed to say she had a customer, Lauren, who would like to meet me because she was going to start importing cashmere from Afghanistan and since I had experience importing yarn from Turkey, she thought I could give her some insight. Well, I didn’t know about the insight part, but I certainly wanted to see this cashmere, so Lauren and I met for coffee.
I fell in love. Four beautiful, natural colors – dark brown, light brown, light gray, and white. And so soft! But the most intriguing thing about the yarn was that it is a fair trade product. The yarn is spun by Afghan women from their homes and they are paid a fair wage for their labor. So, in between doing house chores, dealing with kids and getting dinner on the table, they are spinning raw cashmere into beautiful skeins of hand-knitting yarn. Some of them are even using a drop spindle! They spin by the kilo, which produces about 20 skeins (approx. 92 yds/skein). It can take up to 5 days to get through one kilo. They produce a bulky weight and a sport weight. (I’m starting out with the bulky because it knits up faster allowing the feeling of cashmere softness around your neck (or head) that much sooner.)
This cashmere is the ultimate in “feel good” yarn. Not only does it feel good while you are wearing it, but you can feel good knowing that your purchase is helping someone live a better life.
Available soon from Knit Outta the Box. 50g/approx. 92 yds.
Hi Laurie: What a nice story! You are inspiring me to take up knitting, but I’m rarely sitting down except for work. Enjoy your new blog – thanks for sharing and best wishes in 2012! Will let you know when I take up with the knitting needles. Would love to have a sweater out of cashmere from Afghanistan!
Let us know when it’s available. I have JUST the person I would like to use this for.
Great post! Congrats on the new blog and have fun!
Laurie, this is so exciting to see and read! Congratulations nice to see the blog. B.
Laurie- thanks for the kind words about Looped and I can’t wait to see what deliciousness you’ll cook up with the cashmere!! big congrats on the blog and knit outta the box!!