Sale of the Week

Hand-spun, kettle-dyed, fair-traded, Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica is a very special yarn. The Manos co-operative was founded in 1968 and continues to provide health insurance, retirement pensions, paid vacations and paid maternity leave for their members.

From the Manos del Urugay website:
With each purchased skein of Manos del Uruguay yarn you will be helping a woman to support her family. Each skein is signed, so you will know who made your yarn, and from which village it came.

You will be supporting the hand-crafted rather than mass-produced, and contributing to an economy where the workers control of the means of production. You, as a handknitter, crocheter or weaver, will be contributing to women’s careers in harmony with family life, and contributing to the landscape, and cultural heritage of Uruguay.

Manos del Uruguay was recently certified as a World Fair Trade Organization. The organization is committed to the 10 principles of Fair Trade:

• Creating opportunities for economically disadvantaged producers
• Transparency and accountability
• Capacity building
• Promoting Fair Trade
• Payment of a fair price
• Gender equity
• Safe and healthy work conditions
• Respect for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (child labor)
• Better environmental practices
• Trade with concern for the well-being of marginalized small producers

You can read more about the Manos del Uruguay story and the World Fair Trade Organization here.

Manos del Uruguay Wool Clasica is 15% off through January 17.