MIRASOL YARNS ARE HERE!

Yes, we’ve received our stock of yarns from the Mirasol Project (see entry below).  We have Hapi, Sulka, Miski, Nuna, and Qina.  When Susan and I finish our beautiful hats, we’ll show them here.  Just go to www.knittingfever.com/c/mirasol/yarn/ to take a look.  We’ll have them up on our online store soon at www.yarndesigners.com.  Back to my needles..  Gena

The Mirasol Project

New Yarns Coming Soon….

The Mirasol Project creates beautiful luxurious hand dyed 100% Merino Wool from the Peruvian Highlandsnear lake Titicaca. A portion of every purchase is dedicated directly to funding a school in the remote area of Munani in the region of Puno to educate the children of the shepherds (visit www.mirasolperu.com).

The Mirasol Project is based on Fairtrade. Fairtrade guarantees that disadvantaged producers in the developing world get a better deal for their products. The producers receive a price that covers the cost of sustainable production plus an extra premium that is invested in social or economic development projects such as the Mirasol Project.

The Mirasol Project will do something to redress the balance between rich and poor nations. Peru is a nation of 29 million people with a high level of social inequality, with the poor rural Quechua-speaking communities high in the Andes being particularly disadvantaged. A survey undertaken in 2002 rated Peru last of 41 nations in terms of educational provision and the people of the Puno region, where the ranch is situated, have one of the lowest levels of health and education in Peru. The illiteracy rate is 95 per cent. Families live just at subsistence level in mud huts that lack plumbing and electricity and have only an open fireplace for warmth. As a result of this survey, the Peruvian government has decided to prioritise the development of the rural areas of the sierra on the national agenda.

The Mirasol Project is named after a young Quechua girl who, with her brother, tends 350 alpacas.

Its aim is to fight poverty and encourage community development. As well as providing accommodation, meals and health-care, the boarding-house will be a centre where the children can develop personal, occupational and communication skills and study techniques in specialised after-school workshops. The centre will foster the principles of peace, tolerance and equality with a respect for human rights and basic freedom. As well as an awareness of other cultures, the centre will also focus on the preservation of the language, culture and tradition of the children and their families.

The architectural design of the boarding-house makes use of local materials and know-how. In its physical, social and educational aspects, value is placed upon local knowledge However, in addition to preserving local traditions, the centre has a creative and innovating function in preparing its children for a changing and challenging future. The after-school facility will include dormitories for boys and girls, a dining room, sports area and classrooms where children can receive help with their regular school homework as well as participate in studies aimed at developing different skills and personal goals. Workshops will be developed appropriate to local career opportunities: trout farming, market gardening, the breeding and care of guinea pigs, traditional textile arts and languages.

Currently children have to walk long distances to and from school, sometimes ten miles a day, which results in them giving up school, preferring to work alongside their parents as shepherds. The boarding-house will be able to give the children much-needed educational support as well as focusing on the health of the children. The extensive poverty and social exclusion that still exist in this area do not permit an adequate level of nutrition. Malnutrition and chronic illnesses such as anaemia are a problem with the local children and so the pastoral care offered by the centre is very important, focusing on issues which might affect the development of each child in programmes such as ‘nutrition awareness’.

Do your bit to support this valuable project and help this community thrive, buy their gorgeous Mirasol yarns from us today, and feel good about your contribution to a fairer and more sustainable future!

Leaving for TNNA later today…..

Here’s our customer corner for today! Gosh I love this picture and if you look at the red shawl in the background, it’s sold and gone and I really loved that too!

 Diann and Nanci  with their new beautiful sweaters done!

Hi everyone, TNNA starts tomorrow in San Diego.  This is the West Coast Winter trade market for retail stores to purchase yarn and needlecraft supplies and the only market I go to annually to find new yarns and notions to offer to you!  I am really excited to go but a little disappointed that Susan (Susan’s NeedleArts – our sister store) is not able to go with me because of scheduling conflicts! 

Jill-Ayn will be here Friday and through the weekend to help you at the store!

I will be taking a few pictures and keep you posted through the rest of this week and will update you about my new finds in my email newsletter next week.  I know for sure I will be picking out my favorite colors of Opal Yarn’s new “Harry Potter” sock yarn and looking for new yarns that are thick and thin like my all time favorite “Farmhouse’s Lumpy Bumpy”.  I’ll also be looking for replacements for some of our favorite fancy yarns that are being discontinued.

TNNA also offers excellent classes to improve our knitting, crochet, and business skills and what could be better than taking classes you actually get to learn new yarn techniques and it’s all a business expense for me!   This is definitely my favorite type of conference to go to!

If you want me to look at anything special for you this week, just leave me a comment and I will do my best!  Happy Yarnings, Gena