We were very fortunate to have Catherine "Cati" Williams visit us this past weekend as one of our special vendors for the Fair Trade Holiday Crafts Sale. Cati is the American member of the Kullakas cooperative, and she brought with her a large variety of knit and woven goods that the Aymara women of the Bolivian altiplano make. Many of the women knit and weave out of their homes, in addition to growing food, working in the market, and a whole variety of other "income generating" enterprises, as is often the situation in the third world, where millions of people do not hold conventional jobs per se, but make a living in whatever piecemeal manner they can.
We also spent time at a local yarn store looking at patterns for future products, and brainstormed about new products and colors. One of the items Kullakas is experimenting with are these beautiful double knit gloves that you see above. They are 100% alpaca wool, and although they feel quite cozy, and are much heavier than regular gloves, they are not in the least bit itchy. Of course, Florida is not a good "test market" for them, so I'll be sending this pair up to my sister-in-law in Newfoundland, so she can tell me what she thinks of them...
Cati sold nearly $600 worth of knit and woven goods this past weekend, and also received special orders. Cati is absolutely devoted to her "kullakas"/"sisters" in Bolivia and works tirelessly on their behalf. She can be reached at catiwilliams@gmail.com .
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