I take a lot of care in selecting the yarns that we carry at the shop, and sometimes I find something that is both beautiful and has a really inspiring origin story. Handspun Hope yarns are just that. This yarn is harvested, spun, and dyed by at-risk women in northern Rwanda who are working under fair trade principles that ensure just wages and safe working conditions. For 13 years, Handspun Hope has implemented a holistic, whole-person approach to breaking the poverty cycle for women and their families. All of the women have suffered some level of trauma, and many are survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The cooperative has their own flock of Merino sheep, and the women clean and hand card the wool, spin it into yarn and dye it organically using native Rwandan plants. The result is an absolutely gorgeous and incredibly unique yarn.

We have a cotton and a Merino yarn in the shop now for you to touch and feel. Handspun yarns have a unique look and feel that really stands out from the machine-spun yarn that makes up most of our handknits in this country. Because they use natural dyes, the colors are very different, with each one coming from a plant or vegetable harvested in Rwanda. Anything made with this yarn will surely be very special and unique!