Manos del Uruguay is hosting a contest on their Facebook page (note, this is a separate page from the Manos del Uruguay Yarns Facebook page!) They have collected photo submissions of moms and the one with the most “Likes” will win a $2500 prize from the shops!

Maybe your Mom would like something special created by your hands using Manos del Uruguay yarns? We try to share inspiring projects here on our blog and others also share their projects in our Ravelry group.  By searching the projects on Ravelry completed in Manos del Uruguay yarns and including “Mom” or “for Mom” as a search term you can have a peek at the items others have crafted with Mom in mind.

The Flower Scarf designed by Robin Diliberto, knit by gaylynsdesigns using Manos del Uruguay Serena.

The Garden View Shawlette designed by Tracey Withanee, knit by Miss Ourlet in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend.

A kindle pocket, designed by Tahira Probst and knit by wewantmore using Manos del Uruguay Maxima.

A Scallop Lace Hat designed by Leah Coccari-Swift and knit by crscntmoon in Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend.

These are just a few, free, quick projects your mom might enjoy.  Have you created something from the heart for your mother this year? We would love to hear about it and see pictures!  Let us know with a comment here on the blog, in our Ravelry group, send us a tweet or post to our Facebook page! We wish all moms a “Happy Mother’s Day!”

You may view past & current LE colors on Ravelry, Facebook and the Fairmount Fibers Website.

In need of some inspiration? Check out these recent projects made with Wool Clasica: Persikkavaahto, Appreciation Cowl (crochet!) and Colonnade Shawl

The General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) has declared 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC). The designation serves to highlight the contribution that cooperatives have had in reducing poverty, creating jobs and promoting social inclusion. The theme of the International Year of Cooperatives 2012 is “The Cooperative Companies Help Build a Better World.”

The International Year of Cooperatives is to raise public awareness of the valuable contributions of cooperatives to poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. Also, the International Year of Cooperatives will highlight the strengths of the cooperative business model and alternative means of doing business and socioeconomic development.

Most of the year’s activities will focus on information exchange. These communication activities will focus on the theme of this year, “Cooperative enterprises help build a better world” and highlight key aspects of cooperative enterprises that allow them to comply with this rule.

There are 10 key messages:

• Cooperative enterprises help build a better world.

• The cooperatives are member-owned, member-driven and managed by the members themselves.

• Cooperatives empower people.

• The cooperatives improve quality of life and strengthen the economy.

• Cooperatives enable sustainable development.

• Cooperatives promote rural development.

• Cooperatives balance social demands with economic ones.

• Cooperatives promote democratic principles.

• Cooperatives and gender: a way out of poverty.

• Cooperative: a sustainable business model for youth.

Manos del Uruguay has more than 40 years working with this type of craft production cooperative whose main objectives are:

• Create and develop jobs for women in the countryside
• Provide opportunities for growth in the economic, social and cultural spheres to all members
  
• Valuing crafts and artisans’ work

The artisans are the owners of Manos del Uruguay and are part of an organization whose goal is to generate employment for rural women, allowing us to stay with our families, have a financial support and develop as people.

We are grouped into 13 cooperatives that gather 250 artisans distributed throughout the interior of the country in 19 locations. Meanwhile, the Service Center is located in Montevideo and employs about ninety officers, engaged in providing various services to the cooperatives including product design, technical training, production and maintenance of tools, sale of products, financing, and advice to those who perform administrative functions, among other services.

Manos del Uruguay is managed by a Steering Committee composed of representatives of Cooperatives and representatives of the Adhering Partners, individuals who cooperate voluntarily with the organization.

The Board members change every two years. Since 1988, the representatives of the cooperatives have formed the majority of the Board of Directors: of the seven members, four are artisans.

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 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.

If you are interested to read more, please visit the Official Website of the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives .

Stowe is a v-neck tee with a touch of mesh lace at the sleeves.  Stowe is knit up in Serena, our baby alpaca – pima cotton blend, and is perfect for spring weather as it is lightweight and whisper-soft.  Our sample is shown here in S2680 Sea Urchin. There are so many colors to choose from, which will you put to your needles?

Stowe is part of our Spring 2012 collection, and available to purchase for download through Ravelry or at your local yarn store. Our Spring 2012 collection includes five more garments – we are looking forward to sharing them with you!

Our Wool Clasica Limited-Edition color series is only available for a limited time – now is the time to stock up!

You may view past & current LE colors on Ravelry, Facebook and the Fairmount Fibers Website.

Here are a few fresh new patterns for Wool Clasica

From left to right: Mermaid Mixer by Samanthia Waltjen, The Big Zig Hat by Emily Winser, and DIY_Shrug by Marijke Lennards

Turband is a great piece to have in your wardrobe as the seasons change. The rib stitch is simple and satisfying, and with minimal finishing you will have a new accessory in no time!

The Tweedledee Hat uses a stitch pattern that looks great in a semi-solid or space-dyed skein of Wool Clasica. This is a great first project for beginner knitters as well.

The Wavy Cable Boot Toppers are a quick little project for you to practice cabling and end up with a fantastic and unique accessory. To make these you will need two skein of Wool Clasica.

These patterns and more can be found on our website, check it out! We love to see what you create with our yarn – please share your work at our Manos del Uruguay Facebook page or join our Ravelry group to chat with other Manos fans!

Here’s a look at what’s new for Spring from the Manos Co-Ops:

Lace knitters rejoice!  We’ve added 11 new colors to our palette.  This delicate blend of baby alpaca, silk and cashmere is perfect for a wide variety of projects and is perfect for the warmer months to come. We’ve love to see Keeping Rosita Warm knit up in a few of these fresh new Lace colors, wouldn’t you?

L-R 2040 Puck, 2109 Banshee, 2121 Dryad, 2183 Gloriana, 2207 Oberon, 2387 Leprechaun, 2425 Naiad, 2445 Merrow, 2650 Prilla, 6977 Fay, 7311 Iris.

Next up, we’ve got eight gorgeous new colors in Serena!  This lightweight alpaca/cotton blend is ideal for trans-seasonal knitting, and your customers will love our newest colors.  The Aurelie Tank from the Interweave Knits Spring 2012 issue is a fun beaded top using 3-5 skeins of Serena – it’s perfect for layering or wearing all on its own!

L-R: 2680 Sea Urchin, 2609 Peony, 2590 Natural, 2444 Harbor, 2368 Ivy, 2122 Mahogany, 2100 Hummingbird, 2040 Gold, 2020 Curry.

Finally, we’re introducing five new Maxima colors.  Small projects or felted pieces are perfect for the spring and summer – or get a jump on sweater knitting with the latest kettle-dyed colors in this soft and squishy 100% merino wool!  Our newest free pattern for Maxima, the Tweedy Bucket Hat, would look fantastic in any of these new hues.

L-R: 2020 Spirulina, 2145 Coral, 2349 Oxygen, 2552 Foil, 2590 Natural

Of course, our Wool Clasica Limited-Edition color series is only available for a limited time – so don’t delay!  Once it’s gone, it’s gone!

You may view past & current LE colors on Ravelry, Facebook and the Fairmount Fibers Website.

Need some inspiration?  Here are some great new patterns to knit in Wool Clasica:

From L-R: Mock Lattice Gaiter by Dawn Bryfogle, Ricordi by Emma Fassio, Marina by Charlotte Walford, Secret Song Mittens by Maura Kirk, Buttoned Cape by Yoko Hatta.

]]> http://www.fairmountfibers.com/clasica-le-colorways/le6-spring-is-in-the-air/feed 0 http://www.fairmountfibers.com/fair-trade-news-topics/its-fair-trade-february http://www.fairmountfibers.com/fair-trade-news-topics/its-fair-trade-february#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:24:01 +0000 Fairmount Fibers http://www.fairmountfibers.com/?p=1551 Those of you who follow us on Twitter and Facebook or subscribe to the Manos Del Uruguay Fair Trade Newsletter know that we’ve dedicated the entire month of February to celebrate Fair Trade.   Besides the yarn itself, it’s the story behind the yarn and the people who work in the Co-Ops in Uruguay who make Manos yarns and fibers so special.  From time to time, we share artisan profiles with our fiber fans; each person who works at the Co-op has a unique story and we enjoy sharing them with you!

The Manos Cooperatives were founded in 1968 by five women whose goal was to develop economic opportunities for women in a country where there were (and still are) few opportunities for work.  This is especially important in the more remote areas of Uruguay, as the Co-ops there provide a source of income that enables the workers to remain with their families.  If you’d like to find out more about the history of the Manos Co-ops, click here.

When you buy a skein of Manos yarn, you’re getting much more than meets the eye! Each and every purchased skein helps a woman in Uruguay support her family and supports the Manos mission to eradicate poverty through sustainable economic development and reinvestment in marginalized artisans, farmers and producer communities.  As you spin or knit with our products, you become part of the Manos story, too!

Our first giveaway this month was on our Facebook Fan Page and we were astounded and thrilled to see the thoughtful and insightful comments posted in answer to our question, “what does Fair Trade mean to you?”  We wish we could post them all here, but instead we’ll share a random sample (click here to read all 149 comments!):

“Manos is a very well organized co-op, that has given women opportunities they would have not had other wise, that’s something I can always get behind!” – Catalina

“It means quality and equality for maker and consumer.” – Diana

“Fair trade means that someone used their skill, love and ability to create and distribute something while finding joy in it themselves. This means that I am then able to do the same thing by using the material to create something else full of love and skill that can bring joy to someone else.” – Antonia

“Fair trade yarn means knitting without guilt.” – Emily

Irene

And our winning comment:

“Fair trade yarn allows for me to help support the women who have made such a beautiful product in a way that is dignified, as well as knowing where my product is coming from.” – Naomi

If you’d like a chance to win some free Fair Trade Yarn of your own, leave a comment on this blog post sharing something new or interesting you’ve learned about the Manos Cooperatives after reading this blog post (or following the links above).  Be sure to also share your Ravelry ID or some way we can contact you in case you win!
We’ll randomly select 1 lucky winner to announce on Friday, February 24th via this blog.  Good luck!

(P.S. We have more chances for you to win this month – be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or join our Ravelry group to stay updated!)