Peace Fleece has acquired some luxurious cashmere yarn made by talented women spinners from Sheghnan village, Afghanistan. The women are part of a newly formed spinning group supported by a development project funded by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) and managed by AKF (The Aga Khan Foundation). Last year I purchased some of their mohair yarn through Peacefleece which I knit up into the scarf you see below. The women have switched from spinning mohair to cashgora which is a remarkably softer, but somewhat less sturdy fiber. Some of what I purchased last year seemed similar to cashgora to me, and I recently purchased some worsted weight cashgora spun by Maliknoz. When I compared these two fibers they seem very similar in softness to me. Now the project is also focusing on the Afghan women just over the border from Tajikistan. The project supports the women from this Afghan village in developing their own spinning business and in finding export markets for their yarn.
 Close up of the lace shawl made up from last years cashgora (I think) |  This year's Cashgora spun by Maliknoz in the worsted weight. Note the sheen and how beautifully even her spinning is |
Last Wednesday I was invited by Pete Hagerty, the owner, with his wife Marty, of Peacefleece, to come and bring some of my pals from the R&R Spinners group to meet with some of the spinners and leaders of the co-ops along with Leba Brent who is an International Development Consultant who specializes in women's economic development in areas where women are suppressed. This photograph is of Mukadis, who is one of the best spinners. She is very happy to have the opportunity that the co-op provides to do work she loves, to spend time with other women, and to contribute to the health and education of her children. I hope that I am getting the names right and if not I apologize. But I do have a very sharp memory of the faces and voices of these women. I admired so much their bravery in coming so far, to such an unfamiliar place, in order to find out more about the lives of the women who are the most likely purchasers and users of their yarn. They are so justifiably proud of their work, and so open hearted. They do run some risk in having their pictures and bios on line, and in coming to visit in America. The Taliban are not in control of their village, but they are a looming threat in areas not too far from their homes. It is an act of faith for them.
This is Jonamo. She believes that she is about 40 years old. She would like to have a nice house with some amenities, and she hopes her children will be able to find work. Jonamo knows how to build a traditional outdoor oven for making bread, and described it to us with a great deal of mutual interest and delight. People invite her over to make such ovens for them. My friend Chris McDuffie was particularly interested since she is thinking of building an earth oven for her island house here in Casco Bay.
Jonamo is very resourceful and good at managing her household. She had to have her language (Afghani I believe) translated by her friends into Russian, which was then picked up and translated into English by Leba. You would have thought that this would have put an insurmountable crimp in communication but the discussion of the earth oven went very well with only minimal help from the translators. Evidently smiling and enthusiastic hand gestures work very well for women of like minds.
Jonamo is very resourceful and good at managing her household. She had to have her language (Afghani I believe) translated by her friends into Russian, which was then picked up and translated into English by Leba. You would have thought that this would have put an insurmountable crimp in communication but the discussion of the earth oven went very well with only minimal help from the translators. Evidently smiling and enthusiastic hand gestures work very well for women of like minds.
This is Oigul. She is 40 years old and is a real powerhouse, in person and in her the lives of her family and village. She is the leader for her particular co-op and is able to handle the accounting and finances for her group because she is bright and educated. Her husband her son travel to Russia to work for a large part of the year, which leaves her with her daughter and her parents to run their small farm, their apricot orchard, and the work of her compatriots in the co-op. They were able to use the money that she has earned to build a house. I was so impressed with her focused attention, her eagerness to help with the translation in our little meeting, and her curiousity about our lives and willingness to share the details of her own.
I will be participating in some of the knitting research for these spinners that will be taking place at R&R Spinners, and will keep you posted on developments. In the meantime do go to the link at Cashmere People and at Peacefleece
I will be participating in some of the knitting research for these spinners that will be taking place at R&R Spinners, and will keep you posted on developments. In the meantime do go to the link at Cashmere People and at Peacefleece
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