Here in the UK, we’re currently in the middle of Fairtrade Fortnight: the annual nationwide campaign to promote awareness of Fairtrade and encourage people to buy products which carry the FAIRTRADE Mark in order to help farmers in developing countries.

So I thought it might be a good time to remind knitters about the fairtrade yarn we sell.  Manos Del Uruguay is the only yarn company to carry the World Fairtrade Mark and we stock their lovely Silk Blend yarn.  Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend yarn is a beautiful double knit yarn that is alight with colour and knits so well.  It is a blend of 30% Silk, 70% Extrafine Merino Wool.

The mission and the social objectives of Manos de Uruguay are of creating working opportunities for the women’s groups in order to assure the personal development and let them acces the civil society as an active member. This permits to the women to remain working in their own villages and avoid the migration of these families from the country side.  This cooperative provides much needed income to approximately 350 women working in 17 locations.

Coming Soon from Manos Del Uruguay – Laceweight yarn.

We’re very excited about this new yarn, due in the middle of April.  The Manos laceweight yarn will be 5% Cashmere, 75% Baby Alpaca, 20% Silk in a sumptuous 12 colourways both solids and space dyed.

Watch this space for more details!

Many knitters will be delighted to hear that some days ago after a long and exhaustive evaluating process, Manos del Uruguay has been admitted as a full member of WFTO (Word Fair Trade Organization), the global representative body of over 350 organisations committed to 100% Fair Trade.

WFTO members are organisations differentiated by their 100% Fair Trade commitment to eradicate poverty through sustainable economic development; pioneering social and environmental policy and practice and continual reinvestment in marginalised artisans, farmers and producer communities in some of the most fragile places on earth, practices that Manos del Uruguay has been applying for 40 years.

Fair Trade is a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, that seeks greater equality in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.

Here at Hulu we are delighted to be helping this worthy effort by selling Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend yarn.  It’s a lovely soft blend of silk and extra fine merino wool in a stunning range of colours.