Handspun Hope yarn has landed in space! Through the missionary organization, True Vineyard Ministries, this yarn is harvested, spun, and dyed by women in northern Rwanda who are working under fair trade principles that ensure just wages and safe working conditions. Dyed in nature’s palette, Handspun Hope yarns are subtle, soft, and quite extraordinary.

We are delighted to be hosting a yarn tasting with their Executive Director Executive, Diana Wiley. She will share more about the organization, the ladies, and the yarn. Each participant will receive a Handspun Hope drawstring tote containing three, 20 gram Handspun Hope yarn samples and a yarn tasting menu as well as a Rwandan coffee freshly roasted at local Misha’s Coffeehouse. You may choose to do this tasting in our shop event space (limited to 10) or virtually. You may have your tasting kit mailed to you or picked up at our shop! Participants will be able to shop this new yarn at 15% off during and after the tasting.

About Handspun Hope

Handspun Hope is a ministry working with at-risk women in northern Rwanda. For 13 years, Handspun Hope has implemented a holistic, whole-person approach to breaking the poverty cycle for women and their families. What began in 2007 with employment of ten women has grown to become the number one employer of women in the Musanze district of Rwanda with 123 women fully employed. All of the women have suffered some level of trauma. Many are survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which occurred in 1994.  The women are employed at their cooperative in Musanze where they process wool from their own flock of Merino sheep. The ladies clean and hand card the wool, spin yarn and dye it organically using native Rwandan plants. Additionally, the coop imports Ethiopian cotton, which is then spun on drop spindles by a cooperative in Ethiopia. The ladies working for Handspun Hope then dye the yarn organically using Rwandan plants and ply into yarn.