Yak Yarn is Now Available at the Pen and Hook!

Have you ever seen a yak? I have seen them at the zoo, but never in the wild. 

Yaks are found throughout the Himalaya mountain range and thrive in very cold weather. From what I read on the Web,  there are a few herds of wild yaks, but most are domesticated animals. 

Wikipedia

They are very useful. Like cows in the U.S., yaks serve as a food source - both for meat and milk. They can be ridden like a horse; they serve as pack animals and they provide fiber for clothing and other uses. In fact, yak wool is very much like sheep wool. It is durable, odor resistant and very warm. Women in Nepal take this wool, dye it and spin it into yarn and then sell it to a coop, which, in turn, sells it to distributors all over the world. 

My store on Etsy, The Pen and Hook, formerly Writing Places, is now selling yak yarn. Each purchase of this yarn helps provide income for the women who make it so that they can help their families afford medical care, education and other necessities. The thing I really like is that these women actually work in their own homes  They do not work in sweatshops for meager pay, nor is child labor a factor.

Here is what I am selling. 

Emerald Green

Midnight Blue

Black

Lilac

Spearmint

I think the colors are gorgeous. Each skein is chunky weight and works up really quick. Try crocheting or knitting a warm cowl. You could even lightly felt it. Click on the links to check out more about the yarn. For those reading this blog who would like to purchase yak yarn, use the coupon code YAK10 for a 10 percent discount on your purchase. This offer is good until February 27.