I have been knitting for about 2 ½ years, and I have to say there are so many aspects of this craft that I love, one of which is the social consciousness that seems to pervade the craft, (and to cross political lines), whether knitting blankets for sick babies, sweaters for refugees in Afghanistan, prayer shawls for cancer survivors, or supporting the efforts of the inhabitants of third world countries to improve their lot in life.

The newest issue of Interweave Knits has a great article on the nomadic people of Mongolia and the beautiful yarn
they spin from camel hair gathered from the herds they raise. There are many parts of the world where spinning yarn from llamas, camel, sheep and goats, gives the indigenous population, and women in particular, economic opportunities that would otherwise be denied to them. Mongolia is struggling to make the transition from communism under the Soviet Union to independence in a system that does not even provide schools for its children. I can hardly wait to try on my first pair of camel hair socks or mittens.