Knitting has been in my craft bucket list for too long now so when I learned that Craft MNL is holding a class, I immediately signed up for the class. I am especially excited about this particular class because the teacher will be from Ricefield Collective.
The story of Ricefield Collective really tugged my heartstrings when I first read about it. Meredith Ramirez-Talusan from the US went to the village of Uhaj, Ifugao to do research for her dissertation. There she met Jean, an Ifugao farmer, and she learned about their need for consistent income as their work as farmers do not give them enough to live on. Jean and the other Ifugaos were already contemplating on leaving the village and move to overcrowded Manila (or abroad), hoping for a better life.
Amazingly, an idea brewed in Meredith's head. She taught Jean and other Ifugao women to knit sweaters, hats, and coffee cozies and planned on selling them abroad. This way, Meredith is hoping that this venture will create a better and sustainable livelihood for the villagers of Ifugao. This summer, Meredith will be coming back to the mountains to teach them more knitting skills. But before she does that, she and a friend of hers, Anna Maltz, will be conducting a knitting workshop at Craft MNL.
Eeeeeee! I'm excited!
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