Fair Trade and sourcing progress

I like the idea of having women who wouldn't ordinarily be able to work, utilize their skills at knitting and crocheting to make a living. In theory, it could work for me and is worth pursuing. Of course, China was able to copy the protos pretty well (that's what they do best) but following instructions and obtaining the materials I required proved to be the biggest challenge. Accessories may be ok from there but the sweaters clearly are not.

The gift show is being held at the Javits center starting Saturday and there will be many Fair Trade Federation representatives attending with their offerings. I didn't think I would be able to attend and it was a bit pricey to do so, but after thinking about it, it may be the best thing for me to do now. I've been in contact with Aid to Artisans and will be meeting someone at their booth to discuss the possibility of having sweaters made in Peru. Barbara, at FTF already connected me with Javier in Bolivia (not sure why he pretty much ignored my previous requests for information but he's been very helpful now) and we're going forward with the first sampling. I'm hoping to obtain color cards of the available yarns etc. which he promised to send in a couple of weeks. I'd like to eliminate the process of dyeing colors though he's looking into that option as well. I'm willing to compromise as long as the colors are naturally dyed and close to the prototypes. I'll continue to research Textiles of Peru and my dialog with Ruby. However, they are manufacturers and may have a higher minimum requirement. I do know I will need at least 3 sources so that everything isn't being developed in one place. I'm more comfortable with this arrangement (once all the details are in place) because the minimums would be lower. With all that was spent on development up to now, my funds are diminishing and I do want to be able to take a trip to So. America for production if necessary and pay for the garments. Of course, my computer died and now I need to order another one. Still keeping the faith though........as hard as it may be.