If you search the word « Mongolia » in Google and go to the images section, what do you see?

Unspoilt landscapes dotted with round, white tents, the so-called yurts or ger, covered with animal skins, and men and women in traditional dress taking care of their families and livestock. All this set against the dramatic colours of the vast sky and endless steppe that reflect different shades of blue, white, yellow or green that change with the season.

 Here, in this little-known land, Nomadnoos is born – literally meaning “Nomadic wool” in Mongolian.

The raw material of our yarns is combed in spring from yak, sheep and camels that, with their thick fur have, resisted the steppe’s harsh winter.

Using specially made combs, the nomads derive from these animals a very soft fiber that is then washed and carded in a factory in the capital Ulaan Baatar, which operates with respect for the environment.

During our various trips,  we have met and spent time with these nomadic families who provide fibers for Nomadnoos. These families are also part of a Swiss project called Green Gold, which aims to support the local communities to implement improved pastoral care that will ultimately translate into greater economic stability.

Despite the millenary culture in managing livestock, the nomads find themselves confronted with problems that are well known to us: climate change on one hand and the intensive exploitation of natural resources on the other. The desertification of the steppe is a big problem, heightened in part by the breeding of cashmere goats whose hooves ruin the pastures and with their voracity, rip-up the roots of the remaining grass.

With our commitment to environmental conservation, Nomadnoos is collaborating with the nomadic herders committed to focussing care and maintaining animals considered eco-friendly, such as yaks, sheep and camels.

Hand spinning

The soft fibers obtained from these animals is then spun by hand by skilled Nepalese women who live in the surroundings of Kathmandu.

Our spinning team currently consists of eight people who, thanks to spinning our yarns, have an additional financial resource that helps them sustain their families.

Nomadnoos aims to empower women by paying a fee at a living wage. In turn, this income allows these families to offer their children a more secure and brighter future.

And you will know exactly #who made your yarn!

That’s because, on each skein, you will find the name and face of the person who handspun it as well as on our website www.nomadnoos.com, along with their biography.

Our skeins are dyed in a small workshop near Kathmandu, using natural colours that respect the environment and follow the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZHDC) principles.

Time: a precious resource for everyone

We take the time and give the time to people to spin our yarns.

We believe that time is of fundamental importance in the realization of our product – from the start till the end – and we know that time a precious resource.

You also choose to spend time when you cast on your project with our yarns. When you wear your creation, you will wear a story, which started in Mongolia, journeyed through Nepal until it arrives in your home.

For this reason, Nomadnoos products are Slow Fashion.

With Nomadnoos yarns, you are supporting the fight against climate change and you respect the environment. Importantly, you are supporting nomadic communities by helping them remain in their homes on the steppe rather than moving to the cities, where they usually find only misery. And finally, you are helping to empower these local women who are spinning!

A simple skein of yarn really CAN  change a life!

Written by Alessandra Spataro & Coty Jeronimus