I opened the doors of my new little business in September 1983. In trepidation I offered my own hand-knitted items for sale with the help of 1 spinner.
In spite of our converted buildings being too large and décor very sparse, people popped in and the wheels of the business started to turn.
Liz Dyakala joined me and in no time we had a big team of trained hand-spinners and 7 knitting groups dotted around the countryside. I visited some once a week and others every second week. One of the rural groups had no place to meet so we just sat on the side of the country road and swopped knitting techniques, yarns and patterns.
Liz ran the workshop and manned the little shop. Everything at that stage was made with hand-spun yarns in their natural colours but before long the lure of colour opened a new world to me. At first I only used natural dyes but swiftly turned to artificial colours. This also extended the range of colours I could use. With drums of rotting onion skins, geraniums, and beetroot, the smell wasn’t too good. Also,the amount of plant material/kg of yarn was not environmentally sustainable at about 10 kg plants to 1kg of yarn, so I realised I would need to change in order to grow the business.
It’s hard to remember all the changes over the past 40 years but I do remember the big day of getting electricity from the power grid in October 1983. Today 30 years and 11 months later I am even more excited to say we are off the grid completely. We switched over to an inspiring solar system in September 2023, full circle.
I remember our community telephone system. Our ring was 2 shorts and 2 longs. Then followed telephones with a number dial, then fax machines. Goodness! Messages coming through the wires onto paper!! I was blown away. To sell our product we had to print brochures, physically attend markets and go on road trips around the country. It was hard work but so much fun! The kids and I spent school holidays going from market to market with all our goods piled into our tiny little hatchback. Ice creams all around after the first sale.
Personally I was completely disinterested in technology, so when my good friend and colleague suggested I upgrade my brand and website I was shocked.” What’s wrong with the current one” I asked???? A journey into the unknown for me, I had to trust her implicitly. But by the time the website was launched, I was thrilled. I had a new vocabulary and I had finally left the 20th century. I was so proud that our brand was “out there”
Talking of full circle, the fashion in knitted goods has done the same. Initially all yarns were hand-spun and all items hand-knitted but it proved to be unsustainable. We started buying in mohair already spun at the factory. We started at 5kg/month and now its 50kg/week. Most of our items are knitted on old-fashioned knitting machines, simple but beautiful. This has enabled new styles of scarves, shawls, blankets etc to be included in our range. As time and labour are now so precious, the hand-knitted items have become a luxury. We have however, maintained our hand operations in all other aspects of our production. It is still providing work for rural women who have had few opportunities and are the legacy of a bad political system.
Today their work is unique, something to be truly admired and celebrated. It travels worldwide so all our birthday celebrations will be centred around this amazing group of women who have enabled us as a business to build a brand we are proud of.
Sadly many of these women are no longer with us but we will raise a toast to them, remember with gratitude their contribution and celebrate all that is “Adele’s Mohair” today.
To my friends, loyal customers, fellow workers, colleagues and suppliers, thank you for being on this journey with me and thank you for all your support and individual contributions. It has helped make us who we are and it is most sincerely appreciated.
I plan to be at the helm for a few more years but look forward to the exciting ideas another generation can bring to this business because I feel sure the foundations are good and the sky is the limit.
God bless you all and thank you so much.
Adele