To celebrate the launch of our latest digital collection STRIPES, featuring some of our favourite natural, sustainably produced yarns and the people making them, we wanted to share a few more insights into the work and ethos of one of the yarn companies we teamed up with, mYak. Here's what Paola and Andrea told us about their core values, their commitment to sustainability and about why they run their business the way they do:

For the environment

The raising of yaks follows traditional Tibetan pastoral practices, by the nomadic herders who move across the grasslands. The established herding patterns ensure the longevity of healthy pastures. The cashmere goats cannot be raised on the grasslands, however, as contrary to yaks and sheep, they are selective grazers and year after year, their constant grazing changes the fields' composition, modifying them irreversibly till they become deserts. In such a delicate environment, safeguarding the ecosystem is a fundamental concern.Tibetan cashmere goats are traditionally raised in small herds in rocky areas, terrain more suitable for them and better for the environment. This is the source of mYak cashmere.

For the local population

Nomadic pastoralism is as ancient as the mountains of the Plateau. We want to give this tradition thousands of years old an opportunity to thrive and prosper in uncertain modern times, making it more fruitful for the people who live on the Tibetan plateau. We sought to promote what the nomads have been producing since time immemorial while adding value by having the fiber spun in Italy. In this way we are able to preserve the daily way of life and the natural environment of the population.

For those who choose mYak

Our point of view is the complete opposite of that of short-lived fashion. We think of crafters who enjoy creating something personal, unique, and original. And who want to do so by starting with a fiber that is born in a place unique in the world, and that is collected following the natural life rhythms of the animals and the people who raise them. The result is of artisanal quality, a fiber destined to last, to be handed down like a precious family heirloom.

Paola's and Andrea's work is a huge inspiration for us here at Making Stories. If you're looking for some mYak inspiration yourself, look out for the gorgeous Pàs pullover in STRIPES, to be released tomorrow, designed by Sari Nordlund in mYak's wonderful Baby Yak | Silk.

Until next time, woolly greetings,
The Making Stories Team