Knitted Sheep

In 2007, rural women in Molo, Kenya, turned one of their local natural resources into a source of supplemental income. They realized that instead of paying a shearer to shear their sheep and take away the wool, they could use it to handcraft toys, rugs, and purses. With the support of Oregon-based Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife and the Network for Eco-Farming in Africa, the women began spinning and dyeing their wool, then hand-knitting whimsical animals. The sale of items from the Molo Wool Project enables the women to pay school fees for their children and provide for household needs.

This hand-knitted curly coated white sheep, created by Monicah Njoki, has a dark face and ears.