About Us

Core Values

Apart from our yearly technical improvements and expanding our available fibers, ULA+LIA's process and philosophy of manufacturing has remained the same since our first yarn batches in 2018. We procure our fiber from sustainability-focused herding cooperatives in Mongolia, process, dye, and manufacture 100% in Mongolia, warehouse and ship from Pittsburgh, PA, offer transparency in all of our processes, and promise customer satisfaction of our final product.

What does 'Small Footprint' mean?

By keeping our entire procurment and manufacturing process in Mongolia, it reduces the waste of shipping raw materials all over the world for different steps of production. It also creates as much value as possible in Mongolia for products created from Mongolia's own raw matrerials. Currently, the large majority of Mongolia's cashmere is exported to China or famous fashion houses in Europe in its raw or washed state, which is only the first step of processing. By washing, carding (removing guard hair), dyeing, spinning, hand skeining and hand labeling our yarn in Mongolia, it supports the Mongolian industrial base. The small manufacturing partners we work with in Mongolia also match up perfectly with us by being transparent and producing at a consistent high quality.

Kickstarter Campaigns

ULA+LIA yarn started with our first annual Kickstarter campaign in 2018 when we raised $39,000. In our most recent campaign, we raised over $135,000 with over 1350 customers! Because the herders only brush their free-range animals once a year in the early summer, we would not be able to purchase our yearly supply needed without our customer-supported prefunding. By running our Kickstarter campaigns to fund our fiber purchases, we are able to carry inventory throughout the year. We aim to run our campaigns in June and deliver new yarn in late fall or winter, all while offering a behind the scenes look at the manufacturing process during the campaign. Join our email list at the bottom of the page to be notified of the campaign and get access to the lowest prices of the year.

Social Responsibility

Throughout the years, we’ve maintained some sourcing partners and moved onto new ones as the industry evolves. As ULA+LIA grows, so do the fiber purchases we make and the effects it has on the environment and people. Sustainability is important to me and also difficult in Mongolia, but I’ll always make our purchases from cooperatives and organizations that do the best they can and involve me as much as possible in transparent operations. As we grow, so do the opportunities we can create to support this process at a higher level. I love spending time with the animals and people we purchase our fiber from and I will continue to work with organizations that allow me to show that process.

Why I'm Here

I was introduced to Mongolia for the first time when I joined the Peace Corps in 2010. After volunterring for two years, I left Mongolia knowing I wanted to stay involved but didn't know quite how. As so many others do after visiting Mongolia, I brought my mom a cashmere scarf as a gift. She absolutely loved it, and that started the process that would eventually lead to ULA+LIA.

The Future

Into the future I hope to maintain the strong base that we’ve built with our knitting and crocheting yarn, but also promote more of the hidden gems available in Mongolia, like handmade apparel, raw honey, cheeses, and other homeware items.

Contact

Follow us on Facebook,instagram, join our ravelry group,send us an email at info@ULAandLIA.com, or subscribe to our newsletter below to stay up to date with campaigns and new products!