Who we are:

Altyn Oimok means Golden Thimble in Kyrgyz. It is a group of women who formed a cooperatively run non-profit organization in 1998. They have developed a worthwhile alternative to the devastating poverty their children face by reviving the traditional felting and embroidery skills taught them by their mothers and grandmothers. The beautiful traditional Shyrdahk rugs and pads, slippers, hats, bags and toys they produce are all based on their traditional nomadic lives in the Yurtas high in the Tien Shan Mountains.

Slide show: Felting and Dyeing

Click the image above to start an Adobe Acrobat slide show of the process of Felting and Dyeing Caution the file is 2.6 Mb and take some time to download and play.