A small felt clothes and gifts factory has been opened in the Aregnadem village located in northern Armenia. One of the employees, the senior resident of the village Aghunik Hazryan told NEWS.am that there are still four people working at the factory.

The project was launched with the support of the Turpanjian Foundation of the American University of Armenia, which supports the creation of jobs in rural areas. Currently, few people know how to squash felt from wool. “I remembered how my parents would make felt at home and thought we could also learn how to do it. The important thing for us is to make sure the threads and paints are produced in Armenia,” Hazryan explained. She has already managed to find a small factory that paints wool threads and is planning on working with that factory.

A more solid felt is squashed for shoes, while the felt for scarves, pillows and toys is softer. If you need paints, there is as much wool as you need. In the Amasia region (the region where this village is located), many people keep sheep, but there is nowhere they can give wool since the Soviet textile industry that served as a source of income for people in the northern sector of the Republic of Armenia collapsed 25 years ago.

“There is enough wool. The important thing is to find good wool. We are currently mixing a little nylon, but when we start working with the villagers, we will use only wool. We only use boiling water and household soap for processing. We even squash with our hands. The wool will only be from our villages. The only thing left to do is to make sure the paints are domestic,” Hazryan said.

According to her, this will make it possible to apply for a certificate for organic products and sell them in the West. “Foreign diplomats in Yerevan already know about us. For instance, Norway’s Consul liked it a lot. We are glad. After all, this means that my fellow villagers will be able to do something for a living,” she added.

Currently, there are only four workers, but Hazryan is planning on becoming a master in washing and spinning wool (the villagers also want to have their own threads). “We have already come up with a name for the trademark, and that name is “Arpi”. The trademark will be Arpi Wool for foreigners. It is named after our Lake Arpi, which is located near our village, as well as after my daughter, who will be our manager,” Hazryan said, smiling.