It may sound odd to say that a sweater can help keep families together and communities flourishing, but that’s what RICO handknit sweaters do. These beautiful knits, which blend traditional knitting techniques with modern design, are made by nearly 2000 rice farmers’ wives in remote villages in Northern Thailand. Knitting RICO and Rice sweaters not only provides these artisans with year-round employment, but allows them to preserve their native traditions as they knit together in the shade of their stilt houses.
But the RICO commitment to these women and their families goes beyond that. For nearly a decade the company has shared its success by providing an educational scholarship program to these farming communities in Northern Thailand. So, when you walk into The Meeting Place in downtown Geneva, IL in Chicago’s western suburbs, and purchase a unique and beautiful Rico sweater, you are also doing something wonderful for someone across the world.
Occasionally a stray grain of rice is found nestled in the stitches of Rico handknits, and it’s considered to be a pearl of good luck. Today, a RICO Silver Rice Charm is sewn into every sweater as a reminder of the women you are supporting.
