Elnara
Teresa Hamlin
Elnara lives near Lahij, an ancient village nestled high among the mountainous crags of the Ismayilli region. The people of Lahij are renown for their craftsmanship: the men are metal workers, while the women knit and make carpets. Elnara grew up admiring the skill of the knitters, but her father forbade her to learn. Elnara did not let this deter her desire. Every day, while her father napped, Elnara would steal some yarn and sneak to her neighbor’s house. The neighbor would patiently instruct her how to knit. The same yarn would be used over and over again as Elnara practiced knitting. Finally, she learned the complex patterns of the Ismayilli region. When she grew up, she married and moved into her own household, where she could knit with freedom. She has two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. Later, she met Teresa and began knitting for Azerbaijani Socks. Those “stolen skills” of her childhood have proved to be profitable for her, as she uses this money to provide for her household.
