This week I’ve been hunting down linen.

Linen is that elusive fiber that I sometimes come across in interesting summertime knitting patterns for open weave shirts, tunics and shawls. I always make a mental note of it, thinking, huh linen. But I’ve never actually made anything with it.

Linen itself is harvested from the flax plant which produces long and strong fibers known as linen. It has a natural luster and is found in creamy white to tan and can easily be dyed other colors. It is mostly known for bedding and towels made from the strong fabric that is created when the linen is woven.

Less known is the yarn itself, which while not labeled “organic,” is pretty environmentally friendly. The flax plant can grow most anywhere with little to no pesticides and is very similar in its growth to hemp, which we know is also a good eco-friendly fiber.

Louet of North America makes a nice linen yarn in many many beautiful colors. Euroflax is available is sport weight, worsted and chunky. This yarn is machine washable and dryable, making it great and accessible for many projects. Linen yarn itself has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, but it does hold a stitch giving it great definition, perfect for cables.

Euroflax linen yarn is available in most stores and online. Check out Claudia hand painted linen yarn available at the Yarn Co, too.

Mona over at Textiles and Bicycles had a similar experience with hunting down linen yarn. Check out her experiences with linen yarn.

Image credit: Purl Soho

1) Gather your bags. I separated mine by color, but why not go crazy and mix and match?

2) Start by cutting off the handles and the bottom of the bag. The result will be a nice smooth rectangle, as the bottom gatherings will have been removed.

3) Cut the bag into long strips of “yarn.” You can do this two different ways. One is to cut the bag in one continuous spiral or the other is to cut the bag in a zig-zag pattern as in the picture. Then cut along the yellow lines to get one long strip of plastic.

The spiral method makes a more uniform strip where the zig-zag cut makes the yarn more free-form and lumpy. I like this best because it gives the final project a bit more character.

4) Ball your yarn. I made a center pull ball with my yarn which was no different than with other yarns and the pieces easily tied together with simple square knots.

5) Begin knitting!

Words of wisdom: This yarn is a bit unpredictable. Casting on it’s a bit stiff and doesn’t stretch and move as easily in the process as real yarn. Be careful not to pull your stitches and make them too big. Once you get going, it is relatively easy to use, though. If you are a tight knitter, you might want to double up on your needles or use a bigger needle for your stitches as the yarn is a bit hard to move on and off the needles. It can be both slippery and un-slippery at the same time.

You can also find plarn for sale on Etsy from smallboxdesigns and silverblayze, just to name a few. Use your new plarn with some amazing patterns from My Recycled Bags, a blog that we all love. Try the cute Ribbon Sling Bag or how about a dishcloth?

Have other ideas that plarn would be good for? Leave them in the comments!

Created by Nadine Storyk Curtis, Be Sweet is one such company that has all those lines covered. While living in South Africa, Curtis became enamored with the local craftspeople and wanted to share in their creativity and resourcefulness.

Working with a rural South African community, Be Sweet offers over 15 different yarns that are hand spun and dyed by women who work within a job creation program. All of Be Sweet’s yarns are made from natural fibers and most are created from using leftover yarn tid-bits and environmentally friendly fibers like bamboo.

But these are not your ordinary run of the mill natural fiber, recycled skeins that make up the environmental line; Be Sweet’s yarns are fun and inviting. Mystery Ball is made from recycled mohair fluff and is spun with small curls in the yarn. Knobby Ball is also spun with recycled mohair fluff and is characterized by its fobs. They also do lovely thin baby mohair skeins as well as a thick merino. The yarn is all hand dyed and their names range from Bollywood, Strawberry Shortcake to Sunshine. Magic Ball sounds the most fun, as it is made from bits and pieces of all of their yarns combined.

To get at the social line, Be Sweet employees women from South Africa to spin, dye and knit their yarns. The women involved with the employment program are able to help support their families and invest in their future. Be Sweet’s involvement in the knitting project has increased the number of trained and employed women and funded improvements to the working environment. Be Sweet also gives back to the community by donating a portion of their profits to South African schools.

To help them with that pesky financial line, you can find their yarn retailers here.

Image credit: Be Sweet

Luckily, one brand that is commonly found in said box stores is Lion Brand and even more luckier is that Lion Brand now has an organic cotton yarn. Hallelujah!

Lion Brand Organic Cotton is free from herbicides, pesticides and other agro-chemicals. It comes in four natural colors as no dyes are used to make the colors. Check out the light gray-green of Cypress or go darker with my favorite, Bark.

The yarn is soft, warm and easy to work with. Available in worsted weight, this organic cotton is a great environmental addition that has made its way into the mainstream. And while Vanna’s Choice might be cheaper, it’s good to know that there is another choice out there in the aisles of that big box store.

Image credit: Lion Brand

I happened upon Bijou Basin Ranch at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was yarn made from yak fiber!

Yak fiber is combed from the yak once spring rolls around and they start to shed their warm winter coats. The fiber is downy and super soft and a yak can produce between 1 and 2 pounds of down per year. The fiber is then cleaned, washed and carded so it is ready for the spinning wheel. The result is very similar to that of qiviut, in that it is soft like cashmere and warm like wool.

Yak yarn is a great fiber in that it retains heat in the cold but will breath when it is warmer out. It is an odorless fiber and can be easily hand washed with a mild detergent. Great for knitting up a warm sweater or shawl.

Bijou Basin Ranch, a small family owned and operated yak ranch in Colorado, offers quality yak fiber products. They sell a wide range of yak fiber yarn, including super fine to worsted weight, in all natural colors. They also offer roving and down for spinners.

With so many interesting, unique and sustainable fibers out there, I think the sheep are starting to get jealous.

Image credit: Bijou Basin Ranch

One of the things this festival reminds me of is the process that fiber goes through to become yarn. With sheep, llamas, alpacas and goats parading through, it is hard not to recall that - oh, yeah, that’s where my yarn comes from! It is a chance to speak directly to the shepherds and the spinners and gain a better understanding of how the yarn is produced. And Nature’s Palette is one such company that has a handle on the entire production of their yarns.

Nature’s Palette’s fiber is obtained from flocks of “Green Sheep”, certified USDA organic, in Montana. The fleece is spun using an antique spinner called a “mule spinner,” believed to be one, of only two, found in North America. The resulting yarn is a 90% wool, 10% mohair blend.

The yarn is then hand dyed using all natural dyes and the colors achieved through natural ingredients are stunning. Nature’s Palette offers a variety of colors including such wonderful names as “Spring Grass” and “Indian Paintbrush.” But don’t let the springtime names fool you. This yarn is wool and therefore very warm; perfect for hats, mittens or that sweater pattern you’ve been eyeing.

Nature’s Palette is available online at Naturesong Yarns and at the Yarn Grove. You can also read an in depth review from Knitter’s Review.

Image credit: Naturesong Yarn

The musk ox is a large gentle creature similar in weight and stature to a buffalo. They have large curved horns and long shaggy hair and are more closely related to goats and sheep than to oxen. I first fell in love with these animals when I was researching the arctic a while back for work. For those of you that have watched the Planet Earth series you know how cute they are.

In preparation for the warmer summer months, musk ox shed a layer of their fur called qiviut. Pronounced kiv-ee-ute, qiviut is an Inuit word for down or underwool. The qiviut is very soft and warm and easily spun into highly sought after yarn. Warmer than wool and finer than cashmere, it is extremely rare. It is also often referred to as “the cashmere of the north.”

Qiviut’s natural color is a light brown-gray color and can be dyed various shades. It knits up best as a blend; the wool or silk lending memory to the fiber.

This amazing yarn can be purchased from Windy Valley Musk Ox and from the University of Alaska’s Large Animal Research Station where they incorporate environmental practices whenever possible:

Most of our yarn is processed by a small, family-operated mill. They strive to be as earth-friendly as possible, following organic wool processing practices and using non-metallic dyes. This philosophy compliments our process of hand combing the qiviut from live animals.

Also available in roving and unprocessed, qiviut is a luxurious fiber perfect for a scarf or shawl. Save your pennies because this yarn is pricey.

The pretty weather and gorgeous sunshine have given me a hankering for beautiful spring colors in my yarns. Thankfully Tahki Sky has it covered.

Made from 100% biofil cotton, this super soft yarn comes in a variety of mouth watering sherbet colors perfect for the season. Similar to organic cotton, biofil cotton touts itself as grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers or defoliants - nasty chemicals that make the leaves of plants fall off. Tahki Sky is spun and then colored with low-impact dyes that are environmentally-friendly and produce soft, soothing, natural colors.

I know I have my eye on New Leaf and Cherry Blossom in hopes that when the humidity strikes, I can be reminded of the gentler Springtime.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns? Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.) Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

“Our mission is to produce and sell high quality yarns from natural fibers and design classic Vermont patterns. Transforming the many types of raw fibers into luxurious and long lasting yarn. The Green Mountain Spinnery helps to sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers,” says their website.

Using vintage equipment, Green Mountain Spinnery creates yarns that take any project from plain to prodigious. Also similar to Hope Spinnery, GMS will spin yarns from fibers that you provide as well. The company has also released its own book of patterns, called The Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book, featuring “30 of their best loved contemporary and classic patterns.”

But what about the yarns!? You’re right - I got off track. While wool is their feature fiber, I’ve always been one for plant fibers. Their Cotton Comfort yarn, with 80% wool and 20% organic cotton, is just soft enough for me to wear without feeling itchy. No eco-yarn company would be complete without some 100% organic undyed wool, and GMS has it in spades. For something a little less traditional, check out GMS’ Yarn Over collection - made from carded wool & mohair left from a range of dye lots is blended to create “once only” muted colors.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

“The yarn was developed with the idea to offer a yarn that comes in colours as you find it on the animal on the farm,” says the Farm Yarn website.

What’s so great about alpaca? If you’ve ever used it, you wouldn’t be asking that question. Unspeakably comfortable and versatile, Farm Yarns uses baby alpaca wool - “it is warmer than wool, but has a soft feel like silk,” they say. Naturally available in over 20 shades, baby alpaca wool is not actually from baby alpacas. “It is not a description of the age of the alpaca itself, rather a term that describes the finess of the alpaca wool.”

Farm Yarns started producing yarns from British certified organic sheep wool in just the last few years. Two particular heritage breeds are the source of Farm Yarns wool - Jacob and Llanwenog. By sourcing wool from these two particular breeds, Farm Yarns helps to continue their breeding, keeping their centuries-long history alive.

Farm Yarns’ alpaca and wool yarns are available via their online store in a pleasing variety of colors and weights. “All yarns are natural and organic and are free of any chemical residues and artificial colouring - for your peace of mind.” Indeed!

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

Hope Spinnery has prided itself on being as eco-friendly as possible: the fiber processing mill is run completely on wind power captured on-site; all fibers are purchased locally from sustainably-dedicated Maine farms; only Earth-friendly soaps and natural dyes are used on the yarns; by-products from the spinning process are reused elsewhere at the mini-factory.

The company’s yarn, made from mostly wool and alpaca, are available by skein and in 6 different patterns kits (5 hats and 1 mitten pattern to choose from). Hope Spinnery recently launched their online store, so you can see the stock they have right away and choose the color and fiber that would be perfect for your next project.

“We believe that each person’s relationship to fiber, art and life is unique. We respect the individuality of our customers and work with each person to create something original and satisfying. Our commitment is to process fiber and create yarn through natural methods while enjoying ourselves every step of the way. Hope Spinnery is about doing what you love and meeting others along the way who are doing the same,” says their website - spoken like true fiber-lovers.

Along with spinning their own collection of yarns, Hope Spinnery also offers custom processing services for any fiber you provide. Want to try spinning yourself (it is more fun than I expected)? Check out Autumn’s recent post about the art and process of hand-spinning yarn.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

For the first book on our Top 5 Must-Have DIY Crochet Tomes list, most knitters will recognize Debbie Stoller as the editor-in-chief of Bust Magazine and the writer of all three Stitch ‘N Bitch books. Crafters were both surprised and delighted when she released Stitch ‘N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker in 2006.

Similar to her first Stitch ‘N Bitch book about knitting, The Happy Hooker is an introduction to the history and process of crochet as well as a kick-ass pattern book. Whether you are an experienced knitter or new to fiber crafts all together, The Happy Hooker is the perfect first crochet book for everyone.

Crochet shares some similarities with knitting. One major likeness is that the more you know, the more likely you are to make a mistake. No crocheters’ bookshelf would be complete without The Crochet Answer Book: Solutions to Every Problem You’ll Ever Face; Answers to Every Question You’ll Ever Ask by Edie Eckman.

With line illustration, charts, details on tools, specific techniques, standard crochet abbreviations, common crochet terms and phrases, standard body measurements and sizing, suggested sizes for accessories and household items, and yarn care symbols; this is the only book you will need when your loops and hooks don’t look right.

Answers to detailed questions about all aspects of crochet is the feature element of the book, with chapters on gauge, circles, edges, and finishing. Thanks to Edie’s support, you will feel more confident to progress into more detailed crochet patterns and projects.

Still confused about crochet? Love to work on a small scale? Then the Japanese crochet style of amigurumi, the art of crocheting small stuff animals and anthropomorphic creatures, is for you! It used to be that you had to try and translate patterns from Asian countries to take part in this unspeakably cute craft, but not anymore.

The popularity of amigurumi is growing in leaps and bounds, with new books and websites coming out every few months. Chronicle Books’ Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi! is a must-have thanks to its classic, easy-to-follow patterns and colorful photographs. Both a great introduction and indispensable reference for the art of amigurumi, Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts! Amigurumi! deserves a place on your bookshelf.

Knitting is often the first choice for crafters when it comes to creating fashionable clothing, but Teva Durham (pattern designer) and Adrian Buckmaster (photographer)’s book Loop-d-Loop Crochet: More than 25 Novel Designs for Crocheters (and Knitters Taking Up the Hook) will make any fiber fan think twice.

By her own admission, Teva Durham used to be a ‘knit snob.’ No longer. Now, the influential needlecraft guru has become a ‘two-timer,’ bringing the same ingenuity, innovative eye, and solid fashion sense that she’s always exhibited in her knitting design to the world of crochet,” says the book’s publisher. Loop-d-Loop Crochet has over 25 different patterns for women, kids and your home.

If the idea of old-school crocheting brings to mind your grandma’s afghans and pot holders, then Vintage Crochet: 30 Gorgeous Designs for Home, Garden, Fashion, Gifts belongs on your bookshelf. Should you find yourself in second-hand stores more often than major malls, this book is a good one for you as well.

Author Susan Cropper, originally from New York City, runs one of the top rated yarn shops in London called (ironically) Loop. Drawing on her exeperience with Loop, as well as an art director and designer for magazines, Susan also enlisted the help of international crochet artists like Bee Clinch, Alicia Paulson and Kristeen Griffin-Grimes to create patterns for the book.

Bonus! As a minorly morbid crafter, I couldn’t resist adding Christen Haden’s upcoming Creepy Cute Crochet book to the end of our list. Following along the style of amigurumi, Christen’s creations could “eat your typical amigurumi for breakfast.” Needless to say, you won’t be finding any fluffy bunnies or smiling pandas in this pattern book.

You probably won’t recognize the name Christen Haden, but you might have heard of her uber-popular NeedleNoodles site and Etsy store. Some of her previous creations and current online patterns available include donuts, sushi, a ninja, a zombie, ice cream, jellyfish, candy, brain slugs, dim sum, baby bibs, Christmas characters, a tea set … and still more! Which exact patterns will be in her June 2008 book have not been posted, but with a resume like that, I’ve already got a copy reserved.

“Our organically grown naturally dyed yarn is colored with plant dyes and due to their organic nature some shade variation will simply add to the yarn’s unique inherent beauty,” says the Rowan website.

Along with the release of the eight-shade color palate, Rowan has released a pattern brochure with 18 designs just for their PureLife yarn (10 for women, 4 for men, 4 for girls).

The bulk of Rowan’s pattern for their organic yarn are sweaters with beautiful yet basic details, but don’t let that limit your imagination. When first seeing the soft, vibrant colors for PureLife, my initial thought was that it would be perfect for a textured baby blanket. A pair of arm warmers in Logwood, a balanced slate blue, are a great accessory for those cool summer evenings. The nearly coral Brazilwood makes a cuddly set of newborn baby booties and a hat.

But what to do with Lipstick Tree?

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

Wikipedia explains fair trade quite clearly as “an organized social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement promotes the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production.” Based in Oneonta, New York, the Da’vida Fair Trade Store sells its own line of hand painted and hand spun yarns made from alpaca, wool and yak fibers.

Painted by Lisa Meriam, a sheep farmer who lives in upstate New York, Da’vida’s collection of yarns come uncolored from Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru. All of the yarns are certified by the Fair Trade Federation, ensuring an extensive number of trade and development points are met. Upon arriving in New York, Lisa then paints the yarns by hand with all natural dyes. Also available are hanks of yarn hand spun by Lisa from her own sheep’s wool. Currently, every hank of yarn is unique, though Da’vida is working on a more predictable line of colors.

“Da’vida, the ‘giving of life’, or ‘the life of giving’ reflects the basic philosophy of Da’vida, that of receiving a gift, and then passing that gift along to other,” says the store’s website. When it comes to creating knitted or crocheted creations, these concepts go hand in hand (no pun intended).

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

I first heard about 2nd Time Cotton in Knit 1 Magazine’s first green issue (Summer 2007), which features the yarn in a few of its different projects. Though KOCT has a few other sudo-sustainable yarns (Wick is made with 53% soy and BabyBoo with 45% bamboo), their 2nd Time Cotton is inherently “green” because of its recycled nature.

How is it recycled? Second Time Cotton is made from cotton fibers that are textile factory scraps and leftovers from their usual operations here in the United States.

In the picture to the left, you’ll see their solid-color 2nd Time Cotton in Artichoke. Helene from Knit One, Crochet Too was nice enough to send me a hank of this swank fiber. Available in 12 solid and 11 striped colorways, 2nd Time Cotton does contain 25% acrylic, which is “added for fiber stability.”

OK, so it is not 100% eco-friendly, but hey, you have to start somewhere … right? I really enjoyed working with the sample hank Helene sent me. Smooth, strong and in a unique green/gray color that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, I’ll be buying this yarn for myself soon. When it comes to projects, I’m seeing this yarn being knit or crocheted into some cute toys for my cat or some unique home accessories.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

Normally we buy yarn in order to make sweaters. Did you know you can also do it the other way around?

Ashley Martineau started knitting and quickly found that it can become an expensive hobby. To feed her addiction, she started unraveling sweaters from thrift stores and reusing the yarn. When she perfected her technique, she was generous enough to share her knowledge with other crafters.

Ashley’s Recycled Yarn Tutorial has everything you need to know as you’re eyeing the sweater racks at your local resale shop. This step-by-step guide with lots of helpful photographs shows how to figure out which sweaters will produce lovely yarn instead of shrimpy bits, then disassemble the sweater for unraveling and harvest that yarn.

Ashley gives tips for wool sweaters, cotton sweaters, and sweaters made from novelty yarns like chenille, silk, and alpaca. There’s even a DIY measuring tool that anyone with a hammer can easily create.

The tutorial is available in downloadable form if you want to print it and take it with you. (That might come in handy when the folks at the thrift store wonder why you’re turning so many sweaters inside out.) There’s even a Recycled Yarn Yahoo Group if you’re looking for other sweater recyclers.

Give that beautiful yarn trapped in that ugly sweater a second chance at life! You never knew those frogging skills were going to pay off so well, did you?

Admittedly, when I think of the hearty, diverse vegetable we know as corn (maize to the Native Americans who received the seeds from tribes in what is now Mexico), I don’t usually think of making sweaters and purses.

Alabama-based Kollage Yarns is looking to change that food-focused perception with not one, but two 100% corn yarns.

The first of their two corn-based yarns is called Corntastic (my kinda word!): Our new Plied 100% corn yarn is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cotton and wool yarns. Smooth and round, it shows stitch detail beautifully and has a light, soft hand. Corntastic makes great sweaters, skirts and even socks for both children and adults. Vibrant colors make Corntastic a staple yarn that you can depend on for superior results. Titled Cornucopia, the second corn yarn is one of Kollage’s all-time best sellers. Perfect for summer or winter, both Corntastic and Cornucopia can be both machine washed and dried.

Venturing into other natural fibers, Kollage also makes Creamy - an 80% milk/20% cotton yarn in seven unmatchably smooth colors, perfect for detailed or lace pieces. Made from 100% soybean fiber, Delicious comes in nearly 30 vibrant colors, as well as two stripped versions.

Looking to make even more of a difference in the crafty world, Kollage has created the U.S.A. Yarns Project, “a program whose yarns are produced entirely in the USA, helping to keep jobs here. From the field to you, the yarn is grown, processed and dyed in the USA.”

The first yarn from the USA project is Hope - 100% cotton available in Lace, DK, Chunky and Bulky dyed in 18 beautiful colors or undyed. Recently, they also introduced a DK weight 100% organic cotton undyed yarn.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

The N-WEG, an NGO organization, welcomes abused women to their shelter, where they harness their native knitting and spinning skills to “rebuild their lives, while continuing to care for their children. Proceeds provide a safe shelter, health care, education and the dignity of financial independence.”

Woven from the yarn of old saris and sarongs, Mango Moon yarns comes in an infinite concoction of colorways. Their two most popular yarns are their 100% recycled silk and 100% recycled viscose. By integrating other sustainable fibers (e.g. cotton and bamboo), they have also introduced a variety of yarns that have a bit of stretch to them.

The Bumble Bee yarn, made of 100% nylon, is perfect for small accessories, as is their silk ribbon yarn. Not one to leave the fans of felting out, Mango Moon also sells hand spun 100% yak and wool yarns. A noteworthy collection of free patterns are available on their website as well - I’m partial to the Simple Shrug and Throw Blanket.

“I often think of the parable so many of us heard as children: You can give a family a fish and feed them for a day, or you can give them a fishing pole and feed them for a lifetime,” said Mango Moon founder Amana Nova in an article for Wild Fibers Magazine’s Spring 2006 issue. “And that has been the mission of my inner voice as it leads Mango Moon. It all began with helping just one woman, who helped her village, who helped their families and so it goes - one sweater at a time. I wasn’t the one who started Mango Moon it was Mango Moon that started me.”

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

You might remember me mentioning Vermont Organic’s yarn in the Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Blue Sky Alpacas post. The particular yarn I used for the scarf was their O-Wool Balance yarn (shown at left), which is made from 50% organic wool and 50% organic cotton. The mildly marbled look is beautifully earthy and features a very low itch factor.

In addition to the O-Wool Balance yarn, which now comes in 18 unspeakably exquisite colors, Vermont Organic Fiber Co has two yarns made from 100% organic wool, which is certified organic in both the USA and Europe. The O-Wool Classic yarn is specifically woven to keep stitches from pilling and to get softer with every wash. It comes in 19 colors (as well as “natural”) that are consistent and smooth, making for very even knitting. The O-Wool Classic 2-Ply yarn is different from the Classic yarn in both weight and colors offered. Instead of the Classic 4-ply yarn, this yarn is 2-ply, making it a fingering weight perfect for baby goods, lace, and other intricate projects. Currently offered in only eight colors, you choices with this yarn are a bit more limited but nonetheless appealing.

What would a yarn site be without patterns? Vermont Organic Fiber Co doesn’t disappoint, with a collection of patterns from publications and specifically designed for each yarn type. A few online stores sell VOFC, but if you are looking to experience it in-person first (which I guarantee is more than worth it), you can search for retailers in the US, Canada, and Internationally via their website. Companies like Patagonia, Near Sea Naturals, Sahalie, Wildlife Works and many others have been depending on Vermont Organic Fiber Company’s organic wool yarns and fabrics to make their products for years and now us home crafters can get our hands on them as well.

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!