June 11th, 2010
Berroco has announced its line of new yarns for fall. I’m most excited about Berroco Remix (pictured above) which is made of 100% recycled fibers!
Berroco Remix 30% Nylon, 27% Cotton, 24% Acrylic, 10% Silk, 9% Linen. 216 yards per 100g ball. Described by Berroco as “a non-wool tweed,” this 100% recycled yarn is also machine washable.
Berroco Borealis a 60% acrylic/40% wool loosely spun single that apparently sparkles? 108 yards per 100g hank.
Berroco Campus 50% Wool, 40% Acrylic, 10% Alpaca, 130 yards per 100g hank. Love the multicolored action!
Berroco Vintage Chunky a fat version of the popular Berroco Vintage. 50% Acrylic,
40% Wool, 10% Nylon, 130 yards per 100g hank.
Blackstone Tweed Chunky same story as above, a chunky version of a popular favorite. 65% Wool, 25% Superkid Mohair, 10% Angora, 60 yards per 50g ball. (P.S. what is “superkid”? Do the goats wear red and blue capes?)
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May 19th, 2010
The Chicago Times has a great article on a fiber co-op that’s formed in Illinois to help promote local shepherds and fiber mills. The co-op members provide fiber for spinning and carding, and spun yarn for knitting, to local residents.
I love the idea of going to the yarn co-op to buy yarn! The only real option for buying local fiber, aside from driving all over hell and gone to visit farms which may or may not be set up for retail customers, is the marketplace at fiber festivals.
More states need fiber co-ops!
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May 14th, 2010
This book, by the venerable Ann Budd, is the latest knitting book to focus on eco-friendly yarns and patterns.
Detailing a wide range of perspectives and approaches to environmental issues, this unique crafting manual offers ideas for knitting conscientiously. Leading figures of the industry, from designers to yarn company executives, share their methods for integrating green principles into their work and lives–selecting organic products, facilitating an alternative to chemical detergent, recycling old projects, reducing disposable plastic bags, and creating pieces that provide warmth and save on energy.
I can’t wait to have a look!
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May 7th, 2010
Rowan’s latest yarn is Purelife Revive, which is made from 36% recycled silk, 36% recycled cotton, and 28% recycled viscose.
Rowan Purelife Revive is made from used garments which have been selected according to the silk, cotton and viscose content. These are then carded to make regenerated fibre, which is then spun into this beautiful, high quality yarn, which gives life to new hand knitting designs.
Did you really NEED another reason to love Rowan more?
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July 16th, 2008
When former engineering technician Mark Deschinny returned to the Navajo reservation, he took up the family craft: natural dyeing, using local plants and minerals. Four generations of Deschinny’s family have used native plants like blue penstemon, sagebrush, holly berries, and cliff rose to dye yarn used in weaving Navajo textiles.
Flagstaff, AZ radio station KTAR reports that Deschinny “makes presentations at schools, colleges and museums to show how to use local plants, minerals, water and his family’s knowledge to make vibrant-colored yarn spun from local sheep’s wool.”
Local Arizona fiber groups and yarn stores may want to contact Deschinny and request a presentation. His contact information can be found at his website. Local knitters and weavers can check his workshop schedule for upcoming workshops. Non-local weavers and knitters may be interested in the looms and naturally-dyed yarns he has for sale!
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July 7th, 2008
The hand-knitting industry is already abuzz with alternative fibers. Soy, corn, hemp, and discarded shrimp carapaces have already proved to be popular additions. Could milkweed be next?
Best known as the friend of the Monarch butterfly, milkweed’s floss is comparable to goose down as an insulating filling. It was used as a substitute for kapok in WWII life jackets. Previous attempts at commercial production failed, but Natural Fibers Corporation is giving it another shot.
BNET reports that Natural Fibers Corporation has ramped up their milkweed production to 160 acres. Their research plots “have averaged about 400 pounds of floss per acre, but those results have not have duplicated under field conditions.”
As a weed which thrives in disturbed areas, milkweed crops could be expected to require less pesticide and fertilizer compared to traditional crops. (Certainly less than cotton, the most pesticide-heavy crop in production today.)
Some great advice on hand-spinning milkweed fiber can be found in this archived Knitter’s Review forum thread.
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