I found some new indy-yarn that really does make a difference:
The lovely squishy and incredibly soft yarn that you see here is called Rosy Green Wool.
It's guaranteed 100% organic merino wool, sourced in Patagonia, then spun & environmentally friendly dyed at a small family business in the UK.
It's guaranteed 100% organic merino wool, sourced in Patagonia, then spun & environmentally friendly dyed at a small family business in the UK.
| I met Rosy (one of the cofounders of this small company) in Munich last december and she gave me this beautiful colour card and a lovely little sachet with the right amount to work up a tiny swatch, which is very helpful if one likes to see how the merino is knitting up and the quality of the fabric it produces! My little swatch told me that this wool is indeed showing the stitch definition perfectly and that the fabric made out of it has lots of drape and is very soft and buttery to the touch. I can imagine gorgeous shawls and flowing garments with lots of movement worked out of this yarn. The colour selection is also very beautiful and I especially like the references to the Munich area that one can find in the names!  |     |
But it's not only the great quality that makes this yarn different!
It is one of the rare merino wools that is certified by the independent, international Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for it's organic quality, it is machine washable (!) and the colours are not only gorgeous, but also made out of organic dyes that are not harmful: neither to the person that wears the finished object nor to the environment.
On a much more serious note though: Rosy did tell me something else, that I have never heard of before and that disturbed me immensely... As every other industry today, mass yarn production has quite some horrible secrets that are hidden from the consumer, too!
On her website Rosy explains:
"During my research I discovered many interesting but also alarming facts, from the painful mulesing that Merino sheep have to suffer to the large quantities of chemicals and pesticides which are normally used for yarn production. But unfortunately I could not find any organic wool which offers a verifiable guarantee that such things do not occur during the production and which is also really soft and not only available undyed. After what I had found out, it was simply impossible for me to continue knitting with such yarns and feeling good at the same time. The only solution: to produce a yarn myself which would meet all of these criteria."
Read more about how Rosy felt compelled to make her own organic yarn line on her site (in English) or on her blog (in German).
It is one of the rare merino wools that is certified by the independent, international Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for it's organic quality, it is machine washable (!) and the colours are not only gorgeous, but also made out of organic dyes that are not harmful: neither to the person that wears the finished object nor to the environment.
On a much more serious note though: Rosy did tell me something else, that I have never heard of before and that disturbed me immensely... As every other industry today, mass yarn production has quite some horrible secrets that are hidden from the consumer, too!
On her website Rosy explains:
"During my research I discovered many interesting but also alarming facts, from the painful mulesing that Merino sheep have to suffer to the large quantities of chemicals and pesticides which are normally used for yarn production. But unfortunately I could not find any organic wool which offers a verifiable guarantee that such things do not occur during the production and which is also really soft and not only available undyed. After what I had found out, it was simply impossible for me to continue knitting with such yarns and feeling good at the same time. The only solution: to produce a yarn myself which would meet all of these criteria."
Read more about how Rosy felt compelled to make her own organic yarn line on her site (in English) or on her blog (in German).
| I am very glad that I met Rosy, not only because I got acquainted with her lovely (and sheep friendly) yarn, but most importantly because she opened my eyes to some of the shocking facts surrounding contemporary yarn production! From now on I will most definitely take much more notes on what yarn I'll be using! |  |
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