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Exotic & Unusual Fibers
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Welcome to the 11th issue of the new Yarnmarket Just My Type newsletter. Each month we’re featuring a different Yarn Types category from our store and showcasing many of the sensational fibers & fiber blends in stock and just right for your favorite knitting & crochet projects. With over 750 yarns now available from Yarnmarket.com, you’re sure to find the perfect option for your next creative endeavor no matter what it is. Having trouble reading this issue? Then please enjoy the online version.
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Exotic & Unusual -- What did you say that yarn is made of?
In years gone by, when knitters and crocheters were looking for new "yarn" to tickle their fancy, the choices were limited to scratchy wools and various inexpensive but brittle synthetics. Nowadays it seems as if yarn manufacturers have discovered so many new options that the choices are almost limitless. If you're like the rest of us, you're fascinated by all of the exotic, rare and unusual sources for yarn fiber these days and can hardly believe how some items are ever turned in to yarn at all.
One great reference for checking out these fiber options is our special department for Exotic & Unusual Fibers. Here you can get a great overview of the wide range and variety of exotic yarns on the market today and what you can make with them. And to start us off, let's go over a quick rundown of the various types of fibers and fiber blends.
Our definition of exotic and unusual comes with the idea that the source of the fiber is either rarer than the usual sources and/or not what you'd typically think of as the origin of a new yarn. For overviewing purposes, these yarn materials can be classified as one of three different types:
Animal Fur/Fiber: Exotic and rare animals range from the prehistoric musk ox of Alaska, Greenland and the Canadian Arctic to the yak, a member of the bovine family that's native to the high altitudes of Tibet and Mongolia. Also included in this group are the two-humped Bactrian camel living in the coldest areas of China, Russia, Mongolia and the Middle East, the American bison that faced extinction less than 150 years ago and the wild opossum of Australia and New Zealand. The rarest of them all is the vicuna, ancestor of the modern-day alpaca, provider of the rarest & finest hair fiber available in the world and living only in the upper altitudes of the Andes Mountains in small, government-regulated herds.
Plant Fiber: Uncommon plant fibers are also now being processed and spun into yarn, and various parts of each plant are used for different grades of fiber and qualities. Tofu by-products can be used for making soy yarn with quite silky results, while on the other end of the touch scale comes hemp best used for more durable, sturdy applications. In more recent years, both corn where its starch/sugar content is converted to fiber and seaweed/kelp have been in the spotlight as "new" options. The most recent plant fiber to hit the market is made from the banana stalk, so it really is amazing how many plants besides the traditional options there now are. (By the way, bamboo was once considered unusual but is now so often found we're no longer including it in our exotics category.)
Other Sources: We're going to use this miscellaneous category as our catch-all for the types of exotic fibers that don't relate to animal fur nor to plant fibers. Using the shell of shrimp (called "chitin") to provide the protein from which the yarn fiber is spun is a great example of an "other" source. So is the use of the gemstone jade when it's pulverized to form "jadeite" or "Bowlder" fiber that can then be spun in to yarn. Last but certainly not least of the miscellany is milk protein now being used to make yarn. The liquid is removed and then the protein fibers are processed by wet spinning much like the way soy is transformed in to yarn.
For additional information on these sensational fibers and how such exotic materials are transformed into yarn, we recommend that you check out:
Wild Fibers, a magazine showcasing unusual & rare animal yarns each quarter and with many back issues still available, and
Clara Parkes' encyclopedic The Knitter's Book of Yarn for details you won't find anywhere else.
So with a wonderful collection of Exotic & Unusual Fibers currently in stock at Yarnmarket.com, you have plenty of options from which to choose for all your favorite outfits, accessories and gifts. We know you enjoy browsing for yourself, but we also have the following special staff recommendations of yarns and projects for year-round enjoyment using these terrific yarns. Several of these projects also start with Free Patterns courtesy of the manufacturer, so take a look and get started on your next project that's sure to be a conversation piece when you say, "Guess what my sweater is made of!"
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Starting off our collection of exotic animal fibers, we have yarn & knitwear design powerhouse Karabella Yarns with a fabulous yak duo beautifully crafted in Italy.
Single-hued Super Yak Solid is a superb mix of yak & merino wool into an incredibly lofty cabled yarn. The yak down is so carefully processed that no hint of the rough guard hairs is allowed in the finished product. With its 50/50 blend, "Super Yak Solid" is a soft yet durable yarn for all your quick-to-create knitting & crochet projects.
Then for a gorgeous variegated version, discover the wonders of Super Yak Multi. Buttery soft fiber with the same warmth that helps yak survive subzero temperatures, this multi-hued version is made from three strands of the solid yarn so that you'll have perfect color coordination whenever you wish to combine the two in your projects.
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Super Yak Vest
Qiviut Shawlette
Ruffled Scarf
Lux Lace Cape
Buffalo Baby Cap
Qiviut Muffatees
Blithe Scarf
Possum Mittens
Blithe Hat
Theda Handbag
Aloo Bath Puffy
Hempathy Top
Canapa Pullover
Shokay Vest
Maizy Boot Socks
Hemp Eco Tote
Craft Tee
Soy Baby Socks
Creamy Shawl
Crocheted Tote
Mermaid Cardigan
Corntastic Tunic
Banana Sling Bag
Sea Song Cardi
Tapestry Case
Therapi Wrap
Polly Cardi
Karaoke Set
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When you're looking for the rarest animal fibers in the world, be sure to check with the yarn gurus at Windy Valley Muskox.
Their largest collection of undyed & dyed options comes in the exquisite, 100% Qiviut yarn aptly described by the manufacturer "as soft as a cloud." "Qiviut" has amazing properties: It's noticeably softer & lighter than cashmere, 8 times warmer than wool, hypoallergenic & non-irritating to the skin. So just imagine what a marvelous fiber choice it will be for your next scarf, hat, top, shawl or sock project.
As wonderful companions to "Qiviut," Windy Valley also has available in limited quantities each year luxurious Guanaco crafted from the undercoat of the prehistoric ancestor to the modern-day llama & alpaca and very limited amounts of Vicuna yarn, the rarest of them all. And since all three of these yarns are the same gauge and yardage per ball, you can use them in any of the lovely Windy Valley Muskox patterns.
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When we're thinking of exotic animals native to North America, the first to spring to our minds is the American bison or buffalo as it's called in the common vernacular. And no other yarn company is better at painstakingly dehairing to remove the guard hairs and using "hands on" processing than Buffalo Gold. This excellent attention to detail makes Buffalo Gold yarns distinctly different from other bison down products on the market today.
From its first introduction to the market several years ago, we've loved DK-weight Buffalo Gold #4 Undyed yarn. "Buffalo Gold #4" is a lusciously soft blend of carefully de-haired bison down with a touch of nylon for added durability.
Then Buffalo Gold's most recent yarn creation is gorgeous Lux Lace. Beautifully crafted of American bison, cashmere and silk with a bit of Tencel nylon, "Lux Lace" is a dream to work with. Also since it comes in a generous 330-yd. hank, you can knit up a superb scarf or shawlette with just one hank.
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Next, to satisfy your craving for exotic camel yarn, we highly recommend Blithe from Classic Elite. You'd expect a yarn made from 100% baby camel to be soft, but Classic Elite's luxurious "Blithe" is even softer than we expected! With a wonderful natural color palette of creams, grays, blacks & browns plus other lovely earth & jewel tones, DK-weight "Blithe" works up terrifically for classic standards and for spectacular menswear. |
Another unusual animal fiber we've seen in a few blends lately is possum. The most affordable of these fiber gems comes from Supreme Possum Merino Yarns, a New Zealand company providing lovely blends that are light, soft & warm. After years of research, they have perfected the process to produce a hard-wearing yarn with superior heat retaining qualities. And while other similar choices contain only 15-30% possum fiber, Supreme Possum Merino yarn has 40% possum in every ball.
Two of these terrific blends are now available in North America, and we're pleased to be one of the stores chosen to carry these great fiber options. Supreme Possum Merino 8 Ply is the DK-weight version of the fiber blend that is warm in the winter yet cool in warmer weather. Add its lighter weight cousin -- Supreme Possum Merino Sock, and you truly have the dynamic duo of exotic animal fibers.
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Then for a designer and yarn guru who enjoys working with both exotic animal and plant fiber blends, discover the elegant yarns of Elsebeth Lavold. Well respected around the world for her terrific cabling techniques and known for her sensational "Viking Knits" designs, Elsebeth enjoys using a variety of natural fibers for her creations including such polar opposites as camel & hemp.
Her supersoft, worsted-weight Calm Wool yarn is an exquisite yet affordable blend of wool, camel & alpaca, a combo that's elegant but has a touch of the rustic too.
Then her innovative Hempathy has become one of her signature yarns with its unique Italian blend of hemp, cotton & nylon in a classic DK weight. "Hempathy" has it all -- terrific drape & linen-like feel, sensational softness and elasticity for snap-back shape.
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A small American company well respected for empowering the women of Asia by showcasing their yarns, Himalaya Yarns specializes in a number of unusual and exotic Asian fibers. Best known for their Recycled Silk, they also distribute in the U.S. a fabulous animal exotic and an unusual fiber creation made from a plant with a limited growing season.
Shokay yarn is beautifully crafted of 100% yak down, one of the few such yarns available on the market today and perfect for one-of-a-kind gifts.
Then Aloo is one of the most distinctive & unusual plant fibers we have ever seen. Made from a plant similar to the North American nettle, North American nettle, much care & effort are taken to soften the fibers, & traditionally the people of Nepal have used "Aloo" for making fishing nets, string bags & storage totes.
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A Canadian company with a long standing relationship with the exotic Far East, Hemp for Knitting brings to Yarnmarket one of the strongest, most durable fibers available today with its great 100% hemp & hemp blend yarns.
First off, we have versatile DK-weight All Hemp 6 yarn. Known for its special properties for over 5,000 years, 100% hemp fiber is much like linen in that it actually softens & drapes beautifully with repeated washings.
Also available is the gorgeous cotton/cashmere/hemp blend Cashmere Canapa. An exclusive Italian fiber gem, "Cashmere Canapa" has the luminescent halo of cashmere enhancing the cotton & keeping it soft, while the hemp adds strength & durability. Also a DK-weight option, all the Hemp for Knitting/LanaKnits patterns are gauge interchangeable for these two terrific yarns.
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As always. we can count on ever-popular Crystal Palace Yarns to have sensational unusual fiber blends, and they have several plant exotics for your knitting & crocheting pleasure.
We highly recommend the terrific corn blend Maizy Solid and its multi-hued sibling Maizy Print. Beautifully spun of readily renewable USA corn with a touch of elastic nylon, "Maizy" is a supersoft, fingering weight lovely with plenty of snap-back shape & durability that's machine washable and dryable.
Also take a look at eco-friendly Panda Soy Solid and variegated Panda Soy Print crafted of readily renewable soy & bamboo plus that same great elastic nylon. It's another great fingering-weight option for baby clothes, socks, scarves and much more!
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Now you know you can always count on the DIY star Vickie Howell to be in tune with the latest fiber trends, and her Vickie Howell yarn collection now features several exotic fiber blends.
Start off with fun & funky Rock yarn with its terrific mix of soy, fine wool & hemp. No wonder all the colors are named after rock stars with this marvelous fiber combo.
Then for an innovative milk blend, check out Craft yarn. With a great mixture of organic cotton with milk fiber, "Craft" has the durability of cotton without the stiffness and is soft on the hands & on the body, so it's ideal for babies & children as well as adults.
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Fiber maven Susan Moraca has consistently chosen exotic fiber blends in luscious colors for her company Kollage Yarns, and her corn and milk yarns are no exception.
Her ever-popular, USA-made Cornucopia yarn was one of the first 100% corn yarns available in North America, and it continues as a versatile worsted-weight bestseller. The success of "Cornucopia" then led to her creation of DK-weight Corntastic with its smooth plied construction for a smooth, round strand that's machine washable & dryable.
Susan next explored the milk fiber possibilities and created Creamy Solid for all your lightweight knitting & crochet projects. She even has available Creamy Undyed for those of us who enjoy creating our own color palettes and dyeing our own yarn.
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And who ever thought we'd be knitting one day with yarn made in part from seaweed? Well, the yarn gurus at Fibra Natura Yarns bring you numerous natural fiber choices, and we are showcasing the two crafted of exotic kelp/seaweed.
Lovely Mermaid yarn is a sensational combination of kelp fiber (trademarked under the name "seacell"), cotton, superwash wool & silk. The result is a fabulous worsted-weight option for all your multi-seasonal garments and accessories.
The other beautiful yarn we highly recommend is the gorgeous Sea Song with its unusual blend of kelp & cotton in a spring/summer worsted-weight yarn. Since the two yarns' gauges are identical and their yardages per ball are similar, you can even interchange them in the available Fibra Natura patterns & books.
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We have recently added two great yarns from Frabjous Fibers to our yarn collection and admire this company's support of women's cooperatives in Nepal & India and their dedication to the fair trade initiative.
Best known for their lovely Hand Picked Hues Recycled Silk, it's actually their other fantastic yarn that interests us most as exotic and unusual.
Innovative Banana Silk is handspun from the readily renewable banana stalk and is similar to rayon in terms of softness & sheen.
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In the knitwear industry worldwide, the name "Rowan" has long stood for classic fibers supported by wonderful designs. In terms of unusual fiber options, the yarn aficionados at Rowan Yarns have recently developed some marvelous choices crafted of soy and milk fiber.
The first yarn in the exotic/unusual collection is Tapestry, a distinctive self-striping blend of wool and soybean protein. It's soft and warm with a gentle, beautiful drape and subtle sheen. Add that it felts too and you have a great DK-weight choice.
Then working with milk protein, Rowan has created milk/cotton blends in two different yarn weights: machine washable Milk Cotton DK and lighter gauge Fine Milk Cotton for all your fingering-weight knitting & crochet projects.
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Then we've saved the best of the companies specializing in exotic & unusual fibers for last because South West Trading Company has been creating "new, unique, cutting edge, exotic fiber and yarn" from its beginnings. No wonder this catchphrase has become the company motto!
South West was the first company in North America to develop soy yarns and even trademarked their innovative "soysilk" name and process. Starting off with 100% soysilk Phoenix yarn, an ideal option for spring & summer projects, owner Jonelle Raffino and her staff quickly expanded the line to include multi-seasonal, soysilk/wool blend Karaoke Solid and Karaoke Multi.
Then most recently the South West yarn team has created even more cutting-edge fiber gems: Tofutsies and all of its various cousins have a touch of chitin/shrimp in each strand, and Therapi is crafted in part from jadeite/Bowlder from the jade we most often see used in jewelry.
And just as a little preview of what's to come, our 12th issue of the Just My Type newsletter will be emailed to you on Tuesday, February 23rd, so get ready to enjoy spectacular creations with more of our Luxury yarns when we feature Cashmere and Angora fiber gems. That'll be one of the best ways we can think of to combat cabin fever and the February dreary-weather blahs!
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Orginally published by Yarnmarket.com in 1/2010. Please note
that yarns and links may change over time. |
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