Yearn Worthy Yarn: Ethical Twist (U.K.)

Mink organic yarn I came across Ethical Twist quite randomly while flipping through a knitting magazine. After that, the rest was history. I became charmed by their yarn and easy way of explaining their eco-practices; right down to the farmers that raise the sheep and right back up to their packaging.

They offer a 70/30 blend of organic wool and alpaca that comes in a natural range of colors. No dye is used and the fleece is what dictates the color outcome. While there is no color modification, that doesn’t mean the colors suffer. Natural, Oatmeal, Camel, Slate and Mink are quite lovely and rich.

They also offer a line perfect for knitting up baby wear. It is 85% organic wool and 15% baby alpaca. It only comes in cream, but the baby alpaca helps make it all the more hugable.

The sheep are raise in the Faulklands on a family farm, free from pesticides. It was the first farm to achieve Organic status on the Faulklands and has been producing organic wool ever since. The farm is also run on wind energy!

All of Ethical Twist’s packaging is sourced from recycled and biodegradable materials. Their skeins are shipped in bags that once exposed to sunlight they start to degrade. Sounds pretty nifty. They also have some great looking patterns for use with their yarn.

It is wonderful that they have thought through their whole production and didn’t focus solely on one aspect of being green, but really have embraced the entire mentality.

[Image from Ethical Twist website]

Written by Kelly Rand

Kelly covers visual arts in and around Washington, DC for DCist and is editor of Crafting a Green World. Kelly has also been published by Bust Magazine and you can find her byline at Indie Fixx and Etsy’s Storque and has taught in Etsy’s virtual lab on the topic of green crafting.

Kelly helps organize Crafty Bastards: Arts and Crafts Fair, one of the largest indie craft fairs on the east coast and has served on the Craft Bastard’s jury since 2007. Kelly is also co-founder of Hello Craft a nonprofit trade association dedicated to the advancement of independent crafters and the handmade movement. Kelly resides in Washington, D.C. and believes that handmade will save the world.

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