Yearn Worthy Yarn: Hemp for Knitting

If you’ve been waiting to add some hemp fiber to your life now has never been a better time to do so. Hemp for Knitting offers a wide variety of yarn in a multitude of weights and colors.

I know we’ve already sang the praises of hemp but it stands to be repeated. Hemp is a fast growing plant that is pest resistant reducing the need for both water and pesticides and herbicides. Hemp also helps nourish the soil right where it is planted, reducing the need for fertilizer.

The fibers that come from hemp are long, very strong, and very versatile, allowing the fibers to be made into just about anything fiber related.

Hemp for Knitting offers skeins of 100% hemp yarn in both DK and fingering weight as well as a couple of blends in DK and worsted weight.

Their allhemp6LUX yarn is quite beautiful. It comes in a variety of bright colors and gets its glossy sheen from the process of dying each strand before the yarn is piled. The yarn is extra soft because it is washed and dried before being processed.

There is also hempnatural, which is perfect for hemp purists. This yarn is 100% hemp and undyed. The skeins are wetspun and coated with a starch to help with weaving and knitting that will wash out.

My favorite blend is the hempwool. This 65% wool and 35% hemp, is a wonderful blend that comes in a worsted weight with heather highlights, perfect for sweaters and mittens.

Hemp for knitting offers up some great options to knit with hemp. And don’t forget! That the more you wear, wash and dry hemp, the softer and more wearable it becomes. Just like a fine wine, it gets better with age.

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.

4 Comments

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  1. Wow! They have an amazing color pallet. The hempwol looks so nice. Thanks for sharing this amazing yarn…glad to see hemp is getting more and more mainstream all the time : )

  2. I haven’t tried knitting with hemp – is it comfortable on your fingers?
    I do have a purchased cardigan that is 50% organic cotton/ 50% hemp. I bought it about 14 months ago, and have worn it a lot – still looks like new, so I am impressed with the durability of this blend.

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