Kelly Rand
At the beginning of May I attended the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. It is a yarn lovers dream. A weekend to really geek out over fiber. Really, it was heaven.
One of the things this festival reminds me of is the process that fiber goes through to become yarn. With sheep, llamas, alpacas and goats parading through, it is hard not to recall that – oh, yeah, that’s where my yarn comes from! It is a chance to speak directly to the shepherds and the spinners and gain a better understanding of how the yarn is produced. And Nature’s Palette is one such company that has a handle on the entire production of their yarns.
Nature’s Palette’s fiber is obtained from flocks of “Green Sheep”, certified USDA organic, in Montana. The fleece is spun using an antique spinner called a “mule spinner,” believed to be one, of only two, found in North America. The resulting yarn is a 90% wool, 10% mohair blend.
The yarn is then hand dyed using all natural dyes and the colors achieved through natural ingredients are stunning. Nature’s Palette offers a variety of colors including such wonderful names as “Spring Grass” and “Indian Paintbrush.” But don’t let the springtime names fool you. This yarn is wool and therefore very warm; perfect for hats, mittens or that sweater pattern you’ve been eyeing.
Nature’s Palette is available online at Naturesong Yarns and at the Yarn Grove. You can also read an in depth review from Knitter’s Review.
Image credit: Naturesong Yarn
organic & natural fiber yarns really do feel totally awesome – i recently crocheted with some soy yarn and it was a billion times easier then the synthetics. I am lucky enough to live in Asheville NC, where there is a natural fiber yarn store downtown.
I’ve really been getting into organic and eco-friendly yarns in the past couple of years. I even started a website called Green Knitter (http://greenknitter.com) to talk about green values and share information about green yarns.
Nature’s Palette is one of my favorites!