Yearn-Worthy Yarns: LocalHarvest.org Yarns and Roving

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LocalHarvest.org YarnsBefore we get started, I must send a big thank you to everyone who commented, showing their love for our first Yearn-Worthy Yarns post! Twelve comments is the most we have had on one post so far and the discussion was delightful – keep it coming.

With that covered, I bid you welcome to the second week of Yearn-Worthy Yarns and boy howdy do I have a treat for you today. We won’t be talking about just one brand of eco-yarn, but a whole store! After recently finishing Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver as part of the Re-Nest Book Club (which is still going on, so join in if you’d like), I’m even more adamant about focusing on buying local goods and shopping at small businesses because of the direct impact it has on peoples’ lives.

My favorite online source for finding local goods and shops is LocalHarvest. Founded in 1998, LocalHarvest as quickly become “the number one informational resource for the Buy Local movement and the top place on the Internet where people find information on direct marketing family farms,” says the website’s About page. Usually, I only visit the site to find restaurants and stores but after finishing Kingsolver’s book, I took the time to explore all LocalHarvest.org has to offer.

To my delight, I found that LocalHarvest has an online store! “While our farmers focus on selling fresh produce and meats directly to their local communities, many of them offer some of their products via mail order through us. We currently offer 5302 products.” In addition to a drool-worthy variety of gift baskets, coffee, tea, soaps, preserves and flowers … I think you know where this is going … LocalHarvest sells yarns and roving made from animals on America’s family farms.

“Knitters are known to be voracious in their pursuit of new and unusual yarns. We think knitters of every stripe (crocheters too!) will be pleased with the selection we bring to you straight from farm families all across the country. In this department, you will also find roving and fleeces for your spinning and weaving projects.” Alpaca, wool, mohair, llama and angora fibers are all available in both yarn and roving form (in a variety of colors, of course).

After over an hour of enjoyable browsing, here are a few of my favorites:

+ Red Rose Alpacas Sport Weight Yarn

+ Music City Alpacas Wilderness Multicolored Yarn

+ Cranberry Moon Farms Millspun Woolen Yarns

+ Tranquil Morning Farms Angora Fiber

[Image courtesy of LocalHarvest: Rancho Descansamos 2-Ply Sport Weight Hand Dyed Yarn]

Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?

Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo … etc.)

Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!

Written by Victoria Everman

I think of myself as a creatively versatile eco-powerhouse. Freelance writer, life-long model, on-camera personality, public speaker, official U.S. spokesperson for Twice Shy Clothing - I'm a classic Renaissance woman and mistress-of-all-trades.

Though my days of growing up in the corn fields of central Indiana are behind me, forgetting where I came from is not an option. I lost my father unexpectedly in March of 2006, months before moving from NYC to San Francisco, which helped to amplify my zest for life and thirst to help change the world.

Perpetually looking for fresh ways to share my unquenchable green knowledge, I blog about everything eco on my own website, as well as for All Green Magazine and select others. Additionally, I am the editor/head writer of Crafting a Green World (part of the Green Options blog network) and a writer/web editor for Building Green TV. My diverse articles have been published in variety of reputable magazines, such as: Yoga Journal, Venus, CRAFT, Yogi Times, Recovery Solutions, M+F, and Office Solutions.

In my spare time, you can find me knitting, reading, singing, taking pictures, practicing yoga, taking long walks, and working on my first non-fiction book. Other random facts about me: I'm a Buddhist, latex fan, have four tattoos, and an attempting locavore.

MOVING TO PORTLAND, OREGON IN JUNE 2008

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  1. Thanks for pointing me toward Local Harvest! Shopping locally for food is something I’ve tried to do for a while, but shopping locally/sustainably/responsibly for yarn is a relatively new undertaking for me. It’s hard to find good yarn that’s produced locally and by only environmentally and socially responsible methods. But now I have a few more places to look!

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