Does your yarn have a name?
Do you know the source of your fiber? Most crafters don't. We're trying to change that.
Few consumers realize that the globalization of fiber supply chains means that yarn, even if labeled "Made in Italy" isn't necessarily from Italy. It was milled in Italy. The fiber itself - who knows where it's from.
We care about the source of our yarn. Whenever possible, we actively seek out smaller farmers and independent mills, especially those based in the US. Spincycle, a recent addition, is dyed and milled in Bellingham, WA from US sourced wool. We carry yarn by Green Mountain Spinnery, a cooperative in Vermont. We also import yarn brands from the UK where they are actively supporting small farms.
We care about the impact of the industry on the environment. Thus,we avoid stocking yarn from China, where one can spot the color trend for the year by looking at the color of the rivers where the run-off from dye-plants are dumped. You won't find yarn from a certain well-known, ubiquitous company in the store for that reason.
By the way, this photo is of Jules. He lives with his buddies on Ross Farm, a Centennial farm in Pennsylvania. Ross Farm includes the name and photo of the sheep from whom the fiber was sheared on their yarn labels.
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