Allison with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee at the Maker Faire.

Another aspect of eco-friendliness is a new product made from a by-product. Who would have thought that yarn could come from the pulp leftover from the production of soy milk and tofu? In the same way that tencel comes from wood pulp, a wonderfully silky yarn is the end result. Soya Cotton from Sublime, is a fifty-fifty blend in beautiful sun-splashed colors. It is a DK weight yarn with a lovely hand. It is perfect for a summer-weight sweater and the sheen of the soy helps give the cotton a little more oomph. Try to add a little more protein in your yarn diet with soy yarn!

The sale starts Saturday, May17th with 20-40% off select yarn. The prices will remain until the yarn is sold - but come early for the best selection!

What makes bamboo eco-friendly? As a plant it is fast growing and the canes can be “harvested” leaving the plant in tact - making it a sustainable crop. Also, like hemp, it isn’t prone to pests - meaning less pollution. The resulting yarn is practical: absorbent and antibacterial, as well as beautiful: drape and luster. What is even better - the variety! There are so many different bamboo yarns to choose from:

Clockwise from the top: Bamboo from SouthWest Trading Company, Bamboo Tape from Rowan, Royal Bamboo from Plymouth Yarns, and Bam Boo and Bam Boo Print from Classic Elite.

And bamboo just gets more interesting when mixed with other fibers - Bamboo Silk from Ella Rae is a blend of 70% bamboo and 30% silk. This is an incredible yarn, cloud-like. It would make the perfect shrunken sweater to throw over a summer dress. So please, step into the plant fiber room and you will be amazed by all the knitting options available!