Green: It's Everywhere You Look

Part I 

 

I know, I know.  "Green", as well as "carbon footprint", (among several others) are on LSSU's famed List of Banned Words for 2009.  (The official list can be found here.)  It gets a little old--trite, even--when every company from Ace Hardware to Target pushes the "green movement" to pitch a sale.  All hoopla aside, I thought I'd bring some attention this Earth Day to a few fabulous yarns on the shelves at Inish Knits that oftentimes get neglected--it's merely coincidence that they're "green", too. 

 

The Vermont Organic Fiber Company (or more affectionately known as O-Wool), is the industry's leading producer of organic wool products in the United States.  Partnering with well-known companies like Patagonia and Sarah Waldo, O-Wool is famous for its superior quality and high standards.  We have two yarns that we've been carrying in the shop for almost two years--O-Wool Classic and Balance--but toward the end of the summer, you'll be seeing a few more (ahem, Legacy Chunky and the brand-new superwash--perfect for babies!) 

 

If you know me even a little bit, you'll know that Debbie Bliss is hands-down my favorite knitwear designer.  And yarn manufacturer.  Coming up with a new yarn (or three!) every season is practically Ms. Bliss' m.o.  This season, she chose to introduce just one yarn: Eco Fair Trade Cotton.  Not only is the yarn fairly traded (sadly, many commercial yarns fail on this point), but the organic cotton is dyed with low-impact, non-carcinogenic dyes and the water leftover from the process is rendered drinkable.  Dyed in a wide range of lovely shades, this cotton knits up at a heavy-worsted weight gauge (aran) and has fabulous pattern support.     
 

Stay tuned for next week's article, "Green: Part II", where we'll highlight the numerous yarns and products at Inish Knits that support the Local Movement.