Cotton / Linen / Bamboo / Hemp Weaving Yarns

Cotton weaving yarn is ideal for producing towels, table linens and garments. Cotton absorbs moisture, is cool to the touch thus keeping the body comfortable. The oldest evidence of cotton use dates to 6,000 BC in the region that now includes India and Pakistan. In addition, bits of cotton cloth located in Mexico date back at least 7,000 years. Arab merchants are believed to have brought cotton to Europe around 800 AD. Christopher Columbus found cotton growing in the Bahama Islands in 1492. In 1556, the first cotton seeds were planted in Florida. The Woolery offers a wide variety of Cotton Weaving Yarns, including our own Bluegrass Mills 8/2 Cotton Yarn.

Linen weaving yarn is the most absorbent of the natural fibers. Wicks moisture more efficiently than cotton. Linen fabrics are ideal for summertime fashion. Originally used to produce linen, Flax is now grown primarily for its seeds. The earliest known use of flax fiber dates back some 30,000 years in the area the now comprises the Republic of Georgia. Flax is stronger than cotton, but not as elastic. John Kendrew and Thomas Porthouse invented the first mechanical flax spinning machine in 1787 based upon the Arkwright and Kay Spinning Frame. The Woolery offers a variety of linen yarn, including Bockens Lingarn.

 

Bamboo weaving yarn is ideal for scarfs or shawls due to its ability to impart both shine and drape properties. Bamboo is both hypoallergenic and naturally antimicrobial. Bamboo yarn is spun from processed bamboo fiber similar to how wood pulp is transformed into viscose (or rayon). Patents for processed bamboo fiber were issued in 1864 to Philipp Lichtenstadt. The modern use of bamboo for yarn and fabric is credited to efforts by Beijing University in the early 2000s. There are some 1,500 species of bamboo and it is native to every continent save Europe and Antarctica. Bamboo fiber is naturally antimicrobial, highly moisture absorbent, hypoallergenic and derived from a fast-growing and readily available source. The Woolery currently offers a 5/2 Bamboo yarn in a variety of color options.

Hemp is one of the more eco-friendly crops in terms of water consumption and pesticide requirements. Hemp weaving yarn produces very absorbent towels and tableware and produce very robust fabrics for long-wearing clothing. In fact, the original Levi Blue Jeans were made from hemp. Hemp fiber has a long and varied history. Hemp was historically used to make sail canvas. In fact, the word canvas is derived from the Anglo-French canevaz and Old French chanevaz that literally translate as “made from hemp.” Grown for thousands of years in Asia and the Middle East, the commercial production of hemp took hold in 18^th century Europe. The industrial hemp used for fiber production is a distinct strain that does not contain the level of THC found in the variety grown as both a legal and illegal drug. The Woolery offers a variety of Hemp yarn options, including our own Bluegrass Mills Hemp Yarn.

If you don't find exactly what you want, or would like a yarn recommendation, please call the shop directly at 800-441-9665 or contact us for assistance.