Introducing: Recycled Sari Yarns

Finding new yarns that align with our ethical standards is not always easy.  But when we do find one, we get very excited.  And today we introduce not one but two new yarns to you - colour us ecstatic and get ready to meet: Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn and Recycled Spun Sari Silk.

Recycled Sari Silk Ribbon

These yarns are created from the loose ends of commercial sari manufacturing.  The ends are collected and taken to a women's cooperative where they are overdyed, torn into strips, sewn end-to-end and wound into skeins.  They're perfect as a chunky art yarn for weaving, crochet, knitting and loads of other textile art projects.  Although they're dyed in groups of colour shades, there is still some variation, depending on what the original colour the silk sari material was.

Here are the vital details:

• Quantity: 100 grams per strand
• Length: about 50 m per 100 gram
• Needle size: 15-20
• Handcrafted
• Minimum 97% Silk

Recycled Spun Sari Silk

Our second new yarns are the extremely delicate, but hardwearing, Recycled Spun Sari Silk.  Like the Sari Ribbons, these yarns are also made from the by-products of silk and sari manufacturing.  Rather than being overdyed though, these fibres are grouped into similar shades and handspun, resulting in each individual skein being unique, within its colour grouping.  It's hard to describe just how soft and delicate these yarns are.  

Here are the vital details:

• Quantity: 100 grams per skein
• Length: approximately 91m per 100 gr
• Needle size: 5-6mm
• Handcrafted in India
• recycled Yarn
• Minimum 97% silk

The Women's Cooperative

The cooperative where these yarns are produced is fantastic.  They seek to empower marginalised communities, especially women in rural communities, by offering them fair employment and helping them to further develop their skills.  Women often work from home, so that they can continue to care for their families, as well as work.

The cooperative also runs an education project, helping artisans, their village community and their children to achieve functional literacy, where they otherwise would not have access to these basic skills.  The program also offers basic numeracy skills and knowledge about health, hygiene, and the environment.  Books and notebooks are provided free of charge to the poorest in the community.  They also help illiterate artisans to fill out the paperwork to get an officially recognised Handloom Weavers Card made.

Unfortunately the cooperative is not able to get official Fairtrade status at this point, because the rules governing Fairtrade status for silk products have not yet been created in India, but they operate under Fairtrade principles.  This is one yarn producer that we are very proud to support.