Conscious, Local Knitting
Meet Less Traveled Yarn
Knitting may conjure up the image of sitting in front of a fireplace during a snowstorm creating blankets or socks or scarves. You are likely not thinking of it as a spring or summer pastime, something to keep your hands and mind busy with the oncoming heatwave knocking on our doors.
As we grow more aware of where our clothing comes from and the negative environmental impact that fast fashion has, knitting is seeing a resurgence, and Less Traveled Yarn is here to inspire you with beautiful hand-dyed yarns that you can turn into trendy creations.
Plenty of independent knitting shops have experienced a fate similar to that of indie bookstores, with corporate craft stores gobbling them up and leaving the maker community with few options. Yet in a true resilient fashion, local entrepreneur Sarah Wharton saw an opportunity to turn her hobby of knitting into a full-time gig and is providing an alternative to big-box standard fare.
Founded in 2017, Less Traveled Yarn focuses on quality yarns that are responsibly sourced and hand-dyed in one-of-a-kind colors. Their process starts with yarns that are sourced primarily in the United States, including Merino wool, cashmere, and alpaca. Sarah and her husband Matt dye the yarn by hand, creating colors that run from bright to rich, with an entire line dedicated to tones that represent the Desert Southwest (think Saguaro greens and cool hued Canyon). These colors are so on-point that they’ll likely inspire you to hop in the car for a spring Arizona road trip.
Where Sustainability Meets The Thread
Sustainability is weaved into Less Traveled Yarn, as it is a true alternative to fast fashion. Slow fashion goes against the prevalent “fast and cheap is best” mantra of buying garments, and focuses on clothing that is timeless, high quality, responsibly sourced, ethically made and has a long life expectancy. Fast fashion includes mass produced clothing made from mainly synthetic fibers that have a limited number of wears and are well documented for having negative environmental impacts including sweatshop labor, straining natural resources and tons of reusable textiles ending up in the landfill. Material like wool that is commonly used in knitting is a renewable resource, has a long lifespan, can be washed less and will biodegrade at the end of its use. By opting for clothing where you can trace the materials used and the person who made it can dramatically lower your personal environmental impact.
Along with yarns, Less Traveled Yarn features kits and sets for scarves, wraps and sweaters that you’ll be excited to adorn yourself with. You can also find knitting staples like measuring tape, scissors, pins, magnets and pouches. New to knitting? While Less Traveled Yard does not offer classes, they can expertly connect you to local resources and online tutorials. It’s a great time to pick up the knitting needles and get started on some pieces for your fall and winter wardrobe.