Yarn Base Information

Yarn base offerings will change from update to update and new yarn bases will be introduced regularly.

Fiber for the People® releases new yarn through bi-weekly shop updates every other Saturday at 10 AM PDT, with previews and collection notes shared in the Friday newsletter leading up to each release.

That being said, you can expect the same general standards across every yarn base featured in the shop: thoughtful sourcing, beautiful texture, strong stitch definition, and fibers chosen for both longevity and character.

The Flagship Base: Born Shorn Dyed

Born Shorn Dyed is the part of the foundation of Fiber for the People® and the yarn base most closely tied to the landscape I live and work in.

This yarn begins with Merino/Rambouillet sheep raised by the Dufurrena family in northern Nevada through the Dufurrena Sheep Company and Lovely Valley Wool. The fleece is then processed and woolen-spun at Mountain Meadow Wool Mill in Buffalo, Wyoming before arriving here in the dye studio for hand dyeing.

The result is a minimally processed, woolen-spun 2-ply sport weight yarn with a soft but lively structure, beautiful natural loft, and a distinctly earthy character that reflects the fiber’s origin.

Unlike highly processed commercial yarns, this base retains some vegetable matter (VM), which simply means tiny remnants of the landscape the fleece came from may still be present in the yarn. Small pieces of hay, grass, or plant matter can occasionally appear throughout the skein. This is a completely natural characteristic of minimally processed wool and something I personally love seeing in the yarn—it’s a visible reminder that this fiber came from a real animal living on a real piece of land.

For knitters who prefer to reduce the amount of visible VM before knitting, gently thwacking the skein between your hands before winding or lightly running the yarn through your fingers while caking will remove quite a bit naturally.

Born Shorn Dyed Specifications

  • 100% Merino/Rambouillet cross wool

  • Nevada raised fleece

  • U.S. processed and spun

  • Woolen-spun

  • 2-ply sport weight

  • Approx. 350 yards / 100 grams

This base is tonal by nature and especially well suited to layered, atmospheric color. Because of the way the yarn absorbs dye in deep pans, many colorways develop soft shifts and subtle variation throughout the skein, giving finished fabric depth, movement, and texture once knitted.

You can be confident that your Fiber for the People® yarn is ethically sourced and 100% mueseling-free.  All fiber used to produce the yarns offered in my shop is carefully shorn or shed naturally prior to being spun.  

All organic yarns are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified.  All Superwash-treated yarns are scoured and Superwash-treated to the highest environmental standards.  

The Merino wool used to create FFTP yarn (not including the Nevada Born Shorn Dyed yarn base) is sourced from Peru and Argentina with a mulesing free certification and boasts a fiber diameter between 19-24.5 microns, making it some of the softest Merino available.

The term “untreated” is used to refer to yarn bases that have not undergone Superwashing, either through a chemical removal of the wool fiber cuticle, or the coating of the fibers in polymer.  The terms “untreated” or “non-Superwash” may be used interchangeably.

Where the terms medium and  extra-fine are used to describe the yarn, it is in reference to the grade of the Merino fiber.  Most wool fiber is graded using the Micron scale.  A Micron is a unit of measurement used to determine the diameter of a single wool fiber.  A Micron is 1/25,000 of an inch.  The fewer the Microns, the softer and smoother the yarn or the more suitable for next-to-skin wear.  The lowest count I offer is 19.5 (extra-fine/very soft) and the highest is 27 (medium-much more “rustic”, great for socks).  

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Untreated/Non-Superwash Yarns

Untreated yarns have not undergone the Superwashing process (see below for more information on this process). These yarns retain all of the wool’s lustrous, moisture-wicking properties as well as the fiber cuticle (which contributes to the aforementioned). These yarns are rich in the hand and will knit into beautiful, warm, and resilient fabrics. Hand wash these yarns and always lay flat to dry.

Yarn bases listed in the shop with the ♻ symbol include a percentage of recycled fiber. This could be either recycled wool or Nylon. The 🌱 symbol indicates a yarn with a percentage of GOTS Certified Organic Merino wool.

Superwash-Treated Yarns

These yarns have been hand-picked because of how well they have retained their wooly characteristics despite being Superwash-treated for washability.

All Superwash-treated yarns are scoured and Superwash-treated to the highest environmental standards.  

Direct from my Supplier (for the sake of transparency I have added hyperlinks to provide additional information): “The majority of Superwash yarn is treated using the Hercosett process, which is the method used for our Superwash yarns too. Many people are rightly concerned over the potential impacts this process can have on the environment. The main concern being about how the waste water containing spent chemicals is dealt with after processing. We only use reputable companies to Superwash our fibers, companies who hold ISO14001 accreditation and/or engage in best practice with regard to environmental performance and waste water treatment and re-use. Most of the effluent from the process is re-used and any disposed of has to meet strict environmental standards.”