American-Made Yarn: What Does That Actually Mean?

What does “American yarn” actually mean? 🇺🇸🧶 Is the company based in the United States? Were the sheep or alpacas raised here? Was the fiber spun here? Or does the entire journey from animal to skein happen in America? I went down a BIG rabbit hole researching American yarn, and it turns out those are very different things. In this video, I’m looking at American animal-fiber yarn through several different supply chains: 🐑 Farms that raise their own sheep AND mill their own fiber 🦙 Alpaca farms taking their fiber from animal to finished yarn 🐑 Farms that raise the animals but send their fleece to another American mill 🏭 American mills spinning American-grown wool 🧶 Familiar U.S.-based yarn companies—and which ones actually offer American-grown and American-made yarn lines We’ll talk about companies and mills including Cestari, Willow Creek Farm & Fiber Mill, Round Barn Farm & Fiber Mill, Shenandoah Fiber & Mill, Three Points Fiber Mill/American Alpaca Yarn, Catskill Merino, Stoneledge Farm, Battenkill Fibers, Brown Sheep Company, Mountain Meadow Wool, Green Mountain Spinnery, Bartlettyarns, Harrisville Designs, Kelbourne Woolens, Knit Picks, Lion Brand, Cascade Yarns and Berroco. There are some fascinating stories here—including yarn that can be traced back to the animals that produced it, farms sending their own fleece to American mills, and a historic Maine mill still spinning yarn on the last operating spinning mule in the United States. Most importantly, we’re separating three things that are very easy to lump together: AMERICAN COMPANY ≠ AMERICAN-MADE YARN ≠ AMERICAN-GROWN FIBER This isn’t about saying one supply chain is “better” than another. I wanted to understand what these labels actually mean so we can make informed choices when we’re buying yarn. Tell me in the comments: When you hear “American yarn,” what does that mean to YOU? Does the fiber need to be grown here, spun here, or is supporting an American yarn company what matters most? Thanks for spending some yarn time with me! Melissa Knits for Fun Where fun meets fashion in every stitch 🧶 AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Melissa Knits for Fun! Purl Soho: https://www.purlsoho.com/yarn.html?a_... Twice Sheared Sheep: https://twiceshearedsheep.myshopify.c... Yarn Atelier: https://www.yarnatelier.co.uk/discoun... FIND ME HERE: Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/people/Meliss... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissa_kni... #AmericanYarn #MadeInUSA #AmericanWool #Knitting #Yarn #KnittingPodcast #YarnPodcast #WoolYarn #SheepToSkein #FarmYarn #YarnLovers #Knitter #KnittingYouTube #YarnEducation #MelissaKnitsForFun