Yarn and fabric manufacturer Vermont Organic Fiber Company (VTOF) has introduced its new O~Wool Classic line of organic wool hand knitting yarn, offered in colour-rich hues. This is the first time yarn made with organic wool has been made widely available to the hand knitting market. The worsted-weight O~Wool Classic yarn is made from organic Australian Merino wool and spun at a US mill.

Organic wool is part of the rapidly-growing $160 million US organic fibre industry which grew 44% in 2005, according to the Organic Trade Association 2006 Manufacturer Survey released in May.

For wool to be certified as organic, the US Department of Agriculture requires that the sheep be fed organic feed and forage from the last third of gestation and be raised without the use of synthetic hormones or pesticides (internal or external). In addition, organic livestock producers are required to ensure that they do not exceed the natural carrying capacity of the land on which their animals graze.

VTOF president Matthew Mole said that, with this yarn, "hand knitters can enjoy using organic wool yarn with the knowledge they are supporting organic production and processing both in the US and around the world."

There are 13 new colours available to the nation’s 53 million knitters including cornflower, plum, sumac and willow. The yarn is said to give excellent stitch definition and its long staple length helps to prevent pilling.