Learn About Possum Fur!
We like to think that all of our yarn at My Sister Knits is special in one way or another but we have a new yarn that is super-duper extra special! Not only that but it is rare. Furthermore, every purchase helps to fund the conservation of New Zealand’s ecosystem.
Fingering weight; colors left to right are The Old Jetty, Alpine Everlasting, Wattle, Flax Lily, and Inkwell
Hannah, of Circus Tonic Handmade in Australia, sent us a shipment of her Merino Possum Woollen Spun yarn in both fingering and DK weight. This yarn is unbelievably soft, lightweight, and warm. It’s a blend of 80% Merino wool and 20% Possum fur from New Zealand. Possum must always be blended with another fiber because the fibers are too short to create a yarn on its own and it would be prohibitively expensive if it was possible. It’s a difficult fiber to work with and producing a consistent yarn is challenging.
Possum fiber has a hollow core which makes it extremely lightweight and very warm. It’s lighter and warmer than cashmere! Adding it to an already lightweight and warm woolen spun Merino creates a yarn that is 55% warmer than wool alone. The finished project will also weigh less than the same project knitted with woolen spun yarn with no possum! Possum yarn blooms, which means it will puff up and get softer when washed so swatching is definitely encouraged!
DK weight; colors left to right are Wolf, Turquoise Parrot, Acacia Rose, Thyme Pinkbells, and Alpine Everlasting
This yarn is luscious to knit with! That being said, I’m sure that many of you are curious about the possum in it. Here’s some information so you can be an informed consumer.
Possums are beloved in Australia, not so much in New Zealand. You see, they have natural predators in Australia and none in NZ. They were introduced in NZ in 1837 in a failed attempt to form a fur industry. In 1946 they were declared a noxious pest. Today their numbers are estimated to be more than 30 million and that’s with control measures being taken! With voracious appetites and nothing to stop them, they are eating the forests from the canopy to anything that’s on the ground. In addition, they eat native insects, bats, and birds including their eggs. They also spread TB to cattle, which is no small concern.
Brushtail Possum, a different animal from the Opposum
What to do? In order to save NZ’s ecosystem, the government hopes to eradicate them by 2050. In the meantime, responsible possum fur recovery is one of the control measures. All fur trapping is done in defined forest areas by accredited trappers who must follow the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Also, the NZ Fur Council developed an industry wide Code of Practice for possum trappers based on the Animal Welfare Act. Trapping possums for fur in the most humane way possible is a practical way of dealing with the problem as it is today. To put it bluntly, these noxious pests need to be, and will be, eradicated. Using their fur makes their fate more palatable, helps NZ’s economy by creating jobs throughout the fur industry, and improves conservation outcomes.
Stephen West’s Pogona in progress; a delightful relaxing knit with exquisite yarn
To sum up, possums are killed because they are absolutely destroying New Zealand’s forests and everything that goes along with that destruction. Using their fur is making the best of a sad situation in many ways from creating jobs for the trappers to producing the yarn to creating beautiful handmade projects with it and more.
We invite you to come into the shop and feel this unique yarn! You will probably want to gift yourself a skein or two of this delectable fiber! We should have display samples soon!
Happy knitting,
