Buy local: Yarn with a true New Zealand story – Wild Earth Yarns
While much of New Zealand’s wool is shipped offshore for processing, one Christchurch-based company is keeping the entire journey close to home. Wild Earth Yarns, owned by Graham and Jacqui McLaughlin, is committed to producing 100% locally made, fully traceable yarn.
“We’re seeing a global shift away from synthetics toward natural, biodegradable fibres,” says Jacqui. “People want to know where their materials come from – and how they’re made.”
That commitment deepened last year with the purchase of New Zealand’s last operational woollen dye house and spinning mill in Napier. The move has transformed the business. “It’s allowed us to expand significantly,” says their son, factory manager Blair McLaughlin. “We can now spin alpaca and mohair and manage the entire process in-house, including a much broader colour range.”
Around 60 per cent of the business serves the hand-knitting market, with the remainder supplying weaving, hosiery, and glove manufacturing. Jacqui and her expert team at the Lincoln Road store in Addington allows customers to chat directly with them; many are drawn to the popular merino-possum 4-ply yarn.
For Wild Earth Yarns, it’s about more than wool – it’s about integrity. “People often think they’re buying New Zealand yarn, when it’s been processed overseas,” Jacqui says. “You can rely on our high-quality yarn from superfine merino wool, polwarth wool, possum fibre, alpaca and strong wool to be fully traceable from start to finish.”
Call the shop on 03 925 8422 or browse online.
