Hispanic American Yarn Producers

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated each year from September 15 to October 15 to recognize the contributions and influence of generations of Hispanic Americans who are an integral part of our national history and culture. As fiber lovers, we decided this was the perfect time to highlight Hispanic yarn producers and members of the fiber industry.

Hispanic American Yarn Producers

The contributions are so varied and numerous that this list barely scratches the surface and is by no means comprehensive. So, we encourage readers and fiber enthusiasts to search out and find local-to-you Latinx and other BIPOC designers, yarn producers, dyers, and others using the search tool included at the end of this list. The more we learn and support each other, the more vibrant our fiber lives will be.

Tierra Wools

Tierra Wools began as a wool committee in the early 1980s. Located in northern New Mexico, they proudly announce that they are grower/spinner/weaver-owned on their ball bands. The Manzanares family is a major force behind Tierra Wools and their own brands of Shepherd’s Lamb and Churro yarns. Along with their yarns, they offer classes on weaving and natural dyeing. Much of their yarn and fiber comes from their own flock and neighboring flocks of Navajo-Churro and Rambouillet from local farms that raise sheep in the high mountain pastures of the area near Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico.

Related: Fiber Trails of the Upper Rio Grande

Cactus Hill Farm

Run by the descendants of the original families of Hispano settlers who established the farm in 1867 in Colorado, Cactus Hill Farm proud to be minority-owned and operated. They offer their own fingering, worsted, and bulky-weight Merino yarns on their website. The website explains that their yarn is “raised right here on Cactus Hill Farm, processed by Yampa Valley Fiberworks, and kettle-dyed on the farm.”

Companies like this are most easily found online, at fiber events like wool markets or festivals, and in local yarn shops. Many local yarn shops proudly stock local options that you may not find in other places. One of the best questions to ask when you visit a new-to-you yarn shop is what local yarns they offer and if they can share the story of their local yarns with you. Another option is to search out and contact local farms and fiber producers. When asked, many farms love to welcome fiber enthusiasts out for visits.

Related: Black-Owned Fiber Businesses Create Community

South American Yarn Producers

Venturing further afield to larger South American-based companies is another way to celebrate Hispanic contributions to the fiber community. In this category, there are three companies that many of us will recognize from the shelves of yarn shops nationwide:

Malabrigo Yarn

Malabrigo is a family-owned company that began in a small family kitchen in Uruguay. They recently relocated production to Peru to keep up with the demand for their beautiful yarns. The company employs mostly women and tries to help support those with fewer opportunities. Malabrigo yarns are primarily made with 100% Uruguayan Merino wool.

Manos del Uruguay

Manos del Uruguay started in 1968 with five friends deciding to improve the quality of life of Uruguay’s rural women. The company was founded to give rural women jobs and a way to gain independence while also keeping their roots and traditions.

Mirasol Project

The Mirasol Project supports the education of children of several villages in Peru, funding the Mirasol School with their yarn sales. A percentage of proceeds from each skein of Mirasol Yarn goes to the Mirasol Civil Association.  

How to Find BIPOC Yarn Companies

We could never include all the important members of our fiber community in this short list. We encourage fiber lovers to search out and find local-to-you BIPOC designers, yarn producers, yarn dyers, and others using the BIPOC in fiber website. It is a great resource to find, support, and celebrate the wonderful and varied fiber businesses available including a plethora of Latinx and BIPOC artists. A quick look at the database found three well-known indie dyers that might ring a bell plus many, many more:

There are so many members of our vibrant fiber arts community to support during Hispanic Heritage Month and all year round!

Tamara Moots has more than 100 patterns available through Ravelry, LoveKnitting, Knit Picks, WEBS, Love of Knitting magazine, Knit Now magazine, and others. When she is not designing or knitting, she raises two teens and travels whenever she can manage. Find her designs on Interweave.com and Ravelry, read her blog, and listen to her on the Geminate Podcast.