Louet North America

	Fibers

	– Wool
	– Alpaca & Llama
	– Mohair
	– Silk
	– Exotic, Vegetable and More
	– Soysilk

	Dyed Fibers
	– Northern Lights
	– Louet Dyed Corriedale
	– Louet Dyed Merino/Silk
	– Louet Dyed Merino Top (New)
	–Eastport Carded Sliver (New)
	– Dyed Bamboo (New)
	– Dyed Bamboo Blends (New)

	Needlefelting
	Needle Felting Kit

What is SOYSILK^® fiber?
SOYSILK^® brand fiber is made from the residue of soybeans from tofu manufacturing. This process is 100-percent natural and free of any petrochemicals, making it an extremely environmentally friendly product. Soy is a completely renewable resource - coming from the earth and being wholly biodegradable. As early as the 1940s, textile experts dreamed of a fiber made from soy. (In fact, Henry Ford had a suit made of soy as an early prototype.) SOYSILK^® brand fiber offers superior moisture absorption and ventilation properties along with beautiful draping, softness and warmth.

What are the benefits of SOYSILK^® brand fiber and how does it differ from other fabrics?

SOYSILK^® brand fiber has the softness and smoothness of cashmere but isn't hazardous to the environment
SOYSILK^® brand fiber is beautiful to look at and has excellent wearability
SOYSILK^® brand fiber has the same moisture absorption as cotton but with better moisture transmission, making it more comfortable and sanitary

How is SOYSILK^® brand fiber manufactured?
SOYSILK^® brand fiber is manufactured using new, cutting edge bioengineering technologies. It is produced by extracting proteins from the residual oils of soybean cake - a liquid "batter" is created and cooked, then the fiber is produced by wet-spinning and stabilized by acetylating, and is then cut into short staples after curling and thermoforming.

What is the washability of SOYSILK^® brand fiber?
SOYSILK^® brand fiber can be washed in home washing machines and air dried. It is not recommended for commercial/industrial washing machines. In textiles, SOYSILK^® fabrics are known to be wrinkle-free and have little to no shrinkage.

How does SOYSILK^® brand fiber affect the environment?
SOYSILK^® brand fibers are part of the new class of green textiles. Soy fibers provide the environment with a unique "cradle-to-cradle" approach - coming from the earth and being wholly biodegradable. SOYSILK^® brand fibers contain no petroleum and all products are manufactured to be eco-friendly. In addition, the United States is currently the largest exporter of soybeans in the world.

	Soysilk^® Top Natural (1/2 lb) – 7.090
	Soysilk^® Top White (1/2 lb) – 7.091 If you enjoy spinning silk or Tencel, you will find the same pleasure spinning this new fiber. With a staple length between three and four inches, a fine fiber diameter and surface that allows the fibers to slide past each other, drafting this material to the thickness you want is easy. Split the roving to a pencil thickness and spin from this. Keep your hands at least four inches apart due to the fiber length. Draft the fibers to the thickness you want before allowing any twist into the fibers which will lock them together. Ply to produce a balanced yarn. Skein up your finished yarn. To set the twist, soak in warm water, gently squeeze out the water by hand or by rolling in a towel, snap the skein between your hands to realign the strands and hang to dry. Do not be alarmed if at this point your skein looks a little bedraggled. Just wait until it is completely dry and snap the skein between your hands. If it still seems a little stiff, wad the skein into a ball and restraighten. I have spun a low twist, 2-ply sportweight and two fine, high twist, 2-ply yarns. The sportweight (14wpi, 4 tpi in ply) has a fuzzy halo and will knit a cuddly sweater with the feel of a well aged t-shirt. The fine yarns were equivalent to a 10/2 (36 wpi, 12 tpi in ply) and a 3/2 (24 wpi, 11 tpi in ply) cotton and had no halo. Want to dye your own SOYSILK Fibers? Download this article Dyeing Fibers by Jonelle Raffino
	Karaoke Playful Top (1/2 lb) – 7.101 Karaoke is 50% SOYSILK^® fiber and 50% wool
	Karaoke Rainbow Top (1/2 lb) – 7.102 Karaoke is 50% SOYSILK^® fiber and 50% wool
	Karaoke Mermaid Top (1/ lb) – 7.103 Karaoke is 50% SOYSILK ^® fiber and 50% wool
	Karaoke White Top (1/2 lb) – 7.104 Karaoke is 50% SOYSILK^® fiber and 50% wool
	Bamboo Top (1/2 lb) – 7.105 BAMBOO fiber is made from the bamboo plant, a grass farmed commercially throughout Asia. Bamboo can grow 10 ft tall and a stand of bamboo plants can thrive for up to 100 years. BAMBOO fiber is cool to the skin, comfortable to wear ,and shows beautiful drape and softness. What are the benefits of BAMBOO fiber and how does it differ from other fabrics? BAMBOO fiber is soft and comfortable to wear made from a annually renewable resource - isn't hazardous to the environment BAMBOO fiber is beautiful to look at and has excellent wearability BAMBOO fiber has the same moisture absorption as cotton but with better moisture transmission, making it more comfortable and sanitary How is BAMBOO fiber manufactured? BAMBOO brand fiber is manufactured using new, cutting edge bioengineering technologies. It is produced by softening the bamboo fibers into a "batter". Then the fiber is produced by wet-spinning and stabilized by acetylating, and is then cut into short staples after curling and thermoforming. What is the washability of BAMBOO fiber? BAMBOO fiber can be washed in home washing machines and air dried but we recommend dry cleaning. It not recommended for commercial/industrial washing machines. In textiles, BAMBOO fabrics are known to be wrinkle-free and have little to no shrinkage. How does BAMBOO fiber affect the environment? BAMBOO fibers are part of the new class of green textiles. They provide the environment with a unique "cradle-to-cradle" approach - coming from the earth and being wholly biodegradable. BAMBOO fiber contains no petroleum and all products are manufactured to be eco-friendly.
	Black Diamond Top (1/2 lb) – 7.106 Black Diamond Fiber According to the American Chemical Society, in 1879, Thomas Edison invented the first incandescent light bulb. It used electricity to heat a thin strip of material, called a filament, until it glowed. Edison may also have created the first commercial carbon fiber. Early filaments, were made from bamboo slivers which were formed into the proper size and shape then baked them at high temperatures. Since bamboo consists mostly of cellulose, a natural linear polymer made of repeating units of glucose, the filament was "carbonized," when heated. It became a true carbon copy of the starting material - an all-carbon fiber with the same exact shape. Tungsten wire soon displaced these carbon filaments, but they were still used on U.S. Navy ships as late as 1960 because they withstood ship vibrations better than tungsten. Bamboo carbon fiber, called Black Gold or Black Diamond by those in the industry, is resistant to ultra violet rays and possesses anti-odor properties. It also adjusts well to both humidity and dryness.
	Latte Top (1/2 lb) – 7.107 Silk Latte is made from the milk proteins. Like SOYSILK, it is a luxurious champagne color fiber but even softer than SOYSILK.They are produced in much the same process.
	Optim Top (1/2 lb) – 7.108 OPTIM is a very fine wool processed through special equipment that stretches the fiber. It increases the staple length and the micron to 12-14, in the range of cashmere.