If it weren't for Sally Fox, we probably would not have the gorgeous naturally colored cottons to knit, weave or crochet and the easier to spin, longer staple spinning fibers in varying shades of browns and greens.

  When the industrial revolution brought us industrial cotton looms, short-staple colored cotton was replaced by white, long-staple cotton that processed better on the industrial looms. 

  The natural-colored varieties grew almost extinct, until Sally Fox rediscovered a small amount of brown cotton seeds in 1982. Sally began to research creating a commercially viable long-fibered colored cotton (better for the looms of today). 

  The invention was called FoxFibre, a strong, longer stapled colored cotton.

    While working as a pollinator for a cotton breeder looking to develop more pest-resistant plants, Sally began breeding brown and green cotton, picking out the best seeds that produced the longest fibers and replanting them year after year.    Eventually, she created two colored cottons that could be spun on a machine, and she purchased a small lot of land to grow them. Sally even received Plant Variety Protection Certificates (the plant equivalent of patents) for the new cottons. 

   Their gorgeous and eye soothing colors captivated Sally Fox's interest and she began trying to improve the fiber quality for handspinners and color consistency through classical plant breeding as soon as she  was able to work with these cottons. 

    Along the way colorfastness and color range presented themselves as variables as well, and the fun just went on to today's line of 10/2 FoxFiber yarns as well as naturally colored cotton fibers loved around the world by hand spinners.

      

  We carry a wide variety of Sally's  Fox Fiber 10/2 Organic Naturally Colored yarns as well as 10/2 Pakucho Organic (Dark) and 10/2 Pakucho ((Light),  Pakucho Sport and Pakucho Worsted sourced from Peru.

  Our spinners will delight in our Naturally Colored Brown and Green Sliver cottons as well as our new Colored Cotton Clouds' Combo with an 8 oz variety of brown and green sliver as well as hard-to-find brown and green lint.  A great way to mix and match these natural colors by carding, blending and plying.

  Keep in mind that naturally colored cottons are not only organically grown but they also do not require harsh chemical dyes and excess water to color, making them a lot more earth-friendly.  And did you know that the colors darken with repeated washings?  

     

   Either way you look at it, these naturally colored cotton yarns are a dream to work with in more ways than one!  Give them a try! We know you will love them as much as we do! 

    

                               Irene & Jodi