For most of the eight years I spent with the distributor, I bugged them about bringing in a hemp yarn. Hemp? they said. I was undeterred. I felt that hemp was a fibre of the future: growing readily in unfriendly soil, with a staple length of up to twelve feet, and a handle that becomes softer and drapier with each washing, I was convinced that hemp would one day have its own permanent place next to cotton and linen in the handknitting world. Imagine my delight when I discovered that Lana Hames (Lanaknits) had had the same idea seven years previously, and been able to follow through on it. Her selection of hemp and hemp blend yarns is available in a variety of weights and colours, and her designs showcase hemp's unique properties with simplicity, class, and ease. The icing on the cake is, she's Canadian.

Visit their site at www.hempforknitting.com.