It took me a long time to find the perfect yarns for making my chunky Homelea Lass blankets.
I was determined that for my blankets to wrap you in love, they had to be made with yarns that felt amazing (so soft and squishy), be soulful, stand up to being used every day, be made from all natural fibres, be chunky and, most importantly, they had to be All Australian.
“Made in Australia” isn’t the same as “All Australian”
As I was searching high and low for the perfect Homelea Lass yarns, I started asking “is it fully grown and processed in Australia”?
I was shocked to discover that most of the wool yarns that are made in Australia from Australian wool go for a trip to China and back to be scoured. Yarns that were labelled “made in Australia” weren’t fully made in Australia.
Anything can be labelled “made in Australia” if more than 50% of the manufacturing costs happens here. This means it can still be partially processed overseas, and be labelled “made in Australia”.
This devastated me.
I thought “made in Australia” meant I was buying products that were fully grown and processed in Australia, and were ethically produced to be a high standard.
I also thought I was supporting Australian farmers, manufacturers and workers when I was buying these yarns. It turned out I wasn’t.
Australia has high standards
I love knowing that the country I live in has requirements that protect the environment, the wellbeing of our animals, the safety and pay rates of our workers and the quality of our products.
The downside of this is that it costs more to fully create within Australia, but the upside is that it’s ethically produced to high standards – which is so very important.
Homelea Lass crochet kits and yarns are All Australian
It took me a long time to find the perfect yarns for my Homelea Lass blankets, and I’m proud to tell you that the wool growing, yarn processing and blanket making all happens within Victoria and New South Wales – not only are they All Australian, it all happens in the south-east corner of Australia!
It’s so good! And so very, very ethical and soulful.
Next time you buy something made in Australia take a moment to ask “is it fully grown, processed and made in Australia”? And when you get a “yes” take pride in knowing that what you’re buying is ethically and soulfully made to a high quality.
It’s worth the investment, and it will wrap you in love for many, many years.
With love, Lynda.
