I recently had the opportunity to knit with a yarn I've never tried before – Zealana Air chunky weight, part of Zealana's Luxuria Series. And it truly is light as air! It feels special. Extra soft, pill-resistant, durable and it's lighter and warmer than 100% cashmere. And it's made in New Zealand.
Zealana Air is made of 40% cashmere, 20% mulberry silk and 40% brushtail possum down. Possum down, you say!? Yes. But not your typical North American possum.
Since its introduction to New Zealand by fur traders in the late 19th
century, the non-native brushtail possum population has reached
staggering proportions largely due to the lack of natural predators that
would otherwise maintain an ecological balance. The consequences of
their rapidly increasing numbers are many, including damaging impacts on
New Zealand’s native plant and animal life. Zealana is committed to the
responsible management of the brushtail possum in New Zealand, and when
you knit with Zealana you are choosing to be a part of their sustainability story. Read more about Zealana's conservation efforts here.
You've probably seen Zealana's gorgeous patterns everywhere, from luxury designer pattern books to Vogue Knitting magazine. (They also offer free patterns on their website – scroll down to check them out here.)
I decided to knit a quick one-skein cowl with the ball of Zealana Air in L09/Emerald, which is the perfect shade of teal/green for spring. The stitches are soft, it's lovely to hold while you knit and the drape is perfection.
I'm so glad I decided to knit something I'll wear around my neck with Zealana Air because the softness is unbelievable. Even if you have sensitive skin like me. There is absolutely zero scratchiness with this yarn. I'd love to knit an entire sweater with Zealana – their yarns are something extraordinary.
Check out all of Zealana's yarn offerings on their website. Beautiful.