This listing is for one skein only.
These are my white ivory grey and black current stock- for other colours please see other listings in the yarn section of my shop or ask.
IMPORTANT NEWS. This listing is updated.
We all get told this is vegetable silk made from cactus fibre from Marrakech in Morocco. The company Anou have done a very good job of investigating and sad to say it is mostly rayon or acetate, the hype is all wrong due to not checking or designed to mislead. You can read Anou's startling full article here: https://helloanou.wordpress.com/2018/03/05/the-truth-about-moroccan-sabra-everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-the-mythical-cactus-silk-agave-fiber/
However the thread is pretty and can be useful for various projects, if tricky, so I am selling my current stock clearly labelled, and considering whether to continue to stock it at all. My stock is rayon (I have tested it simply with the burn test) and is likely to either be imported direct from India, or as is more likely given they are hand wound skeins, dyed in Morocco. However the dyeing may have used formaldehyde.
This is a modern version of a traditional thread supposedly made from fibres of the aloe vera cactus. It is called a number of things; cactus silk, sabra silk, Moroccan silk and is vegetarian (sort of- rayon is a viscose type fibre usually made from plant materials or wood) unlike silkworm silk. It has a much more satiny look than silkworm thread and a light wispy feel but is nonetheless quite strong and suitable for sewing, winding, weaving etc and crafts. Several threads can be twisted together to make a heavier gauge ply. The threads are dyed with modern pigments in the vivid colours so reminiscent of the Souks in Morocco. However it is NOT made from cactus thread as claimed.
Most of the thread is woven up in Morocco into lovely shimmering fabrics, most often in wide stripes of contrasting colours (however please be aware that many textiles are then bleached to get a vintage look). This type of yarn is also used in carpets and rugs, and jewellery. The skeins come unpackaged and wound in a number of patterns. They vary slightly in weight but should all be at least 10g and at least 45m long (probably much longer but I don't want to unravel each one to find out!). The wounds skeins shown here are about 1.5cm (half inch) wide by 17cm (7 inches) long.
Please note the exact shades vary slightly within the same colour. I try to show this accurately on the photos but on-screen colours vary with your device and settings. Can't see your colour or no stock? Please get in touch.I get these from someone who buys them in Morocco, and have added some simple packaging to identify them and keep them neat in transit. In theory they should not leach dye but Moroccan dyes vary and bright ones are more likely to bleed, so please experiment if you are going to get them wet!
Please use the main photo and drop-down menu to choose which single skein colour you would like. Please also see the other single skein listings or my project packs of 5 shades which are good value.
Thanks!