About fur yarn?

This strip is re-enforced with colour-matched cotton and twisted, so the leather is on the inside covering the cotton, with the fur radiating outwards from the centre.

The yarn is dyed in a dazzling array of colours, from rose beige to deep browns and beyond, covering the fashion range from classic to trendy. CLICK HERE TO BROWSE OUR ONLINE CATALOG

Still need more information about fur yarn? Please check the Frequently Asked Questions page.

History

Created in the heart of rural Ontario, Canada, Paula's designs can be seen on the sophisticated runways of Toronto, Montreal, New York, Tokyo, Moscow, Milan, and recently, Beijing! Vogue and Pellicce Moda fashion magazines frequently showcase Paula Lishman International knit fur garments, selected from the stunning array of classic and contemporary, fashion-forward designs sought after by international customers.

Over 25 years of research and refinements have resulted in an unparalleled, washable fur yarn -- which is now available to the knitters, crocheters, and crafters worldwide to create unique, one-of-a-kind garments.

The fur yarn was first launched at the 1998 Creative Sewing and Needlecraft Show in Toronto, Ontario, Canada -- to an appreciative and pleasantly surprised audience of crafters and needleworkers who had never before considered fur as something they could work with.

Since then, the idea of putting a touch of fur on an existing favourite garment or hand-crafted item has taken hold in the imagination of international crafters -- who marvel at the cascade of sensuous colours and the irresistible array of natural fur types, ranging from sheared beaver, fox, mink, and muskrat.

Some of the novel, tactile creations crafters and needleworkers have created have included a beaded necklace with mink...a cashmere cape with sheared beaver hem design...a floor-length negligee trimmed in luxurious fox...The uses for fur yarn are limited only by the imagination of the individual!

For further inspiration for your own creation in fur yarn, we invite you to visit Paula Lishman International at www.paulalishman.com. If you have created something wonderful with fur yarn, we would appreciate your photos and perhaps a story about how you created your piece -- and with your permission, we may add it to our Gallery!

Purchasing, Pelts and Processing

Less than 20% of all beaver pelts available meet Lishman's criteria. The size and condition of a pelt is critical in determining the cost and quality of the end product. Fur dressers can do little to improve the quality of the fur. Lishmans must buy only the pelts gathered at the optimum time of the year, to ensure prime mature pelts with maximum heavy density.

Pelts are purchased from several sources. Beaver, muskrat, red fox, and raccoon are wild furs and they are sorted by trappers, country collectors, and brokers. The mink and fox Paula uses are farm-raised and they are purchased dressed from various suppliers.

It is important to note that trapping is well regulated, environmentally sustainable, and accounts for the livelihood of a certain segment of the Canadian population.

These carefully selected pelts are shipped to a fur dresser where they are processed through several stages of preparation such as soaking, sweating, plucking, and cleaning. As much of this is done by hand, this process can take up to four weeks.

The pelts are returned to Lishmans for further grading to ensure that, once again, only the best fur is used. The dressed pelts are forwarded to a fur dyer where they are graded for colour and quality, and once dyed, are returned to our production house. Although the company buys only the best fur, with all of these quality measures in place, 25% to 35% of the fur is still unusable for Paula Lishman garments.

Nature of Fur and Nature of Knit

Because fur is a natural product, no two pelts are the same. Each is unique and varies in thickness of skin, fur density, natural colour, and size. All of these factors affect the dying, grading, and production processes. It is important to note that maintaining consistency within styles and garments is difficult, and there will always be minor variances in the thickness and colour of the fur. The variances in thickness of the skin can also affect the tension of the knit and the weight of the garment, thereby affecting the size and measurement.