I began Say! Little Hen because I wanted to share my passion for knitting with high-quality natural fibre yarns with other Australian knitters. It's proven hard to be able to source beautiful quality yarns in Australia that are organic or sustainably grown, in a range of colours that makes them easy to use for a variety of projects.

Since opening in March 2017, I've expanded my shop to include a variety of beautiful yarns suitable for knitting and crocheting, supplying them to knitters not only in Australia but worldwide.

Say! Little Hen was always more than just a yarn shop, though. It was somewhere I could share with you my designs, my ideas and my passion for all things yarn. It's where I could showcase beautiful quality yarns that had been grown either organically, or ethically and sustainably. The tools and accessories you find in the store are also keeping to this theme - they are boutique, sourced for their quality and natural materials, or in the case of the stitch markers, handmade by myself when I couldn't find what I was after.

All of the yarns in this shop have been hand selected by me, Sarah, after a long process of research. They are natural fibre yarns, some have been dyed by hand, some have been grown in Australia and processed overseas, or some have been made right here on Australian soil from start to finish. The thing they all have in common is that they are beautiful to knit with and wear, will stand the test of time, and are soft enough to be worn next to your skin. They are the organic, sustainable, ethical yarns that I love to work with and I know you want to work with, too.

The yarns you see are ones I love and return to again and again to use. I hope you'll love them as much as I do.

If you would like to know about them individually, read on.

WOOLganic - good for the sheep, good for the earth, good for you

WOOLganic yarn is made from 21.5 micron fleece, which means that it's exceptional quality and soft enough to be worn directly against your skin. This yarn comes from Australian certified organic or biodynamic farms. Sustainable farming practices with a low impact on the environment are used in the farming of the fleece. These include clean pasture management, attention to soil health, environmentally sound stock ratios, good nutrition, and herbal and homeopathic treatments.

The yarn is processed in New Zealand following organic standards and is dyed with ecologically low impact metal free dyes. For the technically inclined, this yarn features a slightly increased twist to reduce pilling (and it really works!).

WOOLganic is a beautiful yarn to work with and is deliciously soft and cuddly. It's perfect for both knitting and crochet and ideal for a range of projects - from garments and accessories for both adults, babies and children, to homewares such as blankets. This is an excellent staple yarn that no stash should be without! It's my go-to wool.

Adagio Mills Alpaca 

This is another yarn I am very excited to stock.

It's also 100% Australian - grown here and processed in a mill that is owned by an Australian family. Adagio Mills are also passionate about sustainability - their mill is currently operating at 90% zero waste, and they aim to achieve 100% zero waste in the future. The fleece is not chemically treated, but simply washed to remove any dirt and vegetation that the alpacas collect in their paddock life. This means that the water used in processing is recycled through a greywater system. As the fleece is not treated with acid, the occasional bit of plant material may occur throughout the yarn. 

This yarn is also undyed! Some of the colours are exactly the same as they come off the alpaca, whilst others have been blended together to create new colours. I think it's pretty amazing!
This yarn is divinely soft and squishy, with a silkiness to it too. It's an absolute dream to work with - as soon as I cast on with it I knew it had to be added to my shop!

The perfect choice for any project!

 Fibra Natura Cottonwood - GOTS Certified Organic Cotton 

I'm really excited that Say! Little Hen is now carrying 100% Organic Cotton DK yarn. It's something I've been hunting for since I opened in 2017, and I was so excited to finally come across a line I wanted to carry. Organic Cotton is one of the first yarns I began knitting with and remained one of my sole choices whilst I sold my hand knits (the best choice for year-round knitablity in far north Queensland!).

Cottonwood comes in a delicious range of colours and is a lovely sturdy cotton yarn that wears well. I've knitted it for homewares before and would love to use it for garments, too. I've had it tested for crochet with a happy report back that it was lovely to use and wasn't splitty with a crochet hook either, so it's an excellent all-around cotton.

Why choose organic cotton? Aside from the fact that it's softer than regular cotton, it's something I'm very passionate about.
Cotton grown organically is so much better for everyone's health - from the farmers working the land where it is grown, to the workers who help turn it into this delicious yarn. Organic farming brings to life the soil the plants are grown in and doesn't harm the wildlife and waterways around them. Cotton that is grown organically also requires less water than conventionally farmed cotton, due to the healthier soil (that retains more water), making it more sustainable.
For me, I like to strike a balance between choosing sustainable products and also not getting so stressed out about making it a hard and fast rule.
So, when a product like this comes along, it's wonderful to be able to choose organic, without compromising on quality or colour. Basically, if you can choose organic, why wouldn't you?

Onion Yarn

Onion is a brand I am super excited to stock. These are high-quality European yarns that are an absolute pleasure to work with. The Nettle Sock Yarn is brilliant as it's 100% natural fibres - it's nylon free but still durable as the nettle fibre does the same job as the nylon, but without being synthetic! It's a wonderful natural fibre sock yarn that is perfect for everything you'd usually use sock yarn for. 

The Fino Organic Cotton + Merino blend is a beautiful yarn that's perfect for a range of projects but really shines as a garment yarn. It's a smooth yarn with a beautiful drape thanks to the cotton, but with a sturdiness from the wool. This sport weight yarn is next-to-skin soft and a delight to work with.

KPC Yarn - Glencoul, Gossyp & Novomerino

 KPC Yarn is an Australian brand specialising in luxury & high quality yarns. All of the KPC yarns are 100% natural fibres.

We stock Novomerino in 8ply & 10ply. This yarn is 100% ultra-fine merino, grown in Australia on a historic sheep station. This yarn is silky soft, with a micron count of 15 - making it on-par with the softness of cashmere. It has a gorgeous lustre and good stitch definition. An outstanding yarn to work with and ideal for garments & accessories worn next to your skin.

We also stock Gossyp which is KPC's pure certified organic cotton. This yarn is very soft with excellent drape - more than you'd expect from a cotton yarn.

And recently we have begun stocking Glencoul DK. This yarn is a blend of merino wool & BCI certified cotton. BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) certification is a program that gives farmers transitioning to organic certification a market for their cotton before it can be classed as organic. Cotton grown under BCI certification regulations is kinder on the environment and the people growing it than conventionally farmed cotton. 

Bellissimo - Extra Fine Merino

This is a lovely range of plump, springy merino wool yarn. We stock Bellissimo Merino Extra Fine in both 4ply & 8ply. 
Made from Australian & New Zealand grown merino, this soft yarn is perfect for wearing right next to your skin.

If you would like to receive a sample of any of our yarns, you can purchase a samples here. If you have any questions about our yarn that hasn't been answered here, please feel free to get in touch here.