YARN GOES GREEN IN TORONTO

-- Earth-friendly, renewable fibers from SWTC debut at Creativ Festival Oct. 26-28

TEMPE, Ariz.—“Canadian knitters and crafters won’t be left behind the ‘green’ trend,” says Jonelle Raffino, co-founder and president of South West Trading Company (SWTC), a family-run company renowned for creating the first Earth-friendly yarns. “It amazes everyone that we can make soft, colorful yarn from soy, bamboo, corn, milk and even recycled shrimp and crab shells!”
SWTC’s unique GO GREEN display of cutting-edge, Earth-friendly fibers and yarns will make its Canadian debut in booth #917 at the 20th Anniversary Creativ Festival to be held October 26-28, 2007 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

Local yarn stores across Canada are excited about new, Earth-friendly knitting options and are just beginning to showcase the huge collection of yarns made by SWTC. All SWTC yarns are made without fossil fuels and from annually renewable resources.

Among the “unexpected” new fibers SWTC has introduced this year alone are “Amaizing” (100 percent corn yarn) and the Vickie Howell Collection, the first and only yarns to reflect the unique style and personal touch of Vickie Howell, author and host of DIY’s wildly popular “Knitty Gritty” cable television series.

Born of SWTC’s eco-innovation and Vickie’s dedication to busy knitters with a passion for hand-made fashion, the Vickie Howell Collection features rich, retro-inspired colors and cutting-edge fibers, including milk protein, bamboo and SOYSILK®, a fiber extruded from soybean cake (tofu). Yarns include “CRAFT” (65 percent organic cotton/35 percent milk protein), “ROCK” (40 percent SOYSILK®, 30 percent hemp and 30 percent fine wool), “LOVE” (70 percent bamboo/ 30 percent silk) and “VEGAS” (29 percent SOYSILK, 67 percent fine wool, 4 percent metallic thread).

The new arrivals joined a legendary “green” line-up of SWTC fibers including chitin-based TOFUtsies sock yarn (made from recycled shrimp and crab shells), Oasis (100 percent SOYSILK) and self-striping Karaoke (blend of SOYSILK and wool).

SWTC yarns are available at specialty yarn stores worldwide and online at www.soysilk.com.

About South West Trading Company

Founded by the mother/daughter knitting team of Jonelle Raffino and Jonette Beck in 2001, South West Trading Company remains a family-run business dedicated to offering innovative, eco-luxury textile products. The company pioneered the use of Earth-friendly fibers in yarns for hand knitting with the introduction of SOYSILK—a fiber derived from the byproduct of tofu manufacturing. Today, SWTC makes fiber and yarns from soy, bamboo, corn, milk and other renewable fibers, shipping them to yarn stores worldwide. For more information, please visit www.soysilk.com or call toll free 866/794-1818.
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