Trekking Pro Natura: 75% Superwash Virgin Wool, 25% Bamboo Fiber (think "lustrous, smooth & soft like silk & strong like linen -- but from bamboo instead of silkworms and flax); 100g/420m

Suggest needle size for socks or stockinette: US 0-3 (2-3mm)

Suggested gauge: 28st/4"

*****

What's so special about Zitron's Pro Natura? Just about everything! Pro Natura is the ONLY certified genuine bamboo fiber yarn available anywhere! Period. All other known "bamboo" yarns are viscose (i.e., cellousic fiber created by immersing cellulose-laden plant material in harsh chemicals and reconstituting).

Bamboo fibers are not only strong enough to replace nylon in a sock yarn, they are soft, lustrous, and beautiful -- plus, natural bamboo, unlike the viscose "bamboo silks" retains 100% of bamboo's health-giving properties (read more a little farther down). In removing conventional nylon or polyamid and replacing it with bamboo fiber, Zitron Studios have given the world the best possible sock yarn: no strength or durability has been lost, and beauty, comfort and health for both your body and the planet have been gained.

It doesn't matter whether you want to knit socks, fine sweaters, or lace, you will be delighted with Trekking Pro Natura. In fact, we think it is one of the most innovative and inspiring natural fiber yarns to come along in a great while. Instead of bamboo viscose (also known as "bamboo silk"), created with caustic soda (which none of us want to live next door to), bamboo fibers are harvested through a process similar to that used for linen and hemp. The impact on Mother Earth? Ultra low. When Zitron recognized the potential for bamboo fiber to replace both nylon and viscose, a whole new day dawned in the world of yarn.

Pro Natura's bamboo fiber adds things to this amazing yarn that just can't happen without it. There is so much to love about this new natural fiber combination ~ in fact, here's a short list:

1. Bamboo fibers not only breathe, they also absorb four times more moisture than cotton.
2. Bamboo fiber is naturally antimicrobial, helping to reduce athletes foot without any added chemicals.
3. Although strong, Bamboo fiber is very soft and has a luxurious sheen very comparable to silk.
4. Zitron's Bamboo fibers are NOT harvested from bamboo stands that feed pandas (that's why the Zitron panda looks so happy!).
5. When combined with wool’s ability to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, you have the ideal sock yarn.
6. Pro Natura's softness is so delicious that I find myself petting it while I knit.
7. The blended fibers take color in beautifully subtle complexity. One of the best things about Pro Natura, is that its solid colors are rich and it's multi-colors never stripe, instead they behave like the best handpaints, their colors coming together and pulling away in what I call "color conversations." Truly wonderful!
   

True elegance. Genuine natural fibers!

*****

What does Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Mean?

It means that Zitron's yarns have been independently certified to contain no harmful substances whatsoever.

This means they are safe for babies, safe for those with allergies, safe for the planet.

Zitron has always had a high commitment to environmentally sound yarns and manufacturing - all the Zitron yarns we carry have received this certifcation of textile purity.