nz yarn · wool shop info ·Feb 17, 2026

Can I buy New Zealand yarn from you?

Short answer? Yes.

Long answer? It depends what you mean by New Zealand yarn.

And that’s not me being difficult. It’s because the definition is more layered than most people realise.

When someone says to me, “I want New Zealand yarn,” the first thing I’ll gently ask back is:

How New Zealand do you want it to be?

Because there are levels.

First, a little context

In New Zealand, if something is more than 51% manufactured here, it can legally be called made in New Zealand.

That means a yarn might:

Be grown here
Be spun here
Be dyed here

But it may also have left the country at some point for treatment or processing.

Or the opposite. It might say “New Zealand merino” but be spun and finished entirely overseas.

So when we talk about New Zealand yarn, we’re actually talking about a spectrum.

And that’s why we ask questions.

Let’s break it down properly

Fully New Zealand, never left our shores

This is the yarn that:

Was grown here
Scoured here
Spun here
Dyed here
Milled here
And has never left New Zealand

These are the ones where we can usually trace things back very clearly.

Eleanor from Starcrest Farms spinning wool ade from the wool from her sheep in Oxford for sale at The Wool Shop Rangiora

Examples we stock include:

Starcrest (including custom dyed to order )
Outlaw Yarn
Yarn Phase ( exclusive seasonal ranges)
Crucci Natural Wonder

These tend to cost more because small markets, small mills, and living wages all add up. And we’re okay with that. We think our wool industry deserves to be supported properly.

If you are wanting something that feels deeply Kiwi, smells like sheep in the best possible way, and supports the full local chain, we will point you here first.

New Zealand fibre, some processing offshore

If a yarn is superwash, it has almost certainly left New Zealand at some point.

That treatment is rarely done here.

So you might have:

NZ grown fibre
Treated offshore
Then returned and spun or dyed here

Touch Yarns sits in this space for some of their ranges. There are also larger NZ-owned brands who work this way.

Still New Zealand wool. Still supporting NZ companies. Just with some offshore steps in the process.New Zealand wool blended with other fibres

Sometimes NZ wool is blended with Australian merino. Australia is the largest producer of merino in the world, so blending can help manage cost and supply.

Crucian does this in some ranges. Other brands do too.

The wool may be grown here, blended elsewhere, spun offshore, then dyed or branded in New Zealand.

That doesn’t make it bad yarn. It just changes the story.

And for some knitters, that blend keeps things affordable while still supporting NZ fibre.

Imported base, dyed in New Zealand

Then we have beautiful indie dyers wh may use imported bases and dye them here. (Like Purple Sprouting)

That still supports a New Zealand creative business. It just means the fibre itself didn’t originate here.

For some people that matters a lot. For others, supporting a local dyer is the main thing.

And then there are the curveballs

Red Hut is a good example.

It is 100% New Zealand wool.

But it is manufactured in China. That keeps it affordable. It makes it accessible. It means more people can knit with pure wool.

Is it fully New Zealand made? No.

Is it New Zealand wool? Yes.

So again, it depends what you are wanting.

Another example is Woolly Yarn Co. The wool is grown, scoured, milled, spun and dyed in New Zealand. Then it is exported to Australia. Then we buy it back from Australia.

Do I love that? Not particularly.

Do I love the yarn and believe in it? Absolutely.

This is what global trade looks like now. It’s rarely a straight line from farm to skein to you.

Why people ask for New Zealand yarn

In my experience, it’s usually one of these things:

You want to support local farmers
You care about environmental footprint
You want transparency
You’re buying a souvenir
You believe NZ wool is exceptional
You want to support our wool industry

All of those are valid.

New Zealand does grow extraordinary wool. We are very good at it. And it would be a shame not to champion that.

Our philosophy

We buy local first.

That means:

North Canterbury and South Island makers where possible
New Zealand-grown and New Zealand-made
Australian suppliers if needed
Carefully chosen imports when they fill a gap

We do not judge what you buy. Peruvian, Italian, Chinese, New Zealand, Australian. It’s your project.

But if provenance matters to you, we will always tell you the full story.

If a supplier cannot clearly explain where their fibre comes from, we ask again. If the answer still isn’t clear, we do not stock it.

Transparency matters.

Is fully New Zealand yarn more expensive?

Often, yes.

Small production runs.
Smaller mills.
Living wages.
Less scale.

That doesn’t mean you must buy it.

It just means if you want fully NZ-grown and manufactured wool, it will usually sit at a higher price point.

And that is okay.

Can I buy New Zealand yarn online?

Yes.

You can buy New Zealand yarn online from us and have it shipped anywhere in New Zealand.

We ship Monday to Friday. If you order before 2pm, it goes out the same day.

We ship to Australia as well. Usually it arrives within a week.

If you’re further overseas, just ask. We’re happy to look at options.

And if you want to know exactly where a yarn was grown, processed, spun or dyed, send us a message or jump on chat. We will tell you. If we don’t know, we will ask.