Paula Lishman was born in Labrador Newfoundland, Canada. In the Canadian North, people wear fur for survival, and coats and boots are made with the fur on the inside. After visiting Toronto as a child she was amazed to see people wearing their furs inside out!

As a teen, Paula was extraordinarily tall, she learned how to sew and knit in order to make clothes for her tall frame! In her early twenties Paula started creating custom leather pieces to clothe herself and family, as well as designing and making custom leathers for members of her husband’s motorcycle club. Being very practical, Paula hated the idea of throwing away the small leather scrap left-overs. She began cutting these scraps into long thin strips, and using this yarn to knit. This knit leather created a very intriguing fabric that could be blocked into 3 dimensional shapes. Paula realized that fur was just leather with hair – and bought a rabbit pelt. After some experimentation she came up with a fabulous hat made of this rabbit fur yarn, the hat was amazingly soft, flexible and had fur on both sides! Using the money from this hat she bought two pelts, sold the hats, and used that money to buy four pelts etc.

With the support of her family Paula has turned this hobby into an international fashion sensation. Paula Lishman International creates several new collections annually, her designs are featured on the runways of Montreal, New York, Tokyo and Milan. She employs about 100 local artisans who are committed to creating the highest quality fur garments.

Our fur yarn has come a long way from those original experiments with Rabbit pelts. Through years of experimentation and refinement, we have developed the most amazing fur yarn . Cut by hand, and twisted with custom-made machinery, our patented process and stringent quality control ensure that these yarns are strong, durable, washable and incredibly soft. Over the past quarter century Paula Lishman international has incorporated hundreds of colors and many fur types in her knit fur designs.

Over the years Paula has been approached by many crafters who would love to use fur yarns in their own creations. We have worked with many of these people and in 2000 we began selling the yarn over the internet, through www.atouchoffur.com The demand for these unique natural yarns has grown exponentially since then, and in 2005 atouchoffur was reborn as www.furyarn.com.

As a subscriber to our newsletter you are invited to print and view a special pattern before it is available to non-subscribers:This springy hand-knit lace edged vest trimmed in beaver is an excellent project for the intermediate to experienced knitter. Using the techniques explained in this pattern we can stretch a small amount of yarn to create this pretty triple scalloped fur yarn edge, and it only takes six to seven yards of premium grade beaver yarn. This professionally prepared pattern lists all materials and gauges, includes sizes small medium and large, and is available free of charge to newsletter subscribers in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Email questions@furyarn.com if you have any trouble opening the files.

1. Where does the fur come from?

Paula Lishman buys pelts from reputable fur dealers and at auction. Wild pelts are trapped in Canada and the US. All wild pelts are collected in accordance with the AIHTS humane trapping standards created by the fur Institute of Canada, from experienced trappers on registered trap lines.

2. Why should I buy real fur instead of "fun fur"?

There are no synthetics that match the softness and sensuality of real fur yarn. Each hair is actually a hollow tube that traps air and acts as and amazing insulator, you really have to feel it to understand. Unlike synthetics, real fur is an ecologically sound choice, fur is renewable and long lasting and it will bio-degrade (unlike petrolium based synthetics which will sit in landfills for generations). Wild furs are harvested not only to collect pelts but to keep furbearer populations in check, man is an integral part of the ecosystem in the north. Real fur yarn supports people on the land, sustaining many aboriginal communities who have trapped for generations.

3. What is the difference between standard and premium yarn?

The fur on standard yarn is less dense, this makes it better for Crochet and solid hand knitting. Premium yarn has much denser hair and is better knit one row fur to one or two rows cotton (or whatever base yarn you are using)

4. How can I learn techniques to work with fur yarn?

Using fur yarn as you would any other yarn often doesn’t make sense; it is expensive to knit on it’s own, and produces a very heavy fabric (very nice for hats, mittens and scarves!). Instead we have developed various techniques to use fur yarn in conjunction with other yarns. These techniques allow you to create fabrics of various weights and use less yarn to cover more area. Our website is a great resource to start with – go to the techniques section of furyarn.com for descriptions and streaming videos of several of the more common techniques.

5. What is the difference between regular and ombre colors?

"Ombre" means shadow; every beaver pelt has a natural variation in color, lighter on the edges and darker in the center. When we dye the regular colors we bleach the pelt white so the colour is very consistent. In Ombre yarn the bleaching step is skipped, this creates a shadowing effect in the finished yarn with highlights in the colors. Because ombre yarn is not bleached it is fluffier and nicer to work with (like bleached vs. unbleached hair).

6. Where can I get fur yarn?

Fur yarn is available over the internet www.furyarn.com, over the phone, 1 877 FUR YARN and a few selected retailers in the US. As we continue to grow, fur yarn will be available in an ever growing number of retail stores. If you would like your local yarns store to carry fur yarn, please have them contact us to receive more information.  

For more answers please visit the FAQ section of furyarn.com.