Discover Andaria Soft by Hamanaka

Andaria Soft by Hamanaka is a beautiful tape yarn made from an interesting fibre called Cupra. This 100% Cupra yarn has a soft, lightweight feel and a natural matte finish, but it's the story behind the fibre itself that makes it particularly fascinating.

Each roll is approximately 40g / 90m, and the yarn is a standard thickness that makes it wonderfully versatile for weaving, knitting, crochet or any other fibre craft your imagination takes you.

So, what is Cupra?

Cupra is a regenerated cellulose fibre made using cotton linter.

And what exactly is cotton linter?

When cotton is processed, tiny, soft fibres remain around the cottonseed after the main cotton fibres have been removed. These short, downy fibres are called cotton linter.

Cotton linter has traditionally been used as a source of cellulose for a range of products, including regenerated cellulose fibres such as Cupra.

The cellulose is processed and dissolved before being regenerated into a fine fibre, creating a material with a beautifully soft and fluid quality.

It’s an interesting example of finding another use for a material that comes from an existing agricultural process.

A fibre with an interesting story

Cupra is made from plant-derived cellulose, rather than an animal fibre or a petroleum-based synthetic fibre. The cellulose comes from cotton linter, the fine fibres that remain around the cottonseed after the main cotton fibres have been removed.

To turn this cellulose into Cupra, it goes through a chemical process known as the cuprammonium process. The cellulose is dissolved using copper and ammonia compounds before being regenerated into fine fibres. The newly formed fibres then pass through baths where the chemicals are removed and neutralised, followed by washing to remove any remaining residues.

The result is a smooth, fine fibre with a soft, silky quality. Cupra is sometimes described as a “vegan silk” because of its beautiful softness, fluidity and silk-like handle. Unlike silk, however, Cupra is made from plant-derived cellulose rather than an animal fibre.

Hamanaka describes the Cupra used in Andaria Soft as a material that biodegrades in soil, and the use of cotton linter gives this fibre an interesting connection to an existing agricultural material.

For makers who prefer animal-free materials, Andaria Soft is also vegan-friendly, as it is made from 100% Cupra and contains no animal-derived fibre.

What does Andaria Soft feel like?

The name gives you a pretty good clue.

Andaria Soft has a light, soft texture with a lovely natural matte appearance and a subtle lustre.

Its flat tape construction gives it a clean, contemporary character, while the softness of the Cupra gives it a gentler feel.

The colours have an understated quality too, with a quiet depth rather than a highly reflective finish.

It’s a yarn that doesn't need to shout.

A beautiful yarn for mindful making

There’s something particularly satisfying about working with a yarn when you can feel its character changing as you make.

Andaria Soft is light in your hands, smooth to work with and wonderfully tactile. Its tape construction gives it plenty of visual interest without needing complicated stitches or techniques.

Its standard thickness makes it suitable for a variety of projects, from garments and accessories to bags, homewares and decorative pieces.

Sometimes the simplest yarns give you the most room to be creative.

The story inside the yarn

We often think about sustainability in terms of the finished object: how long it will last, whether we'll use it, and whether we'll treasure it.

But there’s another part of the story worth considering: what the material itself is made from.

Andaria Soft’s use of Cupra makes that story particularly interesting.

A fibre begins with the tiny fibres surrounding cotton seeds, is processed and regenerated into Cupra, and eventually becomes yarn ready to be transformed by your hands.

From cotton linter, to Cupra, to yarn, to something made by you.

We love being curious about those journeys.

Because mindful making isn't only about slowing down. It can also be about becoming a little more curious about the materials we choose, where they come from, and how they become the things we make.

Andaria Soft by Hamanaka is a beautiful yarn to explore.