Bright red wool yarn wound on a white plastic bobbin with a loop trailing below; a fine metallic wire runs alongside the wool and surfaces as bare silver coil across one section.
  • The bobbin from another angle with the loop of yarn spread wider, so the bare silver wire twisting along one section reads clearly.

This sample of conductive wool yarn is red in color and made with a conductive thread core wrapped in merino wool spun in a tight supercoil structure. Sections of the conductive thread are left exposed, creating visible electronic connection points within the yarn.

Composition

Merino wool, conductive metal wire

Handling Notes

  • Often incorporated in electronic textiles and soft circuits
  • Can be used in knitting, crocheting, and weaving
  • Exposed leads serve as connection points where alligator clips can be attached or sewn on snaps to connect circuits
  • Wool insulates the core, while only the exposed sections conduct electricity—be sure to map out these exposed areas before stitching them into your project

Applications in Craft

Keywords

Provenance

The Unstable Design Lab, Boulder, Colorado. Acquired 2024.

In Use

Have you used this material?

Please contact Mellanee Goodman, Program Director, Curator, and Materials Specialist, to start a conversation about submitting your work for inclusion on this site.

mgoodman@centerforcraft.org

Variants