My pick for a sustainable, green, yearn worthy-ness yarn for this week is a plant fiber. Yup plant, not animal like yak or quivit or just plain old sheep.
This week I’ve been hunting down linen.
Linen is that elusive fiber that I sometimes come across in interesting summertime knitting patterns for open weave shirts, tunics and shawls. I always make a mental note of it, thinking, huh linen. But I’ve never actually made anything with it.
Linen itself is harvested from the flax plant which produces long and strong fibers known as linen. It has a natural luster and is found in creamy white to tan and can easily be dyed other colors. It is mostly known for bedding and towels made from the strong fabric that is created when the linen is woven.
Less known is the yarn itself, which while not labeled “organic,” is pretty environmentally friendly. The flax plant can grow most anywhere with little to no pesticides and is very similar in its growth to hemp, which we know is also a good eco-friendly fiber.
Louet of North America makes a nice linen yarn in many many beautiful colors. Euroflax is available is sport weight, worsted and chunky. This yarn is machine washable and dryable, making it great and accessible for many projects. Linen yarn itself has poor elasticity and does not spring back readily, but it does hold a stitch giving it great definition, perfect for cables.
Euroflax linen yarn is available in most stores and online. Check out Claudia hand painted linen yarn available at the Yarn Co, too.
Mona over at Textiles and Bicycles had a similar experience with hunting down linen yarn. Check out her experiences with linen yarn.
Image credit: Purl Soho
]]>
If you are looking for a yarn store online that will check all the eco approved boxes, this is it! Knit For Brains (a name that makes me giggle) carries all natural fiber yarns that are not only made of yummy fibers such as soy, corn, banana, milk, organic cotton and bamboo but they are all cruelty free or %100 vegan. Being that I had never crocheted with a yarn so edible and luxurious I had to order some soy and banana fiber yarns from them. You’re not really supposed to eat this stuff (even though half of them are also names of stir fry ingredients), but my kitty did think the soy was delicious and slurped some of it up like spaghetti!
Corn, soy and bamboo are all very similar in texture and feel, being very smooth, silky and soft. The soy was 
totally easy to work with, in fact it was like a crochet dream come true - it never got caught on the hook like the funky acrylics do, it pulled through so easy my project went twice as fast, and the end product was soft and pretty. I didn’t get to try my banana fiber yarn yet, but the texture is really fascinating - it looks a little wild, frayed and fun…could possibly get caught on the hook? I asked my local yarn shop owner what she thought about the banana fiber to get a better idea, and she revealed that sometimes it pulls apart. Yikes! That is like a yarn project nightmare for me, but I have not ruled out it’s yearn worthiness just yet. (I will keep ya updated on this one.)
Knit For Brains also carries other eco friendly diddies for your knitting habits, like bamboo needles and hooks, patterns and adorable vinatge buttons! Also you can find used books and vinatage patterns. I love it when really cool people with a really cool vision make a perfect store for us! Vegan! Natural fiber! Pure knitting fun! Thanks Knit For Brains.
Have any of you tried the foods turned yarn fiber for your needling pleasure? Please share your thoughts, trials, and experiences with natural fiber yarns!
PS- If you made any projects with these yarns that you would like to share, e-mail a pic of it to craftingagreenworld@greenoptions.com so we can feature them here on Crafting A Green World.
]]>
It warms my heart when I come across a company that touches all aspects of the triple bottom line - financial, social and environmental. It really gets my blood pumping when that company produces yummy yarns.
Created by Nadine Storyk Curtis, Be Sweet is one such company that has all those lines covered. While living in South Africa, Curtis became enamored with the local craftspeople and wanted to share in their creativity and resourcefulness.
Working with a rural South African community, Be Sweet offers over 15 different yarns that are hand spun and dyed by women who work within a job creation program. All of Be Sweet’s yarns are made from natural fibers and most are created from using leftover yarn tid-bits and environmentally friendly fibers like bamboo.
But these are not your ordinary run of the mill natural fiber, recycled skeins that make up the environmental line; Be Sweet’s yarns are fun and inviting. Mystery Ball is made from recycled mohair fluff and is spun with small curls in the yarn. Knobby Ball is also spun with recycled mohair fluff and is characterized by its fobs. They also do lovely thin baby mohair skeins as well as a thick merino. The yarn is all hand dyed and their names range from Bollywood, Strawberry Shortcake to Sunshine. Magic Ball sounds the most fun, as it is made from bits and pieces of all of their yarns combined.
To get at the social line, Be Sweet employees women from South Africa to spin, dye and knit their yarns. The women involved with the employment program are able to help support their families and invest in their future. Be Sweet’s involvement in the knitting project has increased the number of trained and employed women and funded improvements to the working environment. Be Sweet also gives back to the community by donating a portion of their profits to South African schools.
To help them with that pesky financial line, you can find their yarn retailers here.
Image credit: Be Sweet
]]>
For many, access to a good LYS (local yarn shop) is practically nonexistent. The closest place to get yarn, any yarn (not including eco-friendly options) comes in a big box.
Luckily, one brand that is commonly found in said box stores is Lion Brand and even more luckier is that Lion Brand now has an organic cotton yarn. Hallelujah!
Lion Brand Organic Cotton is free from herbicides, pesticides and other agro-chemicals. It comes in four natural colors as no dyes are used to make the colors. Check out the light gray-green of Cypress or go darker with my favorite, Bark.
The yarn is soft, warm and easy to work with. Available in worsted weight, this organic cotton is a great environmental addition that has made its way into the mainstream. And while Vanna’s Choice might be cheaper, it’s good to know that there is another choice out there in the aisles of that big box store.
Image credit: Lion Brand
]]>
Felt is one of those materials that reminds me of my childhood. It brings me back to story time and felt boards. Oh, remember felt boards?! The boards were covered in felt and then people, trees, houses and many other things, also made of felt, were stuck to the board. They were a great prop that aided in telling of a story.
Today, felt is a cheap material that comes in many colors. Mostly used for kids crafts and plushes, not all craft felt found in big box craft stores are 100% wool. Most are made of some synthetic fiber blend such as acrylic or polyester.
So what to do when you want to use felt in your projects and not use fiber made from plastic? There are several options to green your craft project and feel good about your materials:
- Look for 100% wool craft felt. One hundred percent wool craft felt is available at stores such as JoAnn and Michaels, you just have to look at the label.
- Buy organic wool felt. La Lana Wool offers organic wool felt, dyed with natural plant dyes.
- Make your own felt from carded wool. Felt is made through a process of matting natural fibers together. Gleason’s Fine Woolies Ranch, has an excellent and easy to follow tutorial on how to make felt. All it requires is some carded wool, hot water, dish soap and a bit of elbow grease.
- Make felt with your knitting. Using 100% wool yarn, knit up a swatch in stocking stitch or garder stitch. Put the swatch in a pillow case and throw it in the wash with lots of jeans and hot, hot water.
- Go thrifting. Many a sweater found at thrift stores are in need of a new life. Look for sweaters that are 100% wool and cut out shapes you want and repeat the process of felting knits above.
What do you use felt for? Leave your crafts in the comments!
Image credit: Aetna Felt Corporation
]]>
For those of you who have been following Yearn Worthy Yarn, you know that yarn is made from many different fibers and it’s not just sheep that get sheared (see: alpaca and musk ox, yup musk ox.) But did you know that yak are good for their fleece as well? Me neither!
I happened upon Bijou Basin Ranch at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival and couldn’t believe my eyes. Here was yarn made from yak fiber!
Yak fiber is combed from the yak once spring rolls around and they start to shed their warm winter coats. The fiber is downy and super soft and a yak can produce between 1 and 2 pounds of down per year. The fiber is then cleaned, washed and carded so it is ready for the spinning wheel. The result is very similar to that of qiviut, in that it is soft like cashmere and warm like wool.
Yak yarn is a great fiber in that it retains heat in the cold but will breath when it is warmer out. It is an odorless fiber and can be easily hand washed with a mild detergent. Great for knitting up a warm sweater or shawl.
Bijou Basin Ranch, a small family owned and operated yak ranch in Colorado, offers quality yak fiber products. They sell a wide range of yak fiber yarn, including super fine to worsted weight, in all natural colors. They also offer roving and down for spinners.
With so many interesting, unique and sustainable fibers out there, I think the sheep are starting to get jealous.
Image credit: Bijou Basin Ranch
]]>
In Kelly’s post on earth friendly stuffing yesterday, she mentioned online shop Near Sea Naturals. You may have seen their name pop up before in my profile of Mod Green Pod.
So I thought it was high time to give this online eco-shop their own day in the sun in our Fabulous Fabrics series. Their collection of cotton, wool, and hemp fabrics, yarns and knitting needles, and notions is sure to warm the heart of any green crafter. Since there’s so much to see on their site, I thought I’d take a moment and highlight a couple of the new fabrics they just added.
The White Sands Safari Interlock, pictured above, is 100% cotton and whitened with peroxide instead of chlorine bleach.
I love their description of what it’s good for (emphasis mine):
Soft and comfortable, the interlock feels marvelous against your skin. You’ll love it for sundresses and other summer wear, for a feral baby, for unexpectedly interesting long johns, pajamas, boxer-briefs, and other intimates, for T-shirts and classic tops, …
I didn’t realize feral babies needed clothes, but I guess it does get a little chilly out in the woods!
I also love this pumpkin jersey, also 100% cotton. Although as a pale redhead, I probably couldn’t wear this color, a lack of immediate practical application for a fabric isn’t really a barrier to purchase. (You may have noticed this in my post about thrifted sheets, and look how well that turned out - people have shown up to give me plenty of ideas!)
Near Sea Naturals can send you a swatch of one of their fabrics for 50 cents if you need to see and feel it, or you can get a swatch packet of some of their basic fabrics.
Did I mention the kits? Oh yes, they also have sewing kits. If you need an apron, a tipi, a pair of boxers, or some baby clothes, check them out.
The Near Sea Naturals blog will keep you up to date on new fabrics and products. The pre-cut and clearance page might score you a good deal. What more could you need?
[Images from Near Sea Naturals.] ]]>
Similar to Hope Spinnery in Maine that I featured a few weeks ago, Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont creates their own yarn from United States-grown fibers (specifically alpaca, mohair, wool and organic cotton).
“Our mission is to produce and sell high quality yarns from natural fibers and design classic Vermont patterns. Transforming the many types of raw fibers into luxurious and long lasting yarn. The Green Mountain Spinnery helps to sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers,” says their website.
Using vintage equipment, Green Mountain Spinnery creates yarns that take any project from plain to prodigious. Also similar to Hope Spinnery, GMS will spin yarns from fibers that you provide as well. The company has also released its own book of patterns, called The Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book, featuring “30 of their best loved contemporary and classic patterns.”
But what about the yarns!? You’re right - I got off track. While wool is their feature fiber, I’ve always been one for plant fibers. Their Cotton Comfort yarn, with 80% wool and 20% organic cotton, is just soft enough for me to wear without feeling itchy. No eco-yarn company would be complete without some 100% organic undyed wool, and GMS has it in spades. For something a little less traditional, check out GMS’ Yarn Over collection - made from carded wool & mohair left from a range of dye lots is blended to create “once only” muted colors.
Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?
Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)
Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!
]]>
Bright colors and unnaturally stretchy fibers are nice, but there are times when you just want to go back to the “classics.” Sourced from Wiltshire, Devon, Somerset and surrounding counties in Britain, Farm Yarns spins some of the most exceptional alpaca and organic wool yarn available anywhere.
“The yarn was developed with the idea to offer a yarn that comes in colours as you find it on the animal on the farm,” says the Farm Yarn website.
What’s so great about alpaca? If you’ve ever used it, you wouldn’t be asking that question. Unspeakably comfortable and versatile, Farm Yarns uses baby alpaca wool - “it is warmer than wool, but has a soft feel like silk,” they say. Naturally available in over 20 shades, baby alpaca wool is not actually from baby alpacas. “It is not a description of the age of the alpaca itself, rather a term that describes the finess of the alpaca wool.”
Farm Yarns started producing yarns from British certified organic sheep wool in just the last few years. Two particular heritage breeds are the source of Farm Yarns wool - Jacob and Llanwenog. By sourcing wool from these two particular breeds, Farm Yarns helps to continue their breeding, keeping their centuries-long history alive.
Farm Yarns’ alpaca and wool yarns are available via their online store in a pleasing variety of colors and weights. “All yarns are natural and organic and are free of any chemical residues and artificial colouring - for your peace of mind.” Indeed!
Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?
Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)
Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!
]]>
Half eaten boxes of marshmallow Peeps; straw from Easter baskets strewn about; slowly coming out of a sugar high; plastic egg halves littering the floor. Does this sound like you and the aftermath of Easter? Feeling a little unsure of what to do with those plastic eggs now that the hunt is over and the candy eaten?
Well have no fear because this week CAGW will tackle that very question and offer up nifty solutions to reusing your Easter eggs!
Fresh out of my sugar rush, I grabbed an errant egg and quickly put it to use. I stuffed the inside with all my loose garment buttons. You know the extra buttons that come on new clothes? I’ve never had a good place to put them all, until now. The plastic egg is the perfect size and makes a satisfying click when putting the halves back together. I labeled the egg with a Sharpie marker and decorated it with drawings of buttons so I know what’s on the inside. It is now nestled inside my sewing box.
For the rest, I was thinking of getting a jump start on my Easter decorations for next year and use one of these great egg knitting patterns and reuse the plastic eggs as stuffing.
Stay tuned throughout the week for other ideas on how to reuse and recycle plastic Easter eggs in your crafts.
[Easter eggs photo courtesy of Kelly Rand] ]]>
Nestled in the peaceful beach bordering countryside of southern Maine, you’ll find one of the most sustainable yarn companies on the planet. Unexpected, no?
Hope Spinnery has prided itself on being as eco-friendly as possible: the fiber processing mill is run completely on wind power captured on-site; all fibers are purchased locally from sustainably-dedicated Maine farms; only Earth-friendly soaps and natural dyes are used on the yarns; by-products from the spinning process are reused elsewhere at the mini-factory.
The company’s yarn, made from mostly wool and alpaca, are available by skein and in 6 different patterns kits (5 hats and 1 mitten pattern to choose from). Hope Spinnery recently launched their online store, so you can see the stock they have right away and choose the color and fiber that would be perfect for your next project.
“We believe that each person’s relationship to fiber, art and life is unique. We respect the individuality of our customers and work with each person to create something original and satisfying. Our commitment is to process fiber and create yarn through natural methods while enjoying ourselves every step of the way. Hope Spinnery is about doing what you love and meeting others along the way who are doing the same,” says their website - spoken like true fiber-lovers.
Along with spinning their own collection of yarns, Hope Spinnery also offers custom processing services for any fiber you provide. Want to try spinning yourself (it is more fun than I expected)? Check out Autumn’s recent post about the art and process of hand-spinning yarn.
[Image: Hope Spinnery's Gentian Yarn in Medium Purple]Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?
Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)
Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!
]]>
Internationally known for their knitting books, seasonal pattern magazines and luxurious wool yarns, England’s Rowan Yarns has finally ventured into the world of sustainable fibers. Available in DK/light worsted weight, Rowan’s 100% organic cotton PureLife yarn is already winning over crafters.
“Our organically grown naturally dyed yarn is colored with plant dyes and due to their organic nature some shade variation will simply add to the yarn’s unique inherent beauty,” says the Rowan website.
Along with the release of the eight-shade color palate, Rowan has released a pattern brochure with 18 designs just for their PureLife yarn (10 for women, 4 for men, 4 for girls).
The bulk of Rowan’s pattern for their organic yarn are sweaters with beautiful yet basic details, but don’t let that limit your imagination. When first seeing the soft, vibrant colors for PureLife, my initial thought was that it would be perfect for a textured baby blanket. A pair of arm warmers in Logwood, a balanced slate blue, are a great accessory for those cool summer evenings. The nearly coral Brazilwood makes a cuddly set of newborn baby booties and a hat.
But what to do with Lipstick Tree?
[Image courtesy of ImagiKnit of San Francisco]Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?
Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)
Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!
]]>
Organic yarns have been the majority of the fibers featured in our Yearn-Worthy Yarns series thus far. For this week’s installment, we are covering another vital element of green living and sustainable production - fair trade.
Wikipedia explains fair trade quite clearly as “an organized social movement and market-based approach to alleviating global poverty and promoting sustainability. The movement promotes the payment of a fair price as well as social and environmental standards in areas related to the production.” Based in Oneonta, New York, the Da’vida Fair Trade Store sells its own line of hand painted and hand spun yarns made from alpaca, wool and yak fibers.
Painted by Lisa Meriam, a sheep farmer who lives in upstate New York, Da’vida’s collection of yarns come uncolored from Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru. All of the yarns are certified by the Fair Trade Federation, ensuring an extensive number of trade and development points are met. Upon arriving in New York, Lisa then paints the yarns by hand with all natural dyes. Also available are hanks of yarn hand spun by Lisa from her own sheep’s wool. Currently, every hank of yarn is unique, though Da’vida is working on a more predictable line of colors.
“Da’vida, the ‘giving of life’, or ‘the life of giving’ reflects the basic philosophy of Da’vida, that of receiving a gift, and then passing that gift along to other,” says the store’s website. When it comes to creating knitted or crocheted creations, these concepts go hand in hand (no pun intended).
Who makes your favorite sustainable yarns?
Which natural fiber is your favorite to work with? (i.e. cotton, wool, bamboo, hemp … etc.)
Let us know what you love to create with and we might feature them in the next installment of Yearn-Worthy Yarns!
]]>
New online knitting mag MetaPostModernKnitting arrived on the internet last week with the fashion forward in mind. Complete with great patterns, blog and articles, MPMK is a welcome edition to the online world.
In their first issue, The Knitting Bully contemplates recycling as a fashion trend. The article questions the use of new clothing repurposed right out of the box, and marketed as “recycled,” and rightly so (take a look at that sweater/skirt.) Other outlays in the article are also easy to get behind; ensuring proper use of reclaimed materials and creating an end product that will be worn. But the larger question that isn’t as easy to get behind, is the premise that recycling is detrimental to style.
The Knitting Bully asks “…have we thought about what [recycling] is doing to our style?”
The answer is a million times, yes!
Crafters and DIYers have always repurposed clothing and used unlikely cast off materials in order to create one’s own look and style. It is one of the basic tenets of crafting and DIY. Fed up with mass produced, cookie cutter looks, hyped by big box stores, crafters have cut up, painted, sewed, knitted and printed our way into our own unique fabulous styles. And it has always been at the root of doing so.
Recycling and repurposing has pushed style in a good way. People are always amazed by that unique bag made of fused plastic or cute skirt from old t-shirts. These items are special and distinct and are not found at the mall. If this “trend” helps get the message out about the environment and the three R’s, then good.
Fashion does come and go and regardless of whether or not green will go out of style. I have no doubt that us crafters and DIYers will continue to recycle and repurpose our own look year after year. As the Knitting Bully points out, “Be true to yourself, your beliefs, and your style.”
]]>
Remember how bummed you were when your favorite sweater got a hole in it? Even with similar structural blemishes, I find it hard to part with my favorite garments — ones that have been worn during so many memorable moments. With a few snips, unravelled rows, and sections of knitting, you can easily turn these old, damaged favorites into fashionably new creations with Knitty.com's Frankenknits column. Knitty was started back in 2002 by Toronto-based, New Jersey-born knitter Amy R Singer, who still edits and publishes the "web-only knitting magazine with a sense of humor and absolutely no doily patterns."
Each quarterly issue features 10-15 new patterns tailor to each season, as well as columns, articles, interviews, product recommendations and more. One of the consistent columns, titled "Frankenknits," is written by Kristi Porter, in which she chops up clothing, and transforms them into updated items of wonder (perfect for us reuse-loving crafters). Knitty's Fall 2007 issue recently went live, and the Frankenknits column features two handy dress incarnations: one for women and another for baby.
]]>
As the sweaty days and humid nights of Summer wane away, the changing leaves and cooler breezes of Autumn will soon be upon us. It's time to bring out the jeans, blankets, sweaters, and all our other favorite layers as the temperatures become more unpredictable than ever. To add a little variety to your seasonal accoutrements, a few stitches can make all the difference. By adding a bit of knitting or crocheted work to your favorite (or recently thrifted) blanket, you can turn it into a stylish coat or shrug.Recently found on the Berroco website (a fashion yarn manufacturer), two easy patterns are available - one for a Surplus Blanket Coat and another for a Plaid Blanket Shrug. Though specific Berroco yarns are mentioned, it is worth noting that little, if any, of their wares are sustainable. Substituting other yarns for these projects is quite simple, and an extensive list of eco-sellers can be found on my website.
Starting with an army surplus blanket (which are often quite easy to find), the Surplus Blanket Coat simply adds two well-placed sleeves, making this "coat" perfect for relaxing afternoons at home, long car rides, or pleasant mornings on the porch with a cup of tea.
]]>
There is no doubt that the creative community has begun playing a pivotal roll in expressing the concerns of our changing environment, as well as inspiring change. Jennifer Marsh, a visual artist studying at Syracuse University, took her concern for the world's dependence on foreign oil to the next level by starting the International Fiber Collaborative in May of 2007.
The goal of the International Fiber Collaborative is to provide an opportunity for people who enjoy working with crafts, whether professional artists, hobbyists, or students, to come together from all over the world to express their concerns about their countries' extreme dependency on oil for energy. Those who participate will crochet, knit, stitch, patch, or collage 3-foot square fiber panels that will express each participants concern about this topic. By designing and creating a panel and participating in this project you are, in the larger picture, expressing your concern about this important subject to the rest of the world. Once all 800 panels are received, they will be sewn together to completely cover an abandoned gas station in central New York State. I recently spoke with Jennifer Marsh about the history behind this project, how to participate (even if you aren't particularly craft-tastic), the reaction from the creative community, and much more.
Green Options: How did the idea for the International Fiber Collaborative begin?
Jennifer Marsh: I am a third year Master of Fine Art student at Syracuse University; my focus of study is sculpture. The idea for the International Fiber Collaborative has gradually come about over the course of my first two years in graduate school. When I started at graduate school, I mostly stayed locked away in my studio with the door shut, as most artists do. Gradually, I became frustrated at the lack of impact or contributive spirit that my studio practice evolved into. I wanted to have a more active and productive role in the community. I felt passionate towards creating dialog with others from all walks of life. The result in doing so, proved a thousand times more productive and engaging then my previous studio practice.
So I founded and directed a high school initiative for Syracuse City High School art students: workshops that allowed students to visit the Syracuse University Sculpture Facilities and create sand molds for molten aluminum metal to be poured into them. At the end of each workshop, the students were able to take home their own aluminum sculptures. I direct five workshops a year, with summer kids of all ages getting involved. The eye-opening effect that this had on the students proved to be much more successful then I had anticipated. I enjoyed working actively within the art community at SU, but now I wanted to reach out, to experience lives that are vastly different then mine.
]]>
Knitting and crocheting have experienced a renewed popularity as a new generation of crafters embrace their needles and yarn. As a knitter myself, I love heading to my local yarn store (LYS) to check out the beautiful multicolored skeins.]]>
Give old a new purpose - that's the crux of today's tip, given to us by readers Debbie & Sandra from back when we gave our knitting tip. Use old wool sweaters to create something new!Debbie told us:
]]>
There's nothing better than a warm fuzzy handmade scarf wrapped around your neck. But how does knitting affect the environment in a positive manner? Yesterday we talked about slowing down and how it can connect you to the earth (and where things come from) a bit more. But that's not the only way that knitting is green. By doing it yourself, you can control the quality of the ingredients that go into that scarf. Try Blue Sky Alpaca or Lion Brand Yarn in organic cotton. Once you get going, there will be no stopping your green knitting self. Next thing you know, you'll need a Yogurt Yarntainer.
]]>
