Green Options

Here’s another entry into the eco-friendly yarn field, again from Sirdar. I’ve already covered Sirdar’s Eco Wool, but this yarn is plant based. Just Soya is a lovely little yarn made from 100% soybean fibers.

Generally softer than cotton, Just Soya is another great summer yarn. It is silky, smooth and comes in DK weight. Perhaps a summer shawl or tank would be perfect to whip up in this yarn.

In 2007, Rowan brand yarns introduced PureLife a wonderful selection of 100% organic cotton. In the following years Rowan has expanded their PureLife line to address other areas of sustainability.

Rowan still offers their organic cotton yarn in DK weight that is naturally dyed using plants. New this season is their 4 ply organic cotton yarn, also dyed with natural plant dyes. The shades of this yarn are soft, subtle and sweet, perfect for summer knitting.

Folktail Fibers is one of those shops that I have simply fallen head over heels for. The skeins are both whimsical but perfectly easy to knit up.

Offering both vegan and animal friendly fibers, Folktail hand spins amazing fiber and color combinations to create lovely yarns.

With a name like Darn Good Yarn, it’s hard not to like this yarn and their principals. This U.S. based company offers a small variety of yarn but specializes in recycled silk sari.

The yarn is spun from the remnants of the production of silk saris in Nepal. Darn Good Yarn only works with co-ops in Nepal that offer fair trade pricing for the spinning of the yarn.

The weather has finally started to take a turn towards the hot and muggy here in Washington, D.C. and that means I need to take a hard look at my knitting projects. Because let me tell you, knitting with wool or another heavy fiber when it get’s hot and humid, is not fun.

Thank goodness I’ve recently found Hope USA Cotton Organic. This organic cotton looks sturdy yet breathable, perfect for the season.

We’re a little slow sometimes around this blog, as news of this yarn and clothing hit the internet in early January, but it is still worth a mention here as a yearn worthy yarn.

Alexandra Guerrero, a Chilean designer discovered that by using found cigarette butts, she could clean them and then spin them with wool to produce a yarn to knit and crochet into clothing.

Listen up Debbie Bliss fans, this yarn brand now carries a cute little eco yarn - exactly what we’ve all been waiting for.

Debbie Bliss Eco is an organic cotton that is the perfect aran/worsted weight yarn that comes in eighteen bright colors great for the turn of the season. The yarn is dyed using non-toxic dyes and the water is reclaimed and recycled during the dying process.

So I’m going to put this up there with spinning yarn from your dog’s hair; interesting that it can be done, but not quite yearn worthy (stray strands of hair sometimes really freak me out.)

But using your hair, human hair, as fiber to create clothing can be done, as this woman from Romania has shown us. (Hat tip to CraftStylish for the story.)

Bistrita Nasaud, grew her hair from the age of 16 until it was 40 inches long so she could weave it and created nine items of clothing out of her hair.

If you’ve been waiting to add some hemp fiber to your life now has never been a better time to do so. Hemp for Knitting offers a wide variety of yarn in a multitude of weights and colors.

I know we’ve already sang the praises of hemp but it stands to be repeated. Hemp is a fast growing plant that is pest resistant reducing the need for both water and pesticides and herbicides. Hemp also helps nourish the soil right where it is planted, reducing the need for fertilizer.

Here’s another eco-friendly yarn option for those who use animal fibers: Eco Wool from Sirdar in the U.K.

Eco Wool comes in DK weight in 50 gram balls. It looks quite lovely and natural.

When it comes to cotton yarn, I’m a very picky knitter. I am not a fan of cotton yarn that is stiff, has no give and is a little bit rough. I especially hate that cotton ply that splits the second you make a mistake and need to back knit and it just falls to pieces. Ugh, my hands hurt just thinking about it.

So I’m pretty excited about Knit Picks Simply Cotton yarn. Simply cotton is 100% organic cotton yarn available in worsted and sport weight. See how strong and soft it looks?!