by guest contributor Jessica Gonacha
I know summer is not really the most ideal time to be thinking about knitting and crocheting, but it IS an ideal time to learn about eco-friendly yarn, so you can stock up on the good-for-the-earth stuff come fall and cooler weather. Or, there are plenty of things that can be knit to be used in the heat of summer: what about a picnic blanket? A grocery bag? Or even a light-weight wrap/shawl for cooler summer evenings?
Here are some resources to get you started on your search for eco-friendly yarns, as well as some further reading if you’d like to learn more about the devastating environmental impact of commercially produced yarns and fibers.
1. Classic Elite Yarns — Their Bam Boo Yarn is made, obviously, of bamboo.
2. Kollage Yarns — Their Corntastic yarn is made from 100% corn. I’m not sure if it’s genetically-modified corn, though. This company also has yarns made from milk fibers!
3. South West Trading Company — they have yarns made from corn, soy, and bamboo.
4. Miss Hawklet — hand-spun, organic cotton and wool yarn (from an animal friendly farm! No eating the poor dears!)
5. Blonde Chicken — yarn made from recycled banana fibers and hand-dyed soy yarn? Yes please!
6. Hand Jive Knits — Darlene Hayes is the woman who runs this wonderful enterprise. All her yarns are naturally plant-dyed, and supposedly quite lovely in person.
7. Green Knitter — here is a great chart listing a large number of eco-friendly yarns and the ways in which they are produced.
8. Here’s a great article about bamboo fiber. And one about cotton — both from the Organic Clothing blog.
And for some books on the topic, check these out:
1. Alt Fiber: 25 Projects for Knitting Green with Bamboo, Soy, Hemp, and More
2. No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo & Other Delights
3. The Yarn Lover’s Guide to Hand Dyeing: Beautiful Color and Simple Knits
GREEN CHALLENGE: Buy some eco-friendly fiber and spin your own yarn! Visit a local yarn shop to get some supplies, and learn a new skill! Sounds like a relaxing way to spend an evening, eh?
About the contributor: Jessica Gonacha is an artist from Atlanta, Georgia who is endlessly creating. Her work includes paintings, drawings, illustrations, and paper goods and is vibrant, colorful, and charming. Her work can be found on her site, in her Etsy shop and in the Indie Fixx Shop. You can also read more about Jessica and her work on her blog.
Thanks for including my yarn! I’m so flattered!
Interesting topic! I didn’t realize there were so many options available. I don’t knit or crochet but like to buy handspun yarn to wrap around my packages.