What is ‘the most ethical yarn?
In my ideal world, there would be an organic plant fibre grown in my village. A local spinner would purchase it from the farmer, before passing it onto their neighbor, a dyer. In their garden would be an array of plants, pretty blooms and many a tree. Nature’s colours at their fingertips.
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I could take a leisurely bicycle ride to this fibre artist’s wonderful yarn store and put my project plans into action. The community of fibre friends could come together in appreciation and then support these local craftspeople. What a wonderful dream, but alas, for me it remains just that; a mental picture.
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Nature is a fierce and most wonderful influence. I grew up playing outside in woodland and meadows and watching National Geographic documentaries in the evenings. I LOVE our planet! So as a crocheter and yarn enthusiast, any fibre considered ‘natural’ has always been exciting to me.
In 2015 I really started to recoil at the word “acrylic” on a yarn ball band. I knew this was a man-made material that wasn’t as biodegradeable as natural fibres. During this time, I wanted to support the small businesses of hand dyed woolen fibre artists. However in 2016, I noticed a tag used on one particular skein of merino; ‘Mulesing-free’. “What does that mean?” I wondered. It was also around this time that my sister explored veganism. Being an animal lover with ethical values, she highlighted to me elements of modern farming which she found unpleasant.
I started to grow curious at every word on a skein tag. ‘Superwash’. What exactly is Superwash Wool? Even Bamboo… I only learned recently that ‘bamboo’ yarn is more often than not quite far from a natural fibre. According to fairwear.com:
“The fibers that make up bamboo textiles are considered regenerated fibers as outlined by the Organic Exchange. This means they are man-made fibers that have been artificially created using natural building blocks (e.g. proteins or cellulose) as opposed to fibers made entirely by nature (e.g. cotton).”
fairwear.com
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I took to google and began to educate myself, as much as I could, on what I was working with. I scoured over my stash with new, critical eyes. This is when Consciously Crochet of ‘Consciously Crochet Designs’ disappeared for a time. I had to work to find a solution to my moral dilemma.
The more I searched, the more frustrated I became. I just wanted to find a yarn with a good squish-factor that is:
- biodegradable so is kind to our planet
- produced in excellent working conditions and is fair trade
- animal-kind and doesn’t exploit our furry friends
- produced without the use of pesticides so is organic
- dyed using low-impact dyes
- affordable
- widely available to crocheters across the globe (or has similar alternatives – as a designer, this is important)
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Fast forward to today, and at the time of writing this, organic cottons and linens are my current favorite. I am also eager to source a bamboo yarn that is not too heavily processed. The cotton industry uses a lot of water during production, however it’s pros out-way this con (for me anyway). Recycled cotton has been nice to work with too.
When I buy new, I opt for all of the above. Unfortunately I can’t always source the colour combinations I envisage for my patterns. So there are sometimes sacrifices. I still, however, have a stash full of cottons that aren’t organic. Some of them are also ‘Mercerized’ (another process I avoid now, because of personal preference).
Rather than let this collection sit unloved, I have decided that some of my designs will simply be ‘stash-busters’. Where sizing isn’t so important, I can use a variety of yarns of the same weight. This at least avoids being wasteful.
I still have a box full of balls of DK acrylic. Perhaps I could save these to make up extra samples of my patterns that call for DK organic cotton?
I also have skeins of wool. The colourways are stunning and I still cannot help but admire the talents of dyers today. However, to remain vegan-friendly and avoid any exploitation of our fluffy friends, I avoid animal fibre for my designs.
On a personal level, I’ll no doubt make something using them. There are some fantastic animal sanctuaries who sell their handspun wool from their resident sheep. Some folks argue that they could instead use this as bedding, however this would not create an additional income. These proceeds then go back into providing care for these unique breeds. This includes necessary shearing of the sheep which have an excessive growth of fleece (an unnatural influence by man’s selective breeding). I’m still researching these.
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Those warm, heavy textures we crave during the winter months? I’m yet to find a thick, light, soft plant fibre that is organic, affordable and all round ethical. It would also need to have similar commercially available alternatives to be realistic enough for use in my patterns. I have found some thick, unplied cotton yarn, although the cost is out of my price range at the moment. Especially for a yarn-hungry afghan project.
Nevertheless, I shall never give up in my quest for an animal-kind, environmentally friendly, light and fluffy blanket. The search for the ideal ethical yarn continues…
So what’s a girl to do? Well, as hanks of yarn don’t grow on trees, for now, I choose to Consciously Crochet. But what it is to ‘Consciously Crochet’?:
- Be inspired
- Consider your yarn options
- Make a conscious effort to do a bit of research
- Once armed with the facts, make a decision based on what YOU feel to be a fair choice
- Crochet with what gives you peace of mind and as clear a conscience as possible
So let’s Consciously Crochet together and continue to enjoy sharing our creations! I’d be very interested to hear your own personal journey of crocheting towards a healthier planet. Feel free to leave a comment below! There is also our Facebook group; ‘Let’s Consciously Crochet Together’ which you can join. It’s a ‘judgement-free zone’, and a place where I plan to host some crochet-a-longs in the future.
Happy crafting,
With love,
Consciously Crochet Xx
References: https://fairware.com/bamboozled-getting-the-facts-on-bamboo-textiles/