Green knitting or crocheting?

[summerreading]

I really want to hear from knitters or crocheters that have an opinion about fiber and sustainability.

 

What do you feel is the greenest option? I really feel stuck because I can't come to a conclusion. Acrylic is made from fossil fuels, but animal agriculture has issues, then there's superwash which either has nylon or is chemically treated. Conventional cotton uses tons of pesticides, chemical dyes, etc, etc. 

 

Has anyone overthunk this and changed what's in your stash?

[Carol in Cal.]

I've thought about this a lot and have concluded that I am not willing to be 100% pure.

But I do try in incremental ways like this:

 

1.  Use organic cotton, preferably Colorgrown, whenever I can.  Here is the best source I know of:  http://www.vreseis.com/shop/

Cotton Clouds has an organic line as well:  http://www.cottonclouds.com/shopping/yarns.asp?panelID=1

 

2.  Try to make things that encourage disuse of disposable stuff.  A few years back I wove a bunch of inkle ribbons and gave them to relatives in the hopes that they would use and reuse them.  (Unfortunately people tended not to be willing to give these up.)  Cloth napkins and dishtowels and washrags are great for this.  I hope to knit or weave cloth gift bags next year.

 

3.  I buy fair trade yarn and supplies (knitting bags, needles, etc.) whenever I can find good ones.

 

4.  I use natural, biodegradeable yarn for everything I knit or weave except some baby blankets and throws.  I'm allergic to wool and can't find fluffy, chunky natural yarns other than wool for those, so I use Lion brand Homespun--not pure, but functional.

 

5.  I buy in big quantities in person as much as possible to reduce shipping and to support a PERSON who is selling locally.  That means I support my local yarn shops, and I also buy from the suppliers who actually bring yarn to local knitting and weaving conferences.  When I do buy online, I get big quantities very occasionally.  

 

 

[Kalmia]

I would say wool, especially that provided by a small farm. There are life cycle analyses of these things, but they don't always look at all the variables. Like water and energy consumption but not persistence in the environment (problem with all plastic products). In the end you will have to decide which of many issues is most important to you: using the yarn that results in the lowest pesticide use, using the yarn that results in the fully biodegradable products that will not end up in the diet of a sea animal or invertebrate (as plastics break down into microscopic bits, some are ingested by invertebrates), using yarn that takes the least energy to produce, or using yarn that takes the least water to produce (and was the yarn made in a water rich area or a drought prone area?).

 

http://envormation.org/environmental-footprint-of-clothes-and-comparison-of-cotton-and-linen-flax-fabric/

 

http://www.woodguide.org/files/2014/07/LCA-textiles.pdf

 

 

I don't know how much a possibility this is for knitters as opposed to seamstresses, but deconstructing already existing clothing and turning it into something new seems a very good environmental choice.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Kalmia

[mellifera33]

 

 

 

I don't know how much a possibility this is for knitters as opposed to seamstresses, but deconstructing already existing clothing and turning it into something new seems a very good environmental choice.

 

There are lots of people who search thrift stores for cheap cashmere sweaters and unravel and reuse the yarn. It is a cheap way to get some expensive fibers. 

[HollyDay]

try finding yarn from pet sheep

bamboo?

 

[summerreading]

I've thought about this a lot and have concluded that I am not willing to be 100% pure.

But I do try in incremental ways like this:

 

1.  Use organic cotton, preferably Colorgrown, whenever I can.  Here is the best source I know of:  http://www.vreseis.com/shop/

Cotton Clouds has an organic line as well:  http://www.cottonclouds.com/shopping/yarns.asp?panelID=1

 

2.  Try to make things that encourage disuse of disposable stuff.  A few years back I wove a bunch of inkle ribbons and gave them to relatives in the hopes that they would use and reuse them.  (Unfortunately people tended not to be willing to give these up.)  Cloth napkins and dishtowels and washrags are great for this.  I hope to knit or weave cloth gift bags next year.

 

3.  I buy fair trade yarn and supplies (knitting bags, needles, etc.) whenever I can find good ones.

 

4.  I use natural, biodegradeable yarn for everything I knit or weave except some baby blankets and throws.  I'm allergic to wool and can't find fluffy, chunky natural yarns other than wool for those, so I use Lion brand Homespun--not pure, but functional.

 

5.  I buy in big quantities in person as much as possible to reduce shipping and to support a PERSON who is selling locally.  That means I support my local yarn shops, and I also buy from the suppliers who actually bring yarn to local knitting and weaving conferences.  When I do buy online, I get big quantities very occasionally.  

 

Thank you these are great suggestions. I wish there was a LYS closer to me, but I try to get to one when I can. Colorgrown looks very nice!

 

I would say wool, especially that provided by a small farm. There are life cycle analyses of these things, but they don't always look at all the variables. Like water and energy consumption but not persistence in the environment (problem with all plastic products). In the end you will have to decide which of many issues is most important to you: using the yarn that results in the lowest pesticide use, using the yarn that results in the fully biodegradable products that will not end up in the diet of a sea animal or invertebrate (as plastics break down into microscopic bits, some are ingested by invertebrates), using yarn that takes the least energy to produce, or using yarn that takes the least water to produce (and was the yarn made in a water rich area or a drought prone area?).

 

http://envormation.org/environmental-footprint-of-clothes-and-comparison-of-cotton-and-linen-flax-fabric/

 

http://www.woodguide.org/files/2014/07/LCA-textiles.pdf

 

 

I don't know how much a possibility this is for knitters as opposed to seamstresses, but deconstructing already existing clothing and turning it into something new seems a very good environmental choice.

 

Yes, I guess there is no perfect option. Thanks for the links, I will look through them. 

 

There are lots of people who search thrift stores for cheap cashmere sweaters and unravel and reuse the yarn. It is a cheap way to get some expensive fibers. 

 

I'd like to try this. But I have had issues with carpet beetles and I'm hesitant to get anything thrifted right now. I'm probably being too paranoid and should just learn what to look for. 

 

try finding yarn from pet sheep

bamboo?

 

I really want angora rabbits, so maybe!

Bamboo is probably a great option. 

[Hammfried]

I have picked up linen (naturally pesticide free but harder on the hands to knit) and bamboo yarn from our local shop. I like supporting the smaller shop and the yarn and supplies that they sell are usually fair trade and from indie fiber artists. I generally do not use acrylic or petrol fibers but that is more because the fibers do not breathe well for me and sensory issues for DD.

[Hammfried]

There are lots of people who search thrift stores for cheap cashmere sweaters and unravel and reuse the yarn. It is a cheap way to get some expensive fibers.

Does this count if you unravel one of your own UOs like I do? :)

[athomeontheprairie]

My dds have taken up crochet (I have no idea how), and I have never considered this. Hmm. I need to.

[hornblower]

Just to add to your ethical dilemmas.... wool almost always involves mulesing, a practice which causes pain to the animals.  RSPCA Australia has an article about this 
http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-mulesing-and-what-are-the-alternatives_113.html

wrt angora - about 90% of it comes from China where the animal welfare regulations are very lax & the undercover investigations are horrific. You can find the videos easily online. There are some very small scale angora producers who claim to gather the angora in a gentle way but you'll have to look for them carefully & be prepared to pay A LOT. 

 

Edited December 5, 2016 by hornblower

[summerreading]

Just to add to your ethical dilemmas.... wool almost always involves mulesing, a practice which causes pain to the animals.  RSPCA Australia has an article about this 

http://kb.rspca.org.au/What-is-mulesing-and-what-are-the-alternatives_113.html

wrt angora - about 90% of it comes from China where the animal welfare regulations are very lax & the undercover investigations are horrific. You can find the videos easily online. There are some very small scale angora producers who claim to gather the angora in a gentle way but you'll have to look for them carefully & be prepared to pay A LOT. 

 

 

 

I would like to be a small scale angora produce who people pay A LOT. :D

 

I would not buy it from China. I just don't think fiber needs to cross the ocean to get to me. I have seen the small scale sellers give them a little sweater to wear after getting their hair cut.

[knitting]

organic cotton yarn i bought twice for my baby - https://www.deramores.com/collections/knitting-yarn/products/debbie-bliss-eco-baby

 

its a good quality.

[KungFuPanda]

You can be one of those people who knits plastic grocery bags into storage baskets.

[I talk to the trees]

This is not a solution for everyone, and to be honest, I do it not because I am trying to be green, but because I really enjoy spinning, but... I spin my own yarn. Much of the fiber I use comes from three spoiled rotten dogs.(See one of my adorable fiber donors in my avatar!) The rest comes from local or regional farms.

 

I bet there are some groups on Ravelry for green knitters and crocheters.

[TheReader]

I love bamboo fabrics; not a knitter/crocheter, so not sure about it for yarn, but it's luscious in it's fabric forms. Maybe that's an option? 

[gardenmom5]

if you want to be super green - use the plastic bags to make your "yarn".

I've  seen some clever products out of it (you can find instructions from pintrest to ravelry to youtube) - tote bags, ground covers/bedrolls for homeless, etc.

or getting onto ebay and buying up someone's stash from the 60's/70's as some of the fibers were different.  there was one seller, if she'd have combined shipping - it would have bought most of what she listed as the yarn was discontinued in the 90's.  (i've also seen yarn on there - in quantity - that dates to the 60's/70's.)

 

I'm currently working on a baby blanket for my first grandchild.  the most important thing is softness, the second is washability/durability.    I'm using the bernat baby blanket tiny (worseted weight #4)  - which is a polyester chenille