Organic Yarn
February 23rd, 2006 by Mollie
Four years ago I got really sick and my now mother-in-law (then boyfriend’s mother who I had met once before) kindly came over to my apartment to take care of me. She brought with her, knitting needles and yarn to teach me how to knit and although she had to do a refresher course with me when I was no longer doped up on meds, it was something I immediately loved.
Something else that I love is the environment. Over the years, my love for knitting and the environment have been at odds because of the difficulty in finding organic yarn. My hope is, that for my fellow knitters (or crocheters) and environmentalists, this post will serve as a helpful resource that makes purchasing organic yarn easier.
1. Cottage Industry is a yarn shop located in Northfield, MN. They give a very interesting recount of the growing of naturally colored cotton by the indigenous people of Peru for the past 5 thousand years. The Peruvian government has done its best to discourage the growing of colored cotton, but, thankfully, despite its efforts, farmers continued to grow it. In addition to the farmers efforts, The Native Cotton Project of Peru has done much to aid the famers and because of their combined efforts cotton fields are replacing those fields which were once used to grow coca (some of which was used for the production of cocaine). The organic cotton yarn from this area is called Pakucho and its “fibers are never touched by pesticides, bleaches, dyes, or other chemicals. They are inspected and certified by the Swiss agency SKAL with the EKO label to be fully organic.” Although you are no longer able to buy yarn through the Cottage Industry site, they do provide a list of local yarn shops around the country that sell Pakucho organic yarn.
2. Aurora Silk has been a great find because they sell natural dyes and natural and organic fibers (this includes organic fabric, this is great because organic fabric is even more difficult to find than yarn). Tussah Silk Yarn is among the many things they sell. They use a much gentler process that does not kill the silkworm and because of this they say that this yarn is suitable for vegetarians. “‘Peace Silk’ lets the silkworm live out its full life cycle. ‘Peace silk’, also known as ‘vegetarian silk’ is raised and processed differently. The moths are allowed to emerge from their cocoons to live out their full life cycle. The silk is degummed and spun like other fiber, instead of being reeled. The resulting yarn is soft, fluffy, and light like a cloud.” You can place orders through this site using their shopping cart function.
3. Tierra Wools spins various kinds of yarn using local organically raised wool. They are located in Los Ojos, New Mexico and you can order over phone by calling 1-888-709-0979. You can browse through their online selection or you can order a sample card for $3 by calling the same number above.
4. Earth Friendly Yarns “aim[s] to provide you with the best organic, recycled and plant-based yarns available anywhere on the Internet.” In addition to its online store it has a store located Seattle, WA called The Fiber Gallery. For a full list of the yarns they offers Click Here
Happy Knitting!