A Guide to Sustainable Yarn
A Guide to Sustainable Yarn
Everything you need to know about our most sustainable materials
There are several factors that must be weighed up in order to determine whether a yarn is eco friendly. Whether it is made with recycled fibres or plastic bottles, processed with a significant amount of water, or has a large carbon footprint, we have to take it all into consideration. In this article I’m going to talk you through our recycled yarns and provide tips for matching them to the right projects.
Recycled yarns have previously been difficult to come by. But, in recent years, we’ve seen an increase in the number of recycled yarns available to a wool shop like us, and it’s great to see that sustainable materials are starting to come to the forefront of the yarn industry.
A few years ago, recycled yarn was also a lot more unpredictable. We found that no two balls of yarn were ever the same, making larger projects less likely. T-Shirt yarns have been popular for a while, but these can often be too thick to actually create new garments with.
We are now proud stockists of several ranges of recycled yarns and cords, all of which are suited to different projects. So, let’s get into it!
ReTwisst Recycled Cord/ Cotton
I’m starting with ReTwisst as we stock several of their products, and they have always proven popular with our eco conscious customers.
ReTwisst is a company represented by James C. Brett in the UK and we can always trust them to deliver on quality. Their macrame cord is strong and fair priced, while their yarn is beautifully made. Retwisst's Chainy Cotton Cakes (see below) were one of our best selling yarns in 2021.
These gorgeous self-patterning cakes pack a big project inside. In fact, one of my recent free patterns, The One Ball Bag, makes use of its size pretty well. You can crochet a whole shoulder bag from just one yarn cake!
Ekos by Katia
As mentioned in Edition #32’s Yarn Corner, Ekos is one of the latest recycled yarns to join our collection. Here we’re going to go into a little more detail about the specific benefits of Ekos from its manufacturer, Recover. Here’s a quote from their website:
We have perfected the art and science of handcrafting sustainable recycled cotton fiber over 70+ years across four generations of family in Spain. Today, we offer a scale solution to transform textile waste into low-impact, high-quality sustainable recycled fiber. We are on a mission to help create a sustainable future by solving one of the world’s biggest environmental issues.
According to Katia and Recover, every 20 balls of Ekos saves up to:
14,740 litres of water
1.1kg of pollutants
56kWh of energy
10.5m² of land
23kg of CO2 emissions
That’s a small dent into the overall problem, but with time and commitment to sourcing yarn sustainably, materials like this can have a large impact and help break through to a future without emissions.
Ekos does indeed have a more positive effect on environmental savings compared to other recycled yarns. This is largely due to Recover's lack of water use in dyes and their solar power, which they claim supplies up to 50% of their mill’s electricity.
If your goal is to reduce your personal emissions and advocate for a manufacturing sector that does the same, switching to Ekos for shopping bags and homeware genuinely does help. Another appeal of this range is the amount of patterns there are to choose from; it’s a great yarn choice if you’re looking to make accessories for your home. From place mats to bread bags, and pot holders to fruit themed bags, there’s something in Ekos for everyone!
Rico Essentials Organic Cotton DK
This gorgeous organic cotton is our favourite recommendation for garments; the double knit weight makes it ideal for lightweight clothing throughout the year, whether you’re looking to make summer tops or autumnal sweaters. Organic cotton is also better for the environment as it is grown without the use of pesticides and the seeds have not been genetically modified for mass production. With less chemicals being used in the process, this leaves the surrounding earth and air uncontaminated.
According to Swedish Linens, ‘Organic cotton produces around 46% less CO2e compared to conventional cotton’ and ‘uses far less water to grow since organic cotton growers typically utilize rain far more than irrigation. On top of all that, organic cotton growers use beneficial insects to control unwanted pests instead of relying on harmful chemicals, thus encouraging biodiversity.’ (Click here to read the full article!)
Just by making the switch from conventional to organic cotton, you are helping the planet in so many ways. And, if you use organic cotton to make your own clothing, your crafting practices become even more sustainable.
ReTwisst Recycled T-shirt Yarn
T-shirt yarn is produced by taking fabric remnants from textile companies that don’t use chemical processes to make their cotton shirts and other garments. Production surplus comes to ReTwisst as fibers or fabric pieces; these are then sorted by quality and assembled in their factory.
They turn these bits and pieces into solid stretchy T-shirt Yarn by adding a bit of elastane to the recycled fibers.
Available in several unique shades for £6 each. This chunky weight yarn is super fast to make with and calls for about an 8-9mm crochet hook for most projects.
Nova Vita 12 by DMC
Super-sized, well-constructed, and versatile, Nova Vita is perfect for all sorts of homeware. You can choose from 10 shades on our website for £8.50 each. As well as being ideal for macrame, this recycled cord actually works for knit and crochet designs too!
This collection is accompanied by pattern books that include macrame, knit and crochet designs.
