More thoughts on yarn
Don't worry, these are more interesting to the non-knitters!
I feel guilty about the Calmer. I feel guilty for buying--and so far, loving--a yarn that is part conventionally grown cotton (one of the most resource-intensive crops that exists) and part synthetic. I want to be environmentally friendly. I want to buy and use yarn that is good for the environment. Like bamboo! Yay, renewable resource! Yay, plant fiber!
But as I learn more about yarn I find that it's not all so good. Bamboo is not as natural a fiber as I thought it was; instead of pulling long fibers from the stalks and spinning them together, it's actually made in much the same way as rayon, broken down and made into yarn with harsh chemical processes. And most of it comes from China, where the regulations are much less strict than in the US, so who knows what kinds of dyes are used. In fact, it seems like the only good ways to be sure of getting environmentally friendly yarn is to get organic colorgrown cotton (not very nice colors and not very versatile), wildcrafted silk (way expensive), or humanely raised wool (I'm allergic). These are not good options! I want to knit stuff I like and can afford!
Now, fast forward... after more thought and more reading, I've come to another realization. Really... I'm already doing my part. I do try to get more environmentally-friendly yarns, even if everything isn't. And it's already significant that I'm mindful of my purchases. And the biggest thing? I'm making my own clothing, and therefore offering less and less support to mass-manufactured clothing probably put together by underpaid children in sweatshops. So really, I'm doing pretty well.
I feel guilty about the Calmer. I feel guilty for buying--and so far, loving--a yarn that is part conventionally grown cotton (one of the most resource-intensive crops that exists) and part synthetic. I want to be environmentally friendly. I want to buy and use yarn that is good for the environment. Like bamboo! Yay, renewable resource! Yay, plant fiber!
But as I learn more about yarn I find that it's not all so good. Bamboo is not as natural a fiber as I thought it was; instead of pulling long fibers from the stalks and spinning them together, it's actually made in much the same way as rayon, broken down and made into yarn with harsh chemical processes. And most of it comes from China, where the regulations are much less strict than in the US, so who knows what kinds of dyes are used. In fact, it seems like the only good ways to be sure of getting environmentally friendly yarn is to get organic colorgrown cotton (not very nice colors and not very versatile), wildcrafted silk (way expensive), or humanely raised wool (I'm allergic). These are not good options! I want to knit stuff I like and can afford!
Now, fast forward... after more thought and more reading, I've come to another realization. Really... I'm already doing my part. I do try to get more environmentally-friendly yarns, even if everything isn't. And it's already significant that I'm mindful of my purchases. And the biggest thing? I'm making my own clothing, and therefore offering less and less support to mass-manufactured clothing probably put together by underpaid children in sweatshops. So really, I'm doing pretty well.
So my aim with yarn has always been: is it hypoallergenic? Is it comfortable? No animal fibers for me--I also have allergies. :-/
With fabric clothing I buy, it's almost always cotton, silk, rayon, or something natural--because these are fibers that are breathable and better for your skin.
I'm glad to learn about bamboo yarn. I had been thinking about it but hadn't tried it yet. Did you know that Red Heart Symphony yarn (100% acrylic, but has a look of mohair and is soft and warm) is made in Turkey? I haven't done any research as to how it's produced and if the plants/factories are as bad as in China.
So what is the point (I am asking in sincerity) of buying yarn made from environmentally-friendly fibers other than it's biodegradable? The thought uppermost in my mind is: is it going to be something that will be comfortable/soft/non-irritating for the person receiving/using it?
I did not know about that yarn--is it the only Red Heart yarn that's made in Turkey? That seems odd. I try to avoid acrylic, though, because it's basically plastic, it doesn't breathe, and it's unpleasant to work with.
Environmental friendliness does not apply exclusively at the "grave" end of the cradle-to-grave model. Like I said, conventional cotton is an incredibly resource intensive crop--that means pesticides, water use, land use. The processes used to make and dye the yarn often use toxic chemicals or have nasty byproducts. (How do you know the yarn you use is biodegradable? Does it use all-natural dyes or is it colorgrown? Dyes might not be the sort of thing you want in the soil.) Wool, as another example, might not always be great either. Large farms produce a lot of waste and methane--sheep aren't as bad as cows, but it's still not a great system. (And for me there's also the concern about treatment of the animals. Not that it's really relevant.) Then there's the air miles and fuel used to get it to you. I could probably go on, but basically, there's a LOT of concerns at the production end that could potentially be bad for the environment.
Of course I'm not going to deliberately buy yarn that will be unpleasant to work with or wear, but so far, I haven't found that to be much of an issue.
I don't know if there is any good way to get yarn that is truly environmentally-friendly unless you grow the fiber yourself, spin it, and then dye it with natural dyes, like our ancestors did.
Or unless we have access to a place we know that's a small farm and such?
Problematic for city-dwellers!
I don't find acrylics unpleasant to work with. I just choose soft ones. :-) If I want something breathable, for summer, I'll use cotton. But I don't make much actual clothing--just accessories. I know wool or other animal fibers would be great for real warm (compared to acrylics and other man-made fibers): felting; but my allergies just won't allow it.
Oh! I just remembered: Lion Brand has an organic cotton yarn. This might spur me to think of some reason to buy some.
I don't remember about Red Heart's other yarns. I just remember seeing that (being made in Turkey) on the label of the Symphony yarn and going, "Hmm!".
Eh, in my experience acrylics always squeak along the needles, even when I'm knitting fairly loosely. But I'm guessing from all your examples that you generally use craft-store type yarns, like Lion Brand, Red Heart, Moda-Dea? There's nothing wrong with that, of course, especially if you're doing it for reasons of cost, but I'm a bit of a yarn snob and once you've knitted with bamboo or SeaSilk it's sooo hard to go back to acrylic ;) Definitely look for an excuse for the organic cotton--I haven't tried that brand but I have used other organic cotton and it's delightful.
Crocheting a piece takes 1/3d more yarn for the same project done in knitting! I can't afford to be a yarn snob. :-P But yes, Red Heart and TLC (both Coats & Clark), Lion Brand, Moda Dea, Patons, Caron, Bernat, KnitPicks (although most of theirs is animal fiber), with forays into Berroco, Skacel, Crystal Palace, and some kind of $25-a-skein rayon chenille yarn DH got for me at a LYS because I was going to have to have a medical procedure so he felt like pampering me. :-P I still haven't done anything with it yet because I read about "worming". Ack! Just don't knit too tightly?
Also I like the hypoallergenic qualities of acrylic/man-made and the ease-of-care (on the whole).
The cotton yarns I've used are Lily Sugar'N Cream, Lion Brand Cotton Ease, TLC Cotton Plus, KnitPicks Crayon and Shine, and Bernat's CottonTots. I have some Rowan Calmer for a lace-like scarf I am going to make at some point. And I have some other cotton yarn I got from Yarnmarket (they sell more upscale yarns--I can't buy from them often), but I forget the brand at the moment.
Re: Lion Brand Organic Cotton Yarn: have you seen this blog?
Right now I am trying to see what DH can get for me over at our nearby Joann's or Michaels: I want to crochet a bathmat, but I don't want to use 100% cotton--takes longer to dry out, shrinks a lot, dyes bleed. So I'm hoping they will have Lion Brand Cotton Ease or TLC Cotton Plus. Not wild about my colour choices, but anything to kick-start my yarn crafting again. :-P And we need a new bathmat.
Also: is there any lace-weight yarn that is not animal fiber? Silk is okay for me.
I have a couple of skeins of laceweight tencel/silk that I bought from Yarntopia Treasures on Etsy, but I don't know if they sell that anymore. I'm pretty sure there are others, but I haven't looked very hard yet.
I've been thinking more about environmentally friendly yarns myself, and didn't know where to start, but this post has been very helpful. I almost always get manmade acrylic fiber or cotton, but do have several skeins of silk and alpaca. Knowing that cotton is so resource-intensive is a good thing - unless told, I never would have suspected it.