Hi and welcome to the sustainability series! This started after reading a creator talk about why they use only vegan yarn which led me to realise that a) I didn’t know if their reasoning was correct and b) how little I know about how different yarns are produced and whether there is a ‘best’ choice fibre. Sustainability is such a buzz word and there is so much information out there but it’s hard to navigate as there are a lot of invested interests (an example are fast fashion brands selling ‘conscious’ lines) and subsequently, a lot of misinformation. It’s also a highly charged subject to talk about which people feel passionately about and at times, arguments can become political. I’m going to attempt to find answers for all the questions we have surrounding sustainability and our craft (knitting and crocheting) using only reputable sources and explaining the science in an accessible way. Please remember that this is my educating myself as well as sharing what I learn so if there is anything you disagree with or think is incorrect, I invite you to start a conversation in the comments.

What to expect

To get an idea of what the big questions are, I asked our crafting community for all their questions and throughout the series, these are what I will be attempting to answer.

@the_knit_purl_girl : What is deemed sustainable in the first place?
@yarn_doctor : Plant fibres: cotton bamboo, raffia - are they sustainable and how are they produced?
@craftea_lass: What should we look for when trying to make sustainable choices? What are conditions like for workers?
@yellyswonders : Are there any yarns made from 100% recycled plastic?
@seacoastyarnworks : What are the most sustainable ways to order yarn? Which companies are the most sustainable?
@Alizaknits : Does acrylic yarn really shed microplastics?
@hippie.needles: How do we find out how the sheep and alpacas we get our yarn from are treated?
@homesteadknits: Where do the big yarn companies yarn come from?
@layleej : Is acrylic or wool better for the environment?
@ssshh_im_counting: Are there any sustainable acrylic options?
@blogbykobrak: Is it better to buy new yarn or unravel old projects/clothes?
@heartsbyhopeuk: Sustainability comparison between wool/alpaca/cotton/acrylic
@lestricotsdelene: Price over sustainability? Are there any affordable sustainable yarns?
@yarn.noodles: Does acrylic yarn shed microplastics? Most sustainable companies? How sustainable is cotton?
@berryknit: Which part of the production process has the biggest environmental impact? What kind of dyes do companies use and what are their impact on the environment?
@becciboo4: The truth of superwash wool. Is it coated in plastic?
@knottedinyarn: Cotton Vs wool as a natural fibre?
@eyeof_thetigers: What about cotton/bamboo/silk/mohair compared to wool in terms of sustainability?

Most of the questions were about ‘how bad is acrylic yarn?’ and ‘is super-wash yarn harmful for the environment?’ and lots of questions were asked more than once. Rather than one huge article, I’m going to take each material and investigate how it is made, where it comes from and any associated risks to the environment. Where I’ve used sources, I will cite them and you’ll find a bibliography at the end of every article and where possible, I will use open source articles so you won’t need to pay or have access to a university account to read them if you choose to.

A quick note on sustainability: Sustainability is such a buzz word, it’s almost lost it’s meaning. Ultimately, it refers to meeting the needs of today without impairing our ability to meet the needs of tomorrow and is concerned with not only the environment, but also social equity and economic development. In the context of knitting and crocheting, we can consider 1) the raw material - how it is produced and once waste, how it is processed 2) treatment which the raw material undergoes - for example dyeing 3) How the yarn is transported both from manufacture to point of sale and then from point of sale to the consumer 4) Any waste produced during washing and 5) it’s durability. It’s a huge question to consider and isn’t one which is easy to answer so this is a big journey and one which I hope you’ll enjoy.

Just a short bio about me for transparency - I’m currently an Environmental Scientist at the University of York. I’m doing a PhD looking into peatland management and how this affects peat soil chemistry and how this chemistry impacts drinking water treatment and quality. My undergraduate and masters degrees focussed on water and soil pollution so this is the kind of thing I think about on a daily basis. More than that, I’m obsessed with knitting and I care about protecting our natural resources so I hope through this, I can help by myself and others to make good choices moving forward. At the time of writing (before I’ve done any in depth research), I prefer natural fibre and will also opt for wool or plant based fibre over acrylic. I’m not vegan or vegetarian and I believe it isn’t what we eat that is the problem - it’s how much of what we eat and the way it is produced that is causing harm.

I hope that this series will be educational and interesting, and by learning more about the materials of our craft will make us more connected with both what we’re creating and also the communities along the production chain. Please leave any questions or comments below and let’s start conversations to help us move forward.

Abbie xo