by Frances Stanford

Created on: May 13, 2009   Last Updated: January 24, 2010

The term organic yarn has found its way into the knitting world in recent years. For the inexperienced knitter, one may think that this is not pure wool, but this is a misconception. In the majority of cases, the wool still comes from animals, but there are exceptions. If you are an environmentally conscious knitter than it would be a wise choice to look for different brands of wool that state that they are organic wools.

Have you ever purchased organic meat or vegetables at the supermarket? Well the same strict standards that are applied to the production of these products apply to the sale of organic wool. The animals from whom the wool is sheared, which can be sheep, alpaca, llama, goats and rabbits, must be fed organic foods and cannot be injected with growth hormones. The fleece, when sheared, is not permitted to be washed in water containing any chemicals.

Farmers who follow organic methods are only permitted to have a specific number of animals on the land depending on the size of the farm. This is because when there are too many animals occupying a small space this leads to overgrazing and makes the land unsustainable.

Using organic wool for your knitting projects can be very beneficial for your skin. Many people who cannot wear wool because of allergies may not actually be allergic to the wool itself, but rather to the chemicals and dyes contained in the wool.

One of the other examples of organic natural materials used for knitting is organic cotton, which is used for making articles of clothing and decorative items, such as dish towels. This cotton is grown without the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

Other examples of organic yarn include:

Soy Silk

This is a by-product in the manufacturing of tofu. Soy silk is 100% recycled material and does not involve the use of animals in any way. Thus it is one of the favourites of vegetarians who extend their diet practices to the type of clothing that they wear. Although this product is very expensive, it is one of the most environmentally friendly yarn products available for crafts.

Linen

Linen, while expensive, is very soft and luxurious to work with. It comes from the flax plant, which needs very little fertilizer to grow and thrive. The fibre is extremely strong, especially when it is blended with other fibers.

Bamboo

Yes you can buy bamboo knitting wool, even though it is not actually real wool. According to experts in this field, some of the most beautiful yarn on the market right now comes from the bamboo plant. One of the environmental benefits of using this material is that the plant is very fast growing and rejuvenates itself very quickly once it has been harvested. Clothing made from bamboo yarn is completely bio-degradable if it has been untreated.

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