Organic is a term that has been with us for some time, since the 1930's, actually. It has spread out in our world, in the amount of regulations as well as in the abundance of products. As with fruits, vegetables or packaged consumables, a manufacturer can not just call their product organic, because they think it will make them more money. There are precise guidelines they must follow. These same restrictions and more (dying, washing and preparation) are governmentally upheld if a yarn manufacturer uses the word organic to describe their product. And remember, the words natural and eco-friendly do not mean the same as organic.
Organic Restrictions
Whether yarn is produced from plant or animal origin, it must not be grown or raised with any chemical inducements. That means, no herbicides or pesticides on plants and animals feed was used. Animals must be raised to the same specifications as food animals (no chemical laden foods, no chemical inoculations, etc.). Organic cotton producers are watched carefully as this product is ordinarily one of the biggest culprits in chemical usage. Many manufacturers of organic natural-based yarns offer their product in natural colors (without dying). However, they are also allowed to dye the yarn with natural methods, such as with vegetable dyes or organic tea.
Types of Organic Yarns
Traditionally, we think of wool, cotton and linen as yarns that may be listed under the organic terms of use. However, there is also alpaca, lama, goat, camel and rabbit that are sources for these yarns. In addition, there may be some you never heard of, or even imagined, such as banana leaves, bamboo, silk or hemp. Packaging of organic yarns may also tout the term cruelty-free, which means the animal, from which the fibers were rendered, was harmed in no way.
Organic Plant Based Yarn
Cotton is the most readily available organic plant based yarn. As it becomes more widely requested, more manufacturers will supply it and the price will become less expensive. Organic cotton yarn is as durable as ordinary cotton yarn. There is no difference in it's quality other than it's growing and processing stipulations. When not dyed with organic colors, it comes in natural hues of light brown, green and gray.
Bamboo yarn is not as easily found as cotton. Although bamboo is an easily renewable product, making it eco-friendly to use, there is a complicated and long process to make it into usable yarn. This makes organic bamboo yarn, both, scarce and expensive. However, organic bamboo products, including yarn, are completely biodegradable. It is said to be as strong as steal, yet soft and silky to the touch.
Hemp is not grown in the U.S., not legally anyway. Hemp is produced from a portion of the marijuana plant. However, we can purchase hemp products from other countries and one of those is organic hemp yarn. Especially with hemp yarn, you will many times see the term sweat shop free. This means that the use of low paying third-world people have not been taken advantage of, with nearly slave-labor, to produce the product.
Organic Animal Based Yarn
Organic wool yarn is probably the most prevalent of all animal based organic yarns. Two well known U.S. manufacturers of this product are O-Wool and Treehugger. Wool is produced from other fleece baring animals other than the standard fluffy, white and black American sheet. There is merino, alpaca, mohair, and others that are considered wool. You may also find combinations of organic wool yarn from different sources. In this way wool yarns can be offered with different textures and natural colors.
Organic Camel yarn is a choice of animal based yarn you may not have seen offered in your local craft store, but it can be spotted in yarn shops. It is produced in locations such as Mongolia, where the camels are raised organically in the Gobi Desert. Although, these yarns may not be certified organic, the producers give assurances that the camel yarn has been untouched, at any level of camel raising or fiber production, by any chemical usage. Australia is another location of production for organic camel yarn, which is sometimes mixed with wool.
Organic Silk yarn is made from fibers produced by the silk worm, which is not considered an animal, but an insect. Many times the silk yarn is formed in combination with other types of organic fibers. You may see labels that read organic cashmere silk or merino silk, implying a mixture of fibers. There is even banana silk yarn, which is a mixture of organic silk and banana leaves.
Organic Yarn Choices
Most of us are trying to do our part in making better choices that will reduce our carbon footprint on earth as well as clean up the mess that has been made here. In this process, don't be duped by organic yarns produced outside of the U.S. It is not to say that these yarns are not produced with the same restrictions as required by the American government. However, do some research to make sure you know how the animals or plants were treated.
China, is a prime example of misuse in their product quality and honesty. Up to 70 percent of our cashmere comes from China. Some of their practices have resulted in serious desertification. Over crowding and cruel animal procedures have become the norm for many Chinese cashmere fiber manufacturers. Beware, as with other products, the organic yarn may say it was made in Italy or the U.S., but may be made from Chinese cashmere fibers.