How to Choose Sustainable Yarn: A Practical Guide for Makers

Stashes of yarn are a brilliant resource - re-homing yarn, like we are doing with this pure wool, is a great way to reduce the environmental impact of your makes.

After exploring wool, acrylic, carbon cycles, natural alternatives and industrial processing, one thing has become undeniably clear: there is no perfect yarn.

Every fibre has trade-offs. Wool is renewable and biodegradable, but sheep farming and processing have impacts. Acrylic is affordable and practical, but it comes from fossil fuels and sheds microplastics. Linen and hemp can be lower-impact crops, but they still require processing and can feel very different to use, plus they are much more difficult to source.

So how do we actually choose? This final post** brings everything together into a practical, no-guilt guide.

Start With the Project

The most sustainable yarn is always the one that suits the project perfectly and gets used heavily.

Before choosing a fibre, ask yourself what you are making and how often it will be worn. Does it need to be washable? Does it need stretch or warmth? Is it for someone with sensitive skin or allergies? How long do you want this item to last?

A delicate handwash-only wool may be perfect for your own treasured shawl, but it would be terrible for a baby blanket that needs frequent hot washing. Matching the yarn to the purpose prevents waste.

Choose Longevity (and the potential for mending)

A beloved guernsey sweater knitted in pure wool, given a new lease of life with visible mending, including darning, re-knitted cuffs and crochet edging.

One of the best sustainability choices is simply making things that last.

That means choosing the appropriate yarn for the pattern, making proper gauge swatches, caring for finished items properly and repairing rather than discarding. A yarn with a slightly higher production impact may become a brilliant choice if the resulting jumper is worn every winter for twenty years. A low-impact yarn that sits unused in a cupboard is not doing much good for anyone.

You can also think about what will happen when the thing you've made starts to wear out. Wool offers various options for repair, including darning or felting. Cotton and linen are strong fibres that provide a sound base for darning or patching. Natural fibres tend to be easier to dye than manmade fibres, meaning they can be revamped with changing fashions or if they get stained. It's possible to keep well made textiles in use for decades, and this is a brilliant way to reduce environmental impact.

Use What You Already Have

The most sustainable yarn is often the yarn already sitting in your stash. Actually this is a good rule of thumb: it's generally better to use what you have than to go out and buy something new.

Before buying new, consider whether you can use stash yarn for the project. Can you combine leftovers into stripes, colourwork or scrap blankets? Can you unravel an old jumper you no longer wear? Using existing yarn completely avoids the impact of producing something new. Can you buy preloved? From us, for example.

This does not mean never buying yarn. We do sell new yarn, after all! But it does mean buying with intention.

A Simple Decision Guide

Undyed yarn = lower impact

If you want the shortest possible version of everything we have learned, here is a quick guide:

• For warmth and longevity: choose wool or alpaca.

• For summer garments: choose linen, hemp, cotton or blends.

• For hard-wearing homewares: choose hemp, cotton or sturdy wool.

• For lowest waste: use your stash, leftovers, recycled yarn or second-hand yarn.

• For lower processing impact: consider undyed or naturally coloured yarn.

• For best overall sustainability: make something that will be loved, used and cared for properly for a long time.

  
  

What We Are Taking From This Series

If there is one thing we have learned, it is that yarn sustainability is not simple. But that does not mean it is hopeless.

Every choice can be a little more informed. Every project can be made with more intention. Every skein can be chosen with an understanding of where it came from, how it was made and what kind of life it will have.

We do not need perfect makers. We need thoughtful ones. And that is something we can all become.

Thank you so much for following this series. We hope it has helped you feel more confident, curious and empowered when choosing yarn. If you have questions about fibres, blends, washing or choosing yarn for a particular project, we are always happy to help. Just pop into the shop or drop us a message online.

-oOo-

** Well, it was supposed to be the final post, but various questions have cropped up from our readers as the series has progressed, so look out for some bonus posts coming up in the next couple of months.