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Friday, January 21, 2011

Bamboo U - Stitch Nation Yarn

Just like pandas, I'm a big fan of bamboo. It has many sustainability benefits -- it's relatively easy to grow, and involves fewer pesticides and fertilizers than other materials. Plus, it's a renewable resource. This week, I'm featuring some of my favorite bamboo products.


Knitting is a fabulous hobby. "Idle hands are the devil's work," is a favorite saying of grandmas, and knitting is like devil-repellent. However, it can be expensive, particularly if you want to use yarns made of more sustainable materials.

Stitch Nation Yarns, though, are affordable and 100% natural. Red Heart, the company that has spawned a million ugly acrylic sweaters, has partnered with Debbie Stoller (author of Stitch 'N' Bitch) to create a line of yarns made of natural materials.

I'm "wool-sensitive" (I break out in an attractive rash if wool touches my bare skin). This means that I often use yarns that are wool/acrylic blends. Most bamboo yarns are just too expensive. That's why Bamboo Ewe is so great. It is a bamboo/wool blend. It has a soft, silky sheen. And it's affordable and easy to find at common craft stores such as JoAnn Fabrics and Michael's. I love it when big companies get on the sustainability bandwagon. I don't care if they do it out of the goodness of their hearts or the fatness of their wallets. When sustainable products are available in the suburbs, I know we're going mainstream.

2 comments:

Kaimoana said...

Are you aware that a lot of bamboo fabric is processed in a highly chemical manner?
Random blog post info

I was having a chat to a lady who produced bamboo clothing about how they searched for the most sustainable method to process bamboo fibre, and apparently the answer was high pressure water hosing.

Catfish said...

I did know that - thanks for bringing it up. It's a bit of a conundrum because cotton is horrible on the environment and synthetics are made from petroleum products. The greenest clothing? Vintage! Ahem... thrift store.

I think green clothing hasn't moved as far ahead as green eating, so I think trying to be as conscious as possible is the best bet for now, voting with our dollars whenever a greener option is proposed to us.