Vegan Yarn: All You Need To Know

Knitters are very often ethically minded people who want to make sure that the products they use, from the yarn down to their knitting needles, are produced with a conscience and aren’t hurting either animals or people in developing countries.

While some sheep do need to be shorn in order to remove any excess wool and help prevent flies from laying eggs in their skin (which then turn into maggots that can cause real damage to an animal), the wool industry can be exploitative and cruel – which is why so many people are turning to vegan yarn.

A recent PETA campaign revealed how badly sheep are treated by those working in the wool industry in the US and Australia, which is sure to turn some people away from one of their favourite hobbies so that they’re not supporting such cruelty, but changing your yarn is a simple way to do so while still allowing yourself to knit.

Panda Sock Yarn, for example, is made of nylon, cotton and bamboo, while banana yarn – made from the outer layers of tree bark – is soft, durable and renewable, and is perfect for making all sorts of garments, be they cardigans or scarves.

Cotton yarn is the most common of all the plant-based yarns so if you don’t want to be contributing to animal abuse, it is a good choice. However, there are environmental issues involved with knitting with it, since cotton crops are in fact some of the most sprayed plants in the world. If you want to be more conscientious with your yarn choices, just do a bit of research and see what a difference you can make.

If you’re a fan of handicrafts, you’ll love the products we have on our website. If needlework is your thing, you’ll really fall for our cat tapestries so why not have a look and see if you can find some Christmas presents for people – or even just for you!