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Adding fringe/tassels

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Finishing the edges of your handwoven work is an important final step to making your project shine. This article covers two basic finishing techniques: hand twisted and braided fringe. A fringe is more than a decorative element-it also secures your weaving. These simple and beginner-friendly techniques can be used on a variety of projects, such as scarves, rugs, and towels.

How to Twist Fringe by Hand

1. Before you begin to twist your fringe, you need to determine how many twisting groups you are going to make. To twist a fringe, your ends are divided up into groups made up of an equal number of threads. In my sample, I used a total of 72 ends of Duet in Dune and Pear, with Dune as my weft. This divides nicely into groups of six or four.

2. Starting at one side, separate your first six strands. I hemstitched my sample, which is optional, but if you want to twist a fringe without hemstitching, it's best to do some thread swapping as you move along the edge. What do I mean by this? Let's say you're starting at the right side, and you've separated your first six strands. Take the sixth strand and swap it with the first strand of the next twisting group. This crosses those threads at your weaving,and prevents your warps from separating and creating gaps in your work (see photos below).

3. Divide the six strands into two groups of three. Begin by using your fingers to twist one of these groups towards the right, rolling the strands between your fingers. I like to count my twists so that I can do the same across my fringe - how many twists will be up to you and your yarn, but I did 7 for this sample.

4. Once you've twisted the first half of the bundle, carefully hold those strands to maintain the twist - if you let it go all your hard work will disappear! Twist the second group in the same direction.

5. When both halves of the bundle are twisted, you're going to wrap them around each other in the opposite direction (left). I hold one strand in each hand and then carefully pass the right hand bundle over the left. Wrap the two halves together as many times as you would like - here I wrapped them about 14 times.

6. Tie an overhand knot at the end of your bundle. On the left hand side you can see my groups of 4 ends, and on the right hand side you can see my groups of 6 ends.

How to Braid Fringe

1. Before you begin to make your braid, you need to determine how many ends will be in each 3 strand braid. In my sample, I used a total of 72 ends of Duet in Dune and Pear, with Storm as my weft. This divides nicely into groups of six or three.

2. Starting at one side, separate your first three ends. For this demo I am making two different braid sizes: one with three warp ends and the other with six warp ends, where I am holding two threads together as one. Don't forget to use the thread swapping method we covered earlier in this article for a tidy edge.

3. Cross the right end over the center end so that it's now in the middle.

4. Cross the left end over the center end so that it's now in the middle.

5. Continue this pattern by crossing the right and then left end over the center end until your desired length is complete. Tie an overhand knot at the end of your bundle.

Tips for Fringe Twisting and Braiding

Making fringe can involve a bit of tugging and tension on your work, so it's best to weigh it down with something (such as a copy of The Key to Weaving, by Mary E. Black).

As mentioned, I hemstitched on the loom before twisting my fringe, but you don't have to do this. You can leave it as is (in which case you'll want to be careful with it so it doesn't unravel), or tie knots at the top before you begin your braid.

Leave more length than you think you'll need. Twisting or braiding with short lengths of yarn will hurt your fingers and make the process unenjoyable (trust me). Leave yourself plenty to work with and trim it to your desired length when it's complete. Keep in mind that twisting itself will gobble up a bit of length too.

Not every weaver will be able to comfortably twist their fringe by hand, which is where a fringe twister can help. It not only speeds up the process, it also ensures smooth, even twists.

It takes practice to tie all your knots at an even length, so don't be hard on yourself if your first fringe is a bit wonky. I always keep my knots loose and then adjust and give everything a final tug when I've completed all my twists.

I photographed this on top of my desk, but it's easier and more comfortable to twist with your fringe hanging over the edge of the table.

I always finish my fringe before washing because I find that all those loose wiggly ends can become really tangled in the wash. It can also help to twist or braid before washing because some yarns bloom or change quite a bit after getting wet, which can make the process more challenging. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to make and finish a sample and decide for yourself.

I like to trim my fringe after washing - this gives me a crisp cut edge, which is especially nice when making a gift for someone.

If you have a self-healing mat with a grid on it, it's a very useful tool for measuring perfect fringe. I have also used my rotary blade and a ruler to trim the fringe to an equal length after I've completed my twists or braids (a neat edge helps to mask uneven knots too).

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the number of warp ends does not divide evenly?

My sample warp divided very cleanly, but what if your project doesn't? There's been many times where my outermost fringe bundles have had one, two, or even three extra ends in them and it's always been completely invisible. I recently twisted a fringe where each bundle had 5 ends in it, which divided as 3 ends + 2 ends. The fringe is fine and looks great!

What is the ideal fringe length/thickness?

Fringe length and thickness comes down to personal preference and what looks good with a given project. Twisted fringe (in my opinion at least) has a nice swing to it and is perfect for blankets, scarves, and shawls, while I've only ever tried braided fringes on rugs and more utilitarian items - it feels stiffer to me. But there's a lot of variation possible in weaving from sett to yarn, so why not try a braided fringe on your next silk scarf? You might just find your new favorite finishing technique.

About Amanda Rataj

Amanda Rataj is an artist and weaver living and working in Hamilton, Ontario. She studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design University and has developed her contemporary craft practice through research-based projects, artist residencies, professional exhibitions, and lectures. Her textile focus of the material and conceptual nature of vernacular, everyday objects used for the home and body; her work (and weaving patterns) are available at her website, and at Guildworks, or by commission.

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Finishing the edges of your handwoven work is an important final step to making your project shine. This article covers two basic finishing techniques: hand twisted and braided fringe. A fringe is more than a decorative element-it also secures your weaving.

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weaving with cord

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English

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reducing carbon footprint in textile manufacture process

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Founded in 2006, Ecotextile News is the environmental magazine for the global textile and fashion industries and provides unrivalled daily coverage, comment and expertise in both print and online formats.

Focused on sustainable innovation and industry best practice, subscribers enjoy:

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Exclusive discounts on MCL News & Media reports and magazines.

What we offer:

Inside track on the environmental strategies of brands and retailers

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Expert comment and analysis on textile dyeing and chemistry

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Reducing the carbon footprint in textile manufacturing

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It is well known that the textile industry has a sustainability problem. It is projected that by 2030 global clothing consumption will increase by 63%

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carbon-offset fibre production

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BURLINGAME, Calif. - February 28, 2022 - Furthering its commitment to sustainability and minimizing environmental impact, Standard Fiber is launching a carbon reduction program where it will invest in carbon offsets for all cargo containers of textiles it exports from Asia to customers in the United States and 20 other countries around the world beginning in March 2022.

According to Standard Fiber, its carbon offsets will fund accredited carbon reduction programs such as protecting rainforest ecosystems from deforestation in Brazil and renewable energy programs on tribal lands in the US.

Standard Fiber's new initiative builds upon the company's robust material responsibility platform that includes organic cotton with GOTS or OCS certification, recycled fibers with GRS or RCS certification, bio-based foams with USDA Biopreferred™ certification, RDS down, Oeko-tex certified products, and packaging made with recycled materials. The company has also implemented more space-saving and cost-efficient means of shipping products around the globe.

"As a major textile supplier to the home and hospitality market, we must take responsibility for and do everything we can to minimize our environmental footprint," said Sandy Gray, CEO, Standard Fiber. "Our new carbon reduction program will offset 100 percent of the carbon emissions of transporting thousands of cargo containers of textiles we export from Asia around the world."

In addition to its carbon reduction efforts, Standard Fiber is embarking on an industry-leading textile circularity initiative where it will collaborate with hotel and healthcare operators to develop various second life channels to help divert these bulky textile items from landfill. Further information on these efforts will be announced this summer.

After many months of virtual meetings due to the pandemic, Standard Fiber is excited to be exhibiting at the following industry trade shows in taking place in Florida this month: BITAC® Luxury Live in Bonita Springs March 6-8; ISPA Expo in Orlando March 8-10; and Global Pet Expo in Orlando, March 23-25.
Posted: February 28, 2022 Source: Standard Fiber

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Standard Fiber Launches New Carbon Offset Initiative

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BURLINGAME, Calif. - February 28, 2022 - Furthering its commitment to sustainability and minimizing environmental impact, Standard Fiber is launching a carbon reduction program where it will invest in carbon offsets for all cargo containers of textiles it exports from Asia to customers in the United States and 20 other countries around the world beginning in March 2022.

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ethical yarn suppliers

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wildwoven started as añañuca, an accredited fair trade business working directly with skilled spinners in Chile to produce a range of highly-textured homespun yarns for adventurous knitters and weavers.

The aim with añañuca was to bring to the UK the very best of Chilean artisan design. Our ethos was simple - all of our products were hand made, and traded fairly, showing due respect for the skills of the artisan and their [...]

Flora Fibres Yarn specialises in hand spun yarns and spinning fibres, which all come from plants. I use a range of 12 different plant fibres, many of which are not spun commercially, and create yarns in all weights from lace to super bulky.

They are all botanically dyed in small batches, as much as possible using the dye plants which grow in the countryside near my home, so each skein contains a [...]

Here at Whistlebare producing yarn is entirely a family affair. Every stage of the process is in our hands from selecting the livestock to labelling the last skein of yarn. When you buy natural yarn from Whistlebare you know that it has been produced with the utmost care; both for its quality and beauty, and its concern for animal welfare and environmental impact. On our small family farm in North Northumberland we keep pedigree flocks [...]

We are the world's first ethical vegan yarn brand. We hand dye our yarn and fibre in-house in small batches using sustainable and regenerative methods and choose our supplies mindfully.

As much as possible, we work with mills and suppliers that share our views that living beings, and the planet should come first.

We have twelve lines of hand dyed yarn from laceweight to super bulky, with fibres like organic, fair trade cotton, Tencel (lyocell), linen [...]

British Alpaca At Its Best UK Alpaca specialises in British alpaca yarns with full provenance. Our natural and dyed fully worsted yarns are manufactured in the traditional mills in the north of England. All the yarns are made from the fleeces of alpacas farmed in Britain. A family business, UK Alpaca was set up by alpaca breeders Chas Brooke and Rachel Hebditch who run 100 alpacas at their farm in Devon. More than 120 alpaca breeders[...]

Vulscombe Farm, Cruwys Morchard Mill Lane, Pennymoor, Tiverton, Devon, United Kingdom EX16 8NB

I produce luxurious knitting wools in beautiful colours and from natural fibres. Although now retired from breeding alpacas in the Lake District, I still use my knowledge of alpaca fibre to make a variety of alpaca blend yarns. I love fleece and I'm fascinated by the different characteristics of British sheep - I select the finest, softest fibres for my yarns. I sell the yarns at our shop, [...]

Rosie is an indie dyer, hand painting ethical luxurious yarns and fibres for knitting, crochet, spinning and weaving. Website: www.rosiesmoments.co.uk

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Ethical yarn directory - a listing of yarn suppliers who take extra steps to care for animals, people and the environment

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What makes a 'Real Good Yarn'? This ethical yarn directory has been compiled as a result of conversations with suppliers, recommendations and online research. It details yarn suppliers who take extra steps to care for animals, people and the environment.

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more sustainable yarn choice options

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This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, EcoCult receives a small percentage of the sale price. We only recommend brands that we truly believe in. Support our editorial work by supporting them!

For all the knitters and crocheters ready to take on the season, we have the perfect guide for you. If you love making holiday gifts instead of buying them, it's important to make sure the materials you use are safe, sustainable, long-lasting, and wonderfully soft and cozy.

That's why we've listed our favorite yarn brands, starting with the most sustainable at the top, and we've included any downsides as well so you can pick out the best one for you. Before you pour your heart into crafting thoughtful scarves and sweaters, take a look at our criteria for yarn that's good for both your loved one and the environment.

How Can You Tell if Yarn is Sustainable?

With so many kinds of yarns available, trying to figure out which ones are safe and ethically sourced can be overwhelming. Whether you're going to the craft store or shopping online, read our sustainable yarn criteria before getting started:

Natural Materials: Yarns that are made out of synthetic fibers are unhealthy, polluting, and much less breathable than natural fibers. Acrylic and polyester are synthetics made from petroleum derivatives. Acrylic materials can lead to health problems such as breathing issues, itching, and fatigue. Polyester is also known to cause hormone and reproductive issues, as well as rashes and other skin irritations.

The production of nylon yarn also releases a significant amount of emissions. One nylon manufacturer in Florida had greater emissions than that of a million automobiles in 2019. It's also non-biodegradable and pollutes the soil when left to degrade in a landfill, which can also result in its chemical properties ( such as moisture-wicking polyamides) ending up in water supplies.

Look for yarns made from natural materials such as organic cotton, linen, silk, merino and alpaca wool, hemp, mohair, or Tencel. Merino and alpaca wool are especially breathable and soft, which makes them great for crafting apparel such as sweaters and scarves for people who say they have a wool allergy.

Recycled (or Upcycled) Synthetics: Some brands incorporate deadstock fabric, recycled polyester, or even unraveled yarn from discarded sweaters. It's important to be aware of microfibers if you go with a recycled synthetic blend, but it's still better than letting the fabric go to waste, and many textile experts say it can lengthen the lifespan of clothing.

Non-Toxic: Synthetic dyes can be harmful to textile workers, the environment, and the wearer-especially if the wearer is a baby or child. "Knitting with any synthetic yarns, dyed yarns, or even wool, angora etc. releases millions of ultrafine, respirable particles directly into the breathing zone," says Dr. Claudia S. Miller, an allergist, immunologist, and professor emerita at the University of Texas. "Thus yarns pose not only a potential problem via skin contact but also via inhalation."

When H&M and IKEA conducted a study of secondhand textiles, tests found toxic substances over industry limits in almost all of the wool samples, including hormone-disrupting chemicals like APEO, and chromium.

You can avoid these contaminants by sourcing wool from the US or Europe where regulations are stronger, from artisan brands that sell undyed or safely-dyed wool yarn with natural dyes or certified-safe dyes, and from brands with third-party certifications such as Oeko-Tex.

Also avoid stain-resistant, anti-microbial, and moisture-wicking finishes, which are often achieved with toxic chemistry. If you really rely on washable wool yarn, which involves a thin polymeric coating, that should be okay. While anti-shrink treatments for wool can initially stunt the wool microbial degradation process, this typically ends after just two months. Then, the wool actually becomes even more biodegradable. A washable finish doesn't alter the wool's moisture-wicking and odor-management features, so you can still count on its natural benefits.

Supply Chain Transparency: Look for brands that are transparent about how and where their yarns were made. It's important to know that the workers involved in the material gathering, spinning, and dyeing of the yarn were safe and paid fairly, and that the animals were well taken care of. Yarns made by small artisan groups typically have short supply chains and are often co-owned by their artists.

High Quality: We asked longtime knitter and friend of ours, Heather, to give us her feedback on some of these brands. You'll see her thoughts below some of these brands, with hopefully more to come!

Our Favorite Sustainable Yarn Companies

What we love: This New York brand sells recycled silk yarns made by artisans from India and Nepal. In addition to its debut silk blend, it offers wool, linen, hemp, and banana-based fibers. Its materials are either upcycled from textile scraps or plant-based and locally sourced. Darn Good Yarn carries both naturally dyed and undyed yarns, practices ethical sourcing, pays fair wages, and maintains safe conditions throughout its supply chain. It also hosts a plethora of patterns and tutorials, so if you're a beginner, this is a great place to start. It offers a huge variety of yarn options, including more than half a dozen weights.

Heather says: " Darn Good Yard offers really fun color options and alternative fibers like recycled saris and ribbons. My favorites are the ombre recycled silk and the twisted sport weight for really interesting color-shifting knits."

Price Range: $15-$30 for individual skeins, $50-$300 for bundles.

What we love: This brand carries bright yarns with 100% natural fibers sourced from Peru. The materials, including sheep wool, baby alpaca, merino wool, and pima cotton, are locally cleaned, dried, and processed. It also carries recycled cotton blends, bamboo, and recycled T-shirt yarns. All of its yarns are dyed either manually or with dyeing machines. We Are Knitters carries certifications from RCS, GOTS, Fair Trade, and Oeko-Tex. It has a wide selection of colors and compositions and also offers a selection of 100% FSC-certified beech wood needles and hooks.

Watch out for: Its recycled blends contain a small percentage of unidentified fibers.

Heather says: " We Are Knitters offers great kits for knitters of all levels. They have great summer yarn options like bamboo, linen, and cotton, including recycled versions."

Price Range: $12-30 for individual skeins, $50-$250 for bundles.

What we love: This Virginia brand is led by an independent artist who hand-recycles sweaters, blankets, and knitwear by unraveling them into skeins of upcycled yarn. It only sources materials from natural fibers and offers cashmere, alpaca, linen, and cotton, as well as Shetland, lamb, and merino wool. The shop currently carries plenty of linen, wool, and cotton options, and uses recycled packaging.

Watch out for: Currently, there are much fewer options available for merino wool, Shetland wool, and cashmere.

Heather says: " Natural Recycled yarn does the incredible work of sourcing secondhand knitwear and giving it new life buy turning it back into workable skeins for new projects. If you're a knitter who loves experimenting, this is perfect. Each batch is as unique as the garment it came from. You won't be able to order more once you run out so measure your projects carefully before buying!"

Price Range: $12-$115 per whole recycled sweater bundle.

What we love: This beginner-friendly brand was born in 2004 in New York. It hand-makes chunky, colorful yarns from cotton, mohair, and merino wool sourced and dyed in Italy and the US. Its "Big Loop" yarn, which is made of merino wool and comes in several colors, is one of the thickest yarns on the market. In addition to its selection of sustainable yarns, it also sells over a hundred patterns and DIY kits and offers video tutorials for guidance.

Watch out for: There is little information available on the specifics of its supply chain. It currently only offers eight yarn types.

Heather says: " I love Loopy Mango Merino No. 5. It's one of the softest super-bulky yarns on the market for fast knits. They also sell that uber-chunky Big Loop yarn that makes statement pieces unlike anything else."

Price Range: $12-$200 for individual skeins.

What we love: Wool and the Gang makes bold, thick yarns that are designed with the knitting experience in mind. In addition to non-mulesing wool, its REACH-Compliant and Oeko-Tex-certified materials selection includes recycled denim, cotton, hemp, mohair, and Tencel. Its yarns are made in Peru, Turkey, or Guatemala. It has a responsible sourcing agreement with 91% of its suppliers. Each yarn type has a different weight, bulkiness, and comes in a wide variety of colors. Wool and the Gang also offers tools, kits, patterns, and tutorials on mending old knitwear. Its selection includes over 50 yarns and bundles.

Watch out for: Some of its yarns are blended with a small percentage of synthetics. There isn't much information available about its supply chain.

Heather says: "Wool and the Gang offers some of my favorite knitting/crochet kits and does collaborations with indie knitwear designers to keep things current and fun. Sugar Baby Alpaca and Feelin' Good Yarn are my top choices because I have a weak spot for baby alpaca yarns. It's my fail-safe choice when buying yarn online because it's always soft!"

Price Range: $3-$30 for individual skeins, $50-$300 for bundles.

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The Best Sustainable and Ethical Knitting Yarns For Your Next Project

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This post contains some affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase, EcoCult receives a small percentage of the sale price. We only recommend brands that we truly believe in. Support our editorial work by supporting them! For all the knitters and crocheters ready to take on the season, we have the perfect guide for you.

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mixing different fibres

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Blended fibres/blends combine 2 or more fibre substances into a single fibre strand or yarn with modified or changed properties and appearance of the fibre, yarn or fabric. Each fibre has a separate set of physical and aesthetic characteristics inherent in its design. The blended fibres are made to create the kind of fibre required to meet the specific needs of the industry.

Fibre blends have their own characteristics depending upon the type and the percentage of the specific fibres used. Each fibre in a blend adds not only favourable properties but also undesirable properties. Fibre blends, however, utilize the advantages of all fibre to counteract the disadvantages of every single fibre. Man-made fibres can be blended with one or more other fibres, either natural or man-made.

Blended Fibre

The most common example of this is the cotton polyester blend. Cotton is a cool, soft, strong, comfortable fabric and polyester is hard-wearing, lightweight, a poor absorber and elastic; combining them in one fabric gives the comfort and cool feel of cotton but which the hard-wearing, quick-drying and crease-resisting properties of polyester. It is easy to see why this is a popular blend.

Many other combinations are also desirable. For example, blending wool with nylon will make it more hard-wearing and it will be an easier fabric to care for. For these reasons, this combination is often used in carpeting. Silk is a very expensive fibre, but blended with polyester or one of the regenerated fibres, it becomes much cheaper to produce and can be easier to wash.

Many of the regenerated fibres are blended with synthetic fibres as they can be manufactured to an exact specification for a particular purpose, for use in many industrial products.

Mixed Fibre

A mixed fibre is where one type of yarn is mixed with at least one other in fabric production.

A common example is the mix of cotton yarns with Lycra yarns to give extra stretch and comfort to denim jeans, fitted shirts and swimwear. Mixes can also be made for aesthetic reasons such as in two-tone fabrics: for example, silk taffeta using black and red yarns to give the desired effect, or denim jeans with a blue and which yarns.

Mixed Fibre Yarn Analysis

Mixed fibre yarns are a combination of two or more strands of different fibres to form one yarn. Mixed fibre yarn may:

Be of any conventional or novelty construction

Contain two or more piles

Contain equal or unequal fibre percentages

Be of any twist tension desired

Classification of Mixed Fibre Yarns

Mixed fibre yarns are classified as spun blended yarns, blended ply yarns and mixture/combination yarns.

1. Spun blend yarns: Fibres from two or more textile sources are spun into a yarn. Spun blends may be of equal or unequal fibre percentages.

2. Blended ply yarns: Different fibre yarns are twisted together to form one yarn.

3. Mixture/Combination Yarn: Yarn utilizing two or more different types of different fibre contents.

Reasons for Blended and Mixed Fibres

Blended fibres and mixed yarn fabrics are produced for the following reasons:

1. To improve the appearance of a fabric (i.e. texture, colour, and tone)

2. To improve the quality of the fabric so that it is more durable, stronger, and can be more easily cared for

3. To improve the handle of fabric so that it drapes better is easier to sew and can keep its shape well

4. To improve the profitability of fabric so that it is cheaper to produce, and more desirable to customers.

Methods for Blending Fibres

There are 3 different methods used for blending fibres:

1. Opening method: Fibres are fed into the machine alternately from two or more bales.

2. Roving method: Different fibre strands are combined and twisted together drawing the slivers to a size suitable for spinning.

3. Spinning method: The combing of two strands twisted into a single yarn. Long finer fibres migrate towards the centre while shorter fibres remain to the outside.

New blends and mixes of fibres and fabrics

Manufacturers have been developing new fibres and fabrics since the first animal skin was used, and research and development continue each year. Different combinations give a wide range of fabrics for designers and consumers to choose from and improvements in this are always being made. New green fibres from plants and other natural sustainable sources, such as leaves and vegetables, are constantly being tested.

Peat has been used in Scandinavia to make the fibres that are rather like wool and felt; a company called Kultaturve has developed and designed a range of clothing for these fibres.

Most of these fibres can be blended and mixed with other fibres to improve their qualities; the peat fibre is often blended with other natural fibres to enhance its natural characteristics.

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Blended yarns usually offer the best of several worlds i,e the breathability of wool or cotton, the durability of acrylic or nylon. Blends take dye differently and offer different color effects as well.Fiber blending has for a long time been practiced in textile processing.

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how to wash rayon

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Rayon is one of the most versatile fabrics around, yet it remains somewhat of a mystery. That's partly because of its remarkable ability to shape-shift-not just literally, but also in terms of imitating other fabrics. Rayon has been known to take on the properties of silk, cotton, wool, and others, and can be used in nearly any type of clothing. This can make it challenging to pin down exactly what it is, how to launder it, and what type of weather it's best suited for. To help boost your familiarity with this ubiquitous fabric, keep reading to see everything you need to know about rayon.

In a nutshell, rayon is a fabric made from purified cellulose fibers, which are typically created from wood pulp. Though rayon is derived from natural materials, it requires certain chemicals, so it's considered to be a semi-synthetic fabric.

One of the most common types of rayon is viscose rayon, which has a lot in common with cotton. It's breathable, moisture-absorbent, and a popular choice for casual and athletic wear. It also shows up in dresses, blouses, and outerwear. Secondary types of rayon include modal rayon (typically made from beech trees) and lyocell (seen in everything from denim to dress shirts).

Laundering rayon takes a little extra consideration. Rayon is often blended with other fabrics (such as polyester and cotton), so washing instructions can vary significantly. While its texture and versatility make it an ideal choice for a range of apparel, rayon isn't a durable fabric, and standard machine washing can cause it to stretch, shrink, or bleed onto other articles of clothing. As a result, most experts recommend hand-washing rayon, but always be sure to check the care label instructions beforehand.

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What Is Rayon? Here's What You Should Know

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Rayon is one of the most versatile fabrics around, yet it remains somewhat of a mystery. That's partly because of its remarkable ability to shape-shift-not just literally, but also in terms of imitating other fabrics. Rayon has been known to take on the properties of silk, cotton, wool, and others, and can be used in nearly any type of clothing.

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mohair warp tips

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I'm on a few weaving groups on Facebook as well as following a number of rigid heddle weavers on Instagram. As I read the posts I learn a lot, some I agree with, some not so much. One idea that seems to be coming up a lot lately is mohair. Specifically, that one should not use mohair for warp. I must disagree!

I know why weavers believe this, I've experienced why weavers, after 1 attempt at a mohair warp swear never again, but I love the effect of a mohair warp. I love the light airy feel. I love the drape. I love the warmth. I love how far just a little bit can go. So, here are my tips for using mohair as warp, and a free "pattern" to make your own mohair wrap.

1. Use the right hedd!e. Mohair is sticky. If it is too close together you will have problems. I usually use my 7.5 (for 1000m/100g) or 5 dent (500m/100g)

2. Place an extra shuttle or pick up stick behind the reed as follows: with heddle in the down position place shuttle in the shed behind the reed. Slide shuttle as far back as possible. This shuttle will stay in the work for the entire project. I find the down shed is usually the stickiest. The shuttle helps and if it is too sticky and you can't get a clear shed: just slide the shuttle forward, flip it in its edge and voila!

3. Be prepared to spend extra time. Weaving with mohair does require a little extra patience. You will need to check to ensure the shed is clear before passing the shuttle through. You will probably spend time hand picking some threads apart. You may need a few s hooks to help with tension issues. You will need to be extra vigilant to ensure the right number of picks per inch.

4. After winding the work forward, place the heddle in the up position and spend a few minutes making sure there are no tangles behind the reed. This will make it easier to keep the up shed clear until you wind forward again.

5. Finally, have fun, try some lace or finger techniques. Mix and your warp, most of all, don't be afraid, it is after all, only string!

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I'm on a few weaving groups on Facebook as well as following a number of rigid heddle weavers on Instagram. As I read the posts I learn a lot, some I agree with, some not so much. One idea that seems to be coming up a lot lately is mohair.

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sustainability of rayon

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Rayon is a fiber from regenerated cellulose, generally derived from wood pulp. Rayon is usually made from eucalyptus trees, but any plant can be used (such as bamboo, soy, cotton, etc). To produce the fiber, the plant cellulose goes through a process involving a lot of chemicals, energy and water. Solvents used during the process can be very toxic to humans and to the environment. Viscose, modal, lyocell and bamboo are different types of rayon.

The other substantial environmental concerns arising from rayon production is the massive deforestation involved. Thousands of hectares of rainforest are cut down each year to plant trees specifically used to make rayon. Only a very small percentage of this wood is obtained through sustainable forestry practices.

Viscose (also called Artificial Silk or Art Silk) is the most common type of rayon. Viscose production involves a lot of chemicals, heavily harmful to the environment when they are released in effluents.

Modal, another type of rayon using beech trees with a similar process to viscose. The company Lenzing, selling modal under Lenzing Modal® only uses trees from sustainably harvested forests (PEFC certified) and employs an eco-friendly bleaching method. However modal is produced by many other manufacturers who don't necessarily use sustainable processes.

However, it is now rather easy to find sustainable rayon in the market. See more details in our sections about Lyocell/Tencel, Cupro, and sustainable viscose.

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Rayon, Viscose, Modal - SustainYourStyle

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Rayon is a fiber from regenerated cellulose, generally derived from wood pulp. Rayon is usually made from eucalyptus trees, but any plant can be used (such as bamboo, soy, cotton, etc). To produce the fiber, the plant cellulose goes through a process involving a lot of chemicals, energy and water.

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child-friendly properties of merino

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What is merino wool?

Merino wool is much finer and softer than regular wool. It is grown by Merino sheep that graze the highlands of Australia and New Zealand. Since the 12th century, when the breed originated, the sheep have developed the softest and finest fleece. They can withstand temperatures ranging from -20 C° up to +35 C°. And with modern day spinning technology and fiber treatments, merino wool makes for outstanding fabrics that outclass materials such as cotton or synthetics on all fronts. Merino wool brings style, comfort and performance together in perfect harmony.

Less washing, less ironing, more time to do the fun stuff!
" Nicest shirt I've ever owned.
I remember wearing wool shirts when I was a kid and feeling like I'd lose a layer of skin. Not so here! You wouldn't believe you are wearing wool. The cut and the feel of the material and attention to detail is fabulous. And no ironing which is a massive bonus! Simply put, this is a quality garment." - Gareth

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11 Reasons to wear merino wool (in summer AND winter)

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Merino wool is much finer and softer than regular wool. It is grown by Merino sheep that graze the highlands of Australia and New Zealand. Since the 12th century, when the breed originated, the sheep have developed the softest and finest fleece. They can withstand temperatures ranging from -20 C° up to +35 C°.

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merino wool vs standard wool

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Merino wool, the ultra soft fabric most commonly found in performance baselayers and socks, is one of the most sought-after materials in the outdoor gear world. But is it worth the hype? Below we break down the pros and cons of merino wool, including next-to-skin comfort, warmth, moisture wicking capability, stink prevention, and more. To tip you off on our conclusions: merino undoubtedly is expensive but worth it for those who value the comfort or need the performance.

What Exactly is Merino Wool?

Merino is a breed of sheep highly prized for its soft and finely crimped wool. From a technical perspective, the diameter of wool is measured in microns, and the lower the micron the finer and more expensive it is. Regular coarse wool can be 40 micron or more, but merino is much finer, starting at about 24 micron down to 15 micron and below. Because of its thin diameter, merino isn’t itchy or rough like thicker wools but still offers impressive warmth and moisture wicking capabilities. Originally from Spain, merino sheep are most commonly found in Australia, but also are being raised in the United States, New Zealand, South America, and elsewhere.

Next-to-Skin Comfort

Merino turns the notion that wool is itchy and uncomfortable completely on its head. Merino fibers are much finer and softer than standard wool and easy to wear all day. We commonly wear merino shirts as daily pieces, but they’re also our articles of choice for long-distance activities like backpacking or marathon running. A high-end merino shirt feels softer and lighter than cotton while outperforming it in warmth, moisture wicking, and temperature regulation. As a next-to-skin layer, merino wool is hard to beat.

The fine fibers of merino wool are incredibly comfortable

Warmth and Temperature Regulation

One of the reasons that merino wool is so popular is its warmth relative to weight. The fabric has a natural loft that traps heat very efficiently between the fibers, making it warmer than a synthetic of the same weight. But it’s also good in the heat as merino regulates your body temperature really well. Arguably, it’s just as good of a summertime material as it is winter. We consistently wear merino wool for running, hiking, and mountain biking for its comfort across a range of temperatures. In the morning, it’ll keep you reasonably insulated, but you’ll be cool, dry, and ventilated once you start working up a sweat.

Another benefit is merino wool’s ability to insulate when wet. If you step in a creek and get your hiking socks wet, it won’t compromise their ability to keep you comfortable. The same goes for your baselayer if you’re sweating heavily: the shirt won’t pin the cold, wet material against your body like cotton. Instead, it will keep you at a comfortable temperature and retain its soft feel.

Moisture Wicking and Breathability

For those unfamiliar, moisture wicking fabrics pull moisture away from your skin by absorbing it into the fibers. The moisture then moves through the fabric and evaporates through the exterior. Merino is touted as a having high levels of moisture wicking because of its ability to retain a lot of liquid relative to its weight (better than synthetic). Again, this is a natural property of the wool and another significant benefit to overall comfort.

Wearing the Smartwool Merino150 shirt on a backpacking trip

For the same reason merino wool keeps you comfortable by keeping you dry, it also encourages breathability. We’ve found the most breathable articles to be lightweight and thin (like the Smartwool Merino 150), which makes sense because air can pass through easily, allowing the fabrics to dry out. A mid or heavyweight shirt, sock, or pant can feel muggy when you’re working hard, but the performance still is good and compares well with high-end polyester.

Stink Prevention

Among the many benefits in using a natural fiber is one that both you and your adventure partners surely will appreciate: avoiding stink build up. Merino’s ability to absorb moisture without creating an environment to grow smelly bacteria is one of its “miracles.” To be clear, we’re not saying that you cannot make a merino shirt stink—we surely have—but it’s a night and day difference from a synthetic (even one with an odor fighting treatment).

Merino's odor resistance makes it ideal for multi-day trips

Depending on the specifics of your trip and the conditions, you can expect to wear merino for multiple days without it becoming smelly or feeling dirty. As a result, it’s a fantastic option for multi-day outdoor adventures, travel, or just about any time you’ll be working up a sweat and won’t be able to change layers for an extended period of time. For multi-day backpacking, climbing, and ski trips, merino simply is a no-brainer.

Durability

Durability is merino’s Achilles Heel, particularly for the lightweight varieties and areas prone to heavy wear. We consistently only get a couple seasons out of our merino wool baselayers and casual shirts (although you can expect a longer life if you don’t wear them every day like we do). Lightweight merino tops are most prone to developing holes, and our mid and heavyweight shirts have held up far better.

After pretty extensive use, this merino shirt is starting to break down

Merino wool socks, however, are a very different story. It’s not a perfect comparison because socks require nylon in the construction to create their structure, but the high-density knitting is proof that merino wool can be long lasting. In particular, Darn Tough hiking and ski socks hold up well to a lot of wear and even come with a lifetime guarantee. We’ve put exactly one hole in our drawer full of Darn Toughs over many years of using the brand, and that was the result of a pretty nasty mountain bike crash. Smartwool recently added Indestructawool technology for durability, which had become an issue in years past.

To extend the life of your merino products, wash them in cold water and line dry (even if the tag says you can machine dry, line drying helps prevent holes from forming). Market leader Smartwool also has a nice break down of how to care for wool socks and clothing here.

The High Cost of Merino

Merino wool is expensive and there’s no way around it. Hiking and skiing socks made with merino run from about $20 to $30 and merino shirts can easily exceed $100. Taking into consideration the limited durability, this is the most convincing argument to avoid the material altogether.

Cost is the biggest downside for merino wool

For example, you can get a high quality synthetic baselayer like the Patagonia Capilene Midweight for $69, while a comparable Smartwool top is $100. And the same holds true for underwear and socks. There is the occasional deal to be had—REI and L.L. Bean make a few merino items that aren’t prohibitively expensive—but in general, expect to pay at least 50% more for a 100% merino item. This doesn’t mean that merino isn’t worth it, but only for those that highly value its comfort or utilize its performance advantage.

Merino/Synthetic Hybrids

To further push the performance envelope, some brands are experimenting with merino and synthetic blends. The most impressive that we’ve seen are two baselayers: Patagonia’s Capilene Air and the Black Diamond Solution 150. The Capilene Air in particular is unique: it mixes Patagonia’s Capilene polyester and merino wool in a stretchy and incredibly warm design. The shirt is extremely expensive at $129 (and $149 for the hoody), but offers a fit and performance that 100-percent merino can’t match. On the other hand, the Black Diamond Solution 150 addresses merino’s tendency to break down quicker by wrapping merino wool fibers around more durable nylon. Again, this product is really pricey ($120 for the crew) but quite impressive from a performance standpoint. We fully expect more brands to look at these hybrid designs to pull out the best characteristics from the two types of fabric.

The ultra-warm Patagonia Capilene Air is a great cold-weather layer

Who Should Buy Merino?

We hike, run, and bike in our lightweight merino shirts in the warm months and turn to long-sleeve merinos in the winter for skiing and other cold-weather activities. The same goes for socks—we love merino and all we do is move to thicker designs as needed when temperatures drop. In addition to the incredible softness, a big driver is the fabric’s stink prevention, which makes them great for multi-day backcountry trips, high-exertion activities, and travel. And despite being a performance fabric with a high-end price, merino still is very enjoyable to wear every day of the week. The warm, next-to-skin feel is just as nice for daily use as it is as your baselayer on a summit push. Realistically, however, the core market for merino is the outdoors crowd and those are the folks that will most enjoy its benefits.

Keep in mind that merino is not for the weary: despite the high price, holes eventually will develop and you may have to move on from your pricey gear more often that you would like. For recommendations on specific merino wool gear items, see our articles on the best baselayers, hiking socks, and ski socks.

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Switchback Travel | Merino Wool: Is It Worth It?

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We explain whether merino wool is worth the high cost, detailing merino wool's comfort, warmth, moisture wicking, stink prevention, and durability.

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merino wool

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Australian Merino wool is the world's finest and softest wool in the world. Its natural benefits are so great that no other fibre - natural or man-made - can match it.

Australia also produces other types of wool, suitable for products such as wool bedding and home interiors, but it's Merino wool that is most-suited for luxury clothing, high-performance sportswear and next-to-skin apparel.

Fashion designers love this unique fibre for its quality and versatility - nothing else feels like Merino wool, looks like Merino wool, or wears like Merino wool.

How is Merino wool made?

Australian woolgrowers produce the world's finest wool from Merino sheep using sustainable farming practices. Unlike synthetics which are industrially produced from non-renewable fossil energy, Merino wool is a natural fibre grown year-round by Merino sheep, consuming a simple blend of natural ingredients including sunshine, water, fresh air and grass. Every year these sheep produce new fleece, making wool a completely renewable fibre.

Arguably the oldest-known animal fibre, wool is composed of a natural protein called keratin - the same protein found in human hair - with a small amount of calcium, sodium and fat. The surface of each fibre is covered in scales, which are important in making felts and traditional woollen cloths.
Merino wool is grown from Merino sheep.

Different types of wool

Not all wool is the same. Some wool is softer than cashmere, while others are hardier and more resilient, suitable for carpets and bedding. Wool can be divided into three main categories, based on the micron (diameter) of each fibre. One micron is equal to one millionth of a metre and fibre length is recorded in millimetres - these are the main measurements which determine the quality and use of the wool.

Fine: Wool with the finest micron comes from Merino sheep and is used for high-quality, soft-handling fabrics and knitting yarns. Fine wool is highly valued by the world's leading fashion houses and is the hero ingredient of many Woolmark collaborations.

Medium: Medium micron wool can be produced from a type of Merino or produced by crossing one breed with another (crossbreeding). Medium wools are used in a variety of woven apparel cloths, knitting yarns and furnishings.

Broad: Many different sheep breeds produce broader wools. Often these breeds are known as dual-purpose breeds because they are farmed with equal emphasis on meat and wool. Broad wool is useful for products such as carpets because of its strength and durability

The average micron of human hair is between 50 to 100 micron. Merino wool is generally less than 22 micron, which shows just how soft this premium fibre is.

Natural versus synthetic fibres

Natural fibres are produced by animals (wool) and plants (cotton) as fibrous materials that can be spun into yarn. Characteristics of natural fibres are that they:

Serve a purpose in nature;

Are produced by a living organism; and

Grow spontaneously, without need for human intervention.

Synthetic fibres are derived from fossil-fuelled/petroleum-based oils.
Comparison of common apparel fibres.

Wool - along with alpaca and cashmere - has a unique scale structure, with differing patterns depending on the animal which they come from. Cellulosic fibres - cotton, silk and linen - and synthetic fibres such as polyester do not have these unique scales. These scales are important for protection, felting behaviour and the handle of finished products such as apparel. They also provide a natural water-resistant surface.

Merino wool versus cashmere

Merino wool comes from Merino sheep - the breed of sheep offering the finest wool for luxury apparel and technical sportswear.

Cashmere comes from the hair of goats.

Years of innovative breeding have resulted in some ultrafine Merino wools to be naturally even finer than cashmere.

The world's best Merino wool comes from Australia, which provides 81% of the world's superfine wool, from woolgrowers who employ sustainable farming practices.

Cashmere primarily comes from Mongolia and China.

One sheep provides about 4.5 kilograms of wool fleece, whereas one goat provides only 0.2-0.3 kilograms of cashmere down fibres.

Merino wool is very easy to care for, with many wool clothes able to be washed in the washing machine.

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Australian Merino wool is the world's finest and softest wool in the world. Its natural benefits are so great that no other fibre - natural or man-made - can match it. Australia also produces other types of wool, suitable for products such as wool bedding and home interiors, but it's Merino wool that is most-suited for luxury clothing, high-performance sportswear and next-to-skin apparel.

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recycled yarns

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As well as reducing and reusing, many of us are now making efforts to make sustainable and eco-friendly choices with our purchases - and you'll be glad to learnt that this is easily achievable in the world of yarn too! Over the last few years we've seen yarn brands embracing new technology and creating innovative new yarns to meet the public demand for more sustainable products.

While you can choose to use natural fibres that are eco-friendly (such as biodegradable plant-based fibres), there's been a real trend in recent years for recycled yarn - made from a surprising array of materials. From reusing waste from the textile industry to transforming plastic bottles, from super-chunky cord style yarns to fancy 4ply yarns, there's a recycled yarn to suit almost any crochet or knitting project.

Take a look at some of our favourite recycled yarns and see if you can find one for your next project. You might also enjoy our pick of the best vegan yarns, and you can cut down on air miles by purchasing yarn made by any of the best British yarn producers.

Best Recycled Yarn

Hoooked Zpagetti Recycled T-shirt Yarn

One of our favourite companies that produces eco-conscious recycled yarns is Hoooked, who have specialised in creating 100% recycled yarns from their companies inception. The Hoooked Zpagetti yarn was their first ever product, and is still going strong. It's made from 100% recycled textile yarn made of superior quality selvedges and remnants from the textile industry. This super chunky t-shirt yarn is perfect for your big knitting and crochet projects as it not only works up fast but also has great strength and sculptural qualities, making fantastic rugs, cushions and more. It'll need to be worked with some large crochet hooks or needles - generally anything above 10mm (even going up to 20mm), and your arms will get quite a workout with such big stitches - but it really is loads of fun! The yarn comes in a bobbin form, which can vary slightly in weight depending on the composition of the textiles but is generally between 700-850 grams.

Lion Brand Re-up Recycled Cotton Yarn

When it comes to making eco-conscious choices when buying yarn, it's not solely about the fibre content - the production process also plays an important role. On average it takes 20,000 litres of water to make 1 kilogram of new cotton, so by using one 70 gram ball of Re-Up you are saving 1,400 litres of water. This 100% recycled cotton yarn is a great choice for your Aran weight projects, creating a fabric that is not only hardwearing but also soft and absorbent - perfect for projects like baby clothes and dishcloths. The Re-Up yarn is available in a selection of vivid and bright solid colours, as well as some awesome self-striping variegated shades too.

B&M Recycled Cotton Macrame Cord

Here's a recycled cotton that is great for those of you who want to try a few different colours of recycled yarn without having to spend loads. These 100% recycled cotton cords come with 200m of yarn in total, but split across the 7 shades (so approximately 28m of each colour). This cotton cord is described as being roughly 2mm thick and features a solid braid-style structure, which not only makes it perfect for macramé projects but could also be used for knitting or crochet projects too!

Paintbox Yarns Recycled Cotton Worsted yarn

Paintbox yarns have a few different types of cotton yarns in their range (including a recycled T-shirt yarn), but we're particularly fond of their Recycled Cotton Worsted range. Available in 10 sumptuous solid colours, this 100% recycled cotton Aran-weight yarn is incredibly versatile and hard-wearing, making it a go-to choice for your cotton projects.

New Wave Recycled Yarn

So far we've seen a few yarns that are made up of recycled cotton, but here's a yarn that takes recycling to the next level! The New Wave Yarn from Wool and the Gang is a gorgeously soft and lightweight tape-style yarn, but what's most amazing is it's fibre content - it's made from a blend of cotton and polyester - with the polyester coming from recycled plastic bottles, in fact 3 plastic bottles go into each ball of New Wave Yarn. As it's a tape-style yarn it'll work up similar to a chunky yarn, giving you nice big and quick stitches with superb definition.

Rowan Denim Revive Recycled DK yarn

If you want an extra dimension to your recycled cotton yarns, then we think you'll love the Denim Revive yarn from Rowan. Made up of recycled cotton and denim fibres, it's a fabulous DK recycled yarn that is packed full of character, with 12 gorgeous washed shades to choose from. The resulting knitted or crocheted fabrics have a gorgeous tweedy mottled effect with lovely flecks of colours, so whatever you make with it you know that it's going to look wonderful.

Yarn & Colors Amazing Recycled DK yarn

Many knitters and crocheters love using acrylic yarns, but don't love the fact that it's a synthetic material that is not easily recycled (at least with household recycling anyway) - but now Yarn & Colors have created a fabulous yarn that means you can treat yourself to a quality and affordable acrylic yarn that is also eco-conscious. The Amazing range from Yarn & Colors is a fantastic dk yarn made from 100% recycled acrylic fibres - collected from the waste produced in other acrylic textile production that would normally be thrown away. They then spin and dye it into one of 32 brilliantly bright solid shades, and with over 300m on a 100g ball you're getting plenty of value for money too!

Erika Knight Studio Linen Recycled yarn

If you're looking for eco-friendly yarn then linen is always a good choice - being plant based it's sustainable and biodegradable, but you can also take you your eco sensibilities one step further with this recycled linen form Erika Knight. The Studio Linen range comes in 19 pretty pastel shades, and is made up of 85% recycled leftover linen from industrial use, and is then combined with an extra 15% of premium linen. The result is a super lightweight recycled yarn with a lovely drape and a sumptuous shine.

Stylecraft ReCreate DK Recycled yarn

Here's a fabulous blend yarn that while being made from 3 different fibres, is 100% recycled! The Stylecraft ReCreate yarn is made up of 40% wool and 30% acrylic, which are both made from recycled garments, plus 30% of Polyester which is made from plastic bottles. The result is a fabulous Dk weight yarn with a soft and smooth feel to it, giving you superb stitch definition which will really show off your cables and other textured fancy stitches. It's available in 8 wonderful mottled shades.

Cascade Yarns Refine Recycled 4ply yarn

If you like the idea of a blended yarn that is made from 100% recycled materials, then Cascade Yarns ReFine yarn is another good choice. This fab yarn has a majority content of 75% recycled Merino wool, with an added 20% of Nylon and 5% viscose (again from recycled materials), all coming together to make a yarn that is both soft and lightweight, making it an excellent choice for your 4ply summer knitting and crochet projects!

King Cole Limited Edition Recycled DK yarn

King Cole already have a reputation for making top quality DK acrylic yarns, with their Big Value range proving popular among knitters and crocheters alike. But now they've expanded on their Big Value range with this limited edition 100% recycled acrylic yarn, which comes in 10 fun shades ranging from bold mustard yellow and dark blues to tweedy pinks and purples - don't miss out though, it's available for a limited time only!

Hoooked Wavy Blends Recycled Aran yarn

We do love a good yarn cake, and this Wavy Blends cake from recycling pioneers Hoooked has a whole host of extra reasons to fall in love with it! Firstly, it's made from 100% recycled materials (80% recycled cotton and 20% other recycled materials), and there's also a gorgeous colour gradient running through the whole cake. But it also features a fun construction, where the strands are made into one single braid (much like an i-cord), meaning you get a nice aran weight yarn to work with but that is still light and breathable. There's 9 fantastic colour combinations to choose from, so why not give one a try - we think you'll love it!

Back For Good Recycled Cashmere yarn

Maybe you like the idea of using a recycled yarn, but you just can't say no to luxury fibres? Then fear not, Wool and the Gang have you covered with their Back for Good Cashmere yarn! Cashmere has always been an expensive and luxury fibre as it takes a lot of animals (goats to be precise) to create a small amount of fibre, however with this aran yarn you can enjoy the luxury without the guilt, as it's made from 100% recycled Cashmere from garments and production waste. There's 6 lovely colours to choose from, which thanks to some selective sorting early in the process haven't required any additional dyeing either!

King Cole Forest Aran Recycled yarn

If you're after a yarn that has that lovely natural and homely feel, but still with those eco-friendly qualities, then you'll love the King Cole Forest range. With a blend of all recycled wool, acrylic, polyamide and viscose, this aran yarn comes in a range of 10 lovely natural and earthy tones - we particularly love the lavender style colours in the Delamore Forest shade.

Reborn Wool Recycled yarn

Our last recycled yarn is one for you real wool fans, as this Reborn Wool recycled wool from Kremke Soul Wool features 65% wool, with the rest being made up of recycled acrylic and polyester (again coming from those plastic bottles). The wool and acrylic that are used in these Aran skeins are made from recycled jumpers and textile waste, and Kremke Soul Wool are very honest about their fibre sources (for example, they're open about the fact that it's quite rare for modern garments and textile waster to be made from wool alone, so this is why they use garments that are 60% wool or more). The result is a lovely natural woolly feeling yarn, but with a little extra strength thanks to those recycled synthetic fibres.

We hope you've enjoyed our pick of the best recycled yarns, don't forget if you need any help with your crochet stitches you can always check out our crochet for beginners guide, and for knitters check out our knitting for beginners guide. And if you're looking to treat yourself, check out our list of the best crochet hooks or the best knitting needles.

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As well as reducing and reusing, many of us are now making efforts to make sustainable and eco-friendly choices with our purchases - and you'll be glad to learnt that this is easily achievable in the world of yarn too!

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information on dying yarn at home

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Previous Slide Next Slide Slide 1 Slide 2 Slide 3 Slide 4 Slide 5 Slide 6 Slide 7 Slide 8 Slide 9 Slide 10 {{ partial.tY7Z.headline }} Rit products are available at most major retailers. Or, you can buy them online. By continuing to use this site, you agree to the use of cookies.

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properties of slub yarn

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What does Slub Yarn mean? Yarn that is spun intentionally to achieve an irregular shape, in terms of length and diameter....

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properties of novelty yarn

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Novelty yarn is any specialty type of crafting yarn that has an unusual color pattern or texture. Some common types of novelty...

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different fancy yarns to use as tie-ins

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properties of mohair

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Mohair comes from the angora goat, (pictured) while angora comes from the angora rabbit, (pictured below).

There are three broad qualities of mohair: Kid, Young adult and Adult. Generally, the older the animal, the coarser the fibre, but older mohair is so hard wearing that it is ideal for floor rugs. Fibre from younger animals is excellent for socks. Mohair dyes beautifully and we often make the most of that by blending it with wool to produce some specialist yarns.

Almost all mohair is white, but some is silver. Lustrous mohair fibre responds well to dyes and produces some intense and attractive colours. Unlike wool, mohair is uncrimped and smooth and therefore sometimes difficult to spin; kid mohair can be spun pure, but to get better results we usually add wool to young and adult fibre and recommend blending 10-15% of fine wool with the other grades. The finished yarns are fluffy compared to wool.

Goats are also bred for their milk, meat and skin. Very little organic mohair is produced in the UK. South Africa is the world's largest producer.

The British Angora Goat Society

Most UK producers are members of the British Angora Goat Society (BAGS) which has a marketing subsidiary, British Mohair Marketing, which collects, grades and markets the fibre. Some major producers work independently as do smaller ones who have their own craft operations.

Cashmere also comes from goats, but very little is produced in the UK; most of what there is comes from Devon and Scotland. The bulk of the remainder is imported from Mongolia.

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Mohair comes from the angora goat, (pictured) while angora comes from the angora rabbit, (pictured below). There are three broad qualities of mohair: Kid, Young adult and Adult. Generally, the older the animal, the coarser the fibre, but older mohair is so hard wearing that it is ideal for floor rugs.

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hand stitched colour pops

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felting with multiple colours

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3d embroidered emellishments

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Off loom weaving

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wool within the home

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benefits of wool within bedding and sleep environments

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using cotton within interiors products

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add stripes of colour

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This beautiful form of Japanese folk embroidery uses a running stitch to create elegant patterns. Our in-house tech guru Sarah Griffiths is here to show you how it's done...

How to begin and end a thread

Step 1

To begin a thread, bring your needle up about 1½in in from the end of your stitching line. Take three small anchoring stitches back to the start of your line, working through the batting and top layer only. End with your needle going down and up at the start of the stitching line, only taking a couple of threads with this stitch. Make sure the tail of the thread is carefully pulled up between the layers of your quilt.

Step 2

Now begin stitching along the line, carefully covering your first three stitches. Try to use the same holes for the thread, or get as close as you can. Be careful not to split the thread of the anchor stitches and leave the thread a little bit loose to help cover them.

Step 3

To end a thread, carefully make three stitches in reverse, this time taking small stitches beneath the previous stitches. Work these stitches through the top and batting layer only. Gently pull the thread end and clip close to the quilt top, allowing the raw end to slip back into the batting.

How to start Sashiko stitching

Load your needle with several stitches. Sashiko needles are rigid, so you'll need to move the fabric onto the needle, rather than the other way around. The stitches on the back should be about half the length of the stitches on the front, giving long stitches with small gaps between.

Once you have a few stitches on the needle, push the needle through the fabric using a thimble. Pull the thread through, but don't pull it taught. You'll notice your fabric is slightly puckered. Use your thumbs to smooth the fabric over the thread, removing any puckers. If you still have thread left when you reach the end of a line, you can start a new line by running the thread a short distance through the batting layer. When you come up at the start of a new line, allow some slack in the thread to avoid puckering between the lines.

How to make a Sashiko quilt

Put your new-found Sashiko quilting skills to the test with our elegant mini quilt

You will need

One (1) fat quarter each of white, cream, stone, charcoal and black fabric

Backing fabric 24in square

Batting 24in square

Sashiko needle - this is a long, sharp and thick needle which helps you get straight, even lines of stitching.

Thimble - makes it a lot easier to push the needles through the layers.

Thread - traditionally white or black, but now there bold colours too Visit www.sewhot.co.uk for an amazing selection!

Notes

Seam allowances are ¼in, unless otherwise noted.

Binding fabric is included in the specified yardage.

We've pieced our quilt top by machine but you if you want to make your quilt completely from scratch, see our guide to hand sewing patchwork.

Finished Size

This is a mini quilt and will measure 20in square

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This beautiful form of Japanese folk embroidery uses a running stitch to create elegant patterns. Our in-house tech guru Sarah Griffiths is here to show you how it's done... To begin a thread, bring your needle up about 1½in in from the end of your stitching line.

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felting

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Try this free wet felting project for beginners tutorial if you are new to wet felting. In this tutorial you will learn the basics of wet felting while creating a beautiful wall hanging that can be framed or used like a piece of fabric to create anything you like. I will cover what equipment and materials you need and go through the step by step process to complete this simple wet felting for beginners project. Felting is a kid-friendly activity, and can be done indoors or outside.

Disclosure: This information may contain affiliate links which means if you click and buy, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See full Disclosure for detail

What is wet felting?

Wet felting is the process of creating a wool fabric from wool fibers using water, heat and soap. More information on how the fibers interweave and lock into place can be found on .

How to wet felt

Tip: Give yourself at least 5 hours to complete this project. As you become more fluently with your new felting skills you will be able to complete your felting projects in much less time.

Supplies needed

To begin, we need to gather some felting equipment, you may have most of this lying around the house. Other equipment can be purchased, however, I recommend trying wet felting out at least once to know for sure you like it before investing in good equipment.

Felting mat (such as bubble wrap)
Square sheet of paper (8 inches by 8 inches)
Jar or spray bottle
Pool noodle
Mesh screen
Large bowl
Liquid soap (I used Murphy's oil soap)
Plastic bag
Plastic sheet
Two towels
Sponge (optional for soaking up water)
Knee pads (optional)

Supply notes:
I use an 8 cm diameter pool noodle
Bowl should hold about 4 L
A plastic shopping bag will do
I used a thick plastic pillow case bag for the plastic sheet
The towels are for under the felting mat and one for drying your hands
Knee pads are highly recommended if you felt on the floor like I do

Felting equipment needed

Choose your wool

Now for some creative decisions! You'll need to source some wool. The options are endless and knowing what to use can be a challenge. My recommendation for your first time is to use something that felts easily and quickly.
For this project I suggest using merino felting wool. Roving is generally sold by the ounce, 1, 2, or 3 ounces. This is actually quite a lot of wool to invest in if you are unsure of your commitment to the hobby.

To save you come money I recommend buying a fiber sample pack such as the assorted merino roving and mixed fiber sample pack. This 7 oz fiber sample pack will give you a range of wool colours and different fiber types to experiment with.

In the picture below there is 1.5 oz of my background wool (the turquoise and purple) and almost two oz of the silk top which I will use for the decoration (blue, white and green).
You are unlikely to need this much for the decoration, but I would recommend having about of at least three colours to make 2.5 oz total.

The silk top is optional, but if you are interested in adding a beautiful texture and shimmer to your creation, I recommend mulberry silk fiber.

Directions

Step 1. Get set up

Tip: If you decide to felting outside, lay the wool out inside the house so a breeze or a puff or wind doesn't blow the fibers around. Then, move the party outside once the fibers have been wet down in place and are not going to be blown about.

Lay your towel down with the 12 inch square piece of paper in the middle. Then place one piece of bubble wrap on top, bubble side facing up. The piece of paper will serve as a guide for the edges of the roving.

Step 2. Pulling the fibers

The fibers need to be pulled in small bits called shingles. That's right, like shingles on a roof. To do this first tear the roving down the middle into two long pieces, then again so you have 4 long strips. Then hold one length of the wool loosely between your thumb and fingers about 10 cm away from the end. With your other hand, use your thumb and index finger to gently tease out the wispy end of the fiber in one motion.

Your shingle should be wispy, about 1 cm in width and at least 5 cm in length. Keeping your hands loose and being gentle is important to avoid breaking the fibers into short sections.

Although this technique is being taught in 'wet felting for beginners' it is the technique you will use for almost all of your felting projects, no matter what skill level you advance to. It is that important.

Step 3. Laying the wool fibers

Working from left to right layout small shingles of the wool in one direction in overlapping rows. When you gently tease the roving out you'll notice that the edge under your thumb has a straight edge and the other is much more irregular. It is important that the edge of your felting is lined with the straight edge.

Step 4. The second layer

Once the first layer is created you will create another layer on top with the shingles facing 90 degrees to the first layer. Again, remember the rows of shingles should overlap one another.

If you would like to see a 13 minute video on how to lay your wool fibers out, check out Katia Mokeyeva's tutorial .

Step 5. The third layer

A third and final layer is needed. This layer should be 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the second layer, i.e. the same direction as the first layer.

Step 6. Reinforce the edges

To finish off the third layer, reinforce the edges. To do this, add a single row around the edges. Each shingle should be perpendicular to the layer below.

Step 7. Sprinkle on warm soapy water

Add a teaspoon of liquid soap to the jar and fill it with lukewarm water.

Lay the fly screen gently over the wool and make sure it covers all edges.

Take the jar of warm soapy water and slowly pour it down the back of your hand and fingers as you move it above the fly screen.

Step 8. Spread the water

To spread the water and soak all the wool, take a plastic shopping bag and scrunch it up into a ball. Gently rub the shopping bag around the top of the fly screen to spread the water, adding little or no weight to bag. The fly screen should not move. Do this for about 1 minute.

Step 9. Mop up excess water

To remove excess water lay a towel down over the fly screen and gently press down. We want to leave some water behind so that the wool is wet but not enough that is leaking from the edges.

Step 10. Remove fiber glass screen

Now gently lift off the fly screen by peeling it away from one edge. Make sure that the fibers are not moved in the process. If the fibers stick to the screen you may need to re-wet as in Step 5 and leave more water in step 7.

Step 11. Add decorations to the wool

Now it is time to decorate the piece. So far, we have just created a 'blank canvas'. The design you use is up to you. You can easily add or remove bits of wool as the background is separate at the moment due to the process of wetting it down first. Once you are happy with your decorations repeat steps 5 to 8 to wet down the decoration layer. If you are looking for ideas, I recommend checking out , to see many beautiful felted landscape wall hangings.

Step 12. Begin felting

It is time to being felting. First, we must create a felted skin on the piece. This is important so that we can increase the agitation later on and avoid creating holes or moving the decorations. It is important to be very very gentle initially. To do this, lay the other piece of bubble wrap (bubble side down) on the piece. Then take a sheet of clear plastic bag and lay that over it.

Gently roll the pool noodle over the piece. This will spread the soapy water and add pressure to help create that felted 'skin' on the surface of the wool. Do this for about a minute.

Step 13. Gently rub the wool

Next, add a little soapy water to the top of the plastic and spread it around with your hands. It is important to add gentle pressure as you rub the piece without moving the bubble wrap or plastic, so you may need to reapply some water and soap as necessary to ensure lubrication. The amount of pressure needed is only the weight of your hands. The middle of the piece will felt faster than the edges so work on the edges twice as much as anywhere else.

Step 14. Do the pinch test

After 10 minutes of this gentle rubbing it is time to check your progress. Lift one corner of the bubble wrap and pinch the top layer of the piece. If the fibers are loose and come away easily you will need to repeat Step 10. If they have formed a felted 'skin' then take the clear plastic sheet off and slowly flip your piece over and repeat step 10 on the backside of the piece. As you flip it water is likely to leak out, clean this up from your area with the spare towel. Water management is important wool that has too much water added to it won't felt as quickly.

Step 15. Roll the felt

With a good felted 'skin', it is now time to roll it for a bit. Roll the piece (blubble wrap and everything) up in the pool noodle. If you like you can tie some string around it, but I don't both because we only do this for a few minutes. Roll it along using both hands. After 30 seconds re-roll it with the piece turned 90 degrees so it shrinks evenly in each direction.

Step 16. Scrubbing the edges

Once both sides have a good 'skin' we can start fulling the piece to get it really felt. Start with the edges and once they are done you may find you don't need to felt the center. This is because as you agitate the edges the middle is also agitated. Remove the top plastic sheet and bubble wrap.
Drizzle on some hot, non-soapy water to a single edge of the piece. Placing the tips of your fingers on the corner gently move the piece back and forth over the bubble wrap underneath. The agitation and heat will quickly felt and shrink the piece in that area so only do this for a few seconds or so before moving up the edge. I like to count to 4 then move my finger tips up along the edge and repeat all the way to the next corner. Once one edge is done move onto the next and add hot water prior to scrubbing it back and forth. Do this until all edges are done.

Tip: Too much water will actually slow the felting process down. So it is important to manage the amount of water there is soaking the felt (and potentially your floor). If there is too much water just cover with the fly screen with a towel or soak it up with a sponge. This is also good way of getting rid of cold water before adding hot water to the felt.

Step 17. Edge management

Once the edges are felted you may notice them become wavy, or the corners may be elongated. The are ways to even out the edges and corners and make them look more regular if you would like, however, there is nothing wrong with leaving them like this. Extra felting is needed in these areas to make them shrink more. If that doesn't work for you, visit How to finish felt edges and fix mistakes.

Step 18. Rinse the felt with fresh water

Once you are happy with the extent of shrinkage (about 30% of the original size) it is time to gently squeeze out the water, rinse it in cold fresh water to get rid of the soap and iron it.
Set your iron to steam (or the silk setting if there is silk in your felt) and spend about 10 minutes ironing to flatten out the edges and corners.

Other tutorials you might like

Recommended reading

To learn more about felting and designing and planing felting projects, look no further than the amazing book Creating Felt Artwork: Felting & Stitching by Rosie Pink.

Looking for more felting ideas for kids?

'The Crafty Crow' website has an amazing collection of felted art made by kids. Take a look at Cassi's article Beginning Felting with Kids: 8 Felted Wool Crafts , for other felting ideas for kids crafting activities.

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Wet felting for beginners - your step by step guide to wool felting * Fibercurious

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This step by step wet felting guide will teach you the foundational skills and techniques needed for wet felting. You will learn what equipment and wool you need, where to get these supplies, and how to make a felted wall hanging of any size.

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colour changing panels - play with colour in your environment

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Multi-colored LEDs integrated within beautiful, noise absorbing textile panels for dynamic color-changing lighting effects.

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different types of plastic

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The world is full of plastics. Whether you realize it or not, practically everything you see and use on a daily basis is entirely or partly plastic material. Your television, computer, car, house, refrigerator, and many other essential products utilize plastic materials to make your life easier and more straightforward. However, all plastics are not made alike. Manufacturers utilize a variety of different plastic materials and compounds that each possess unique properties.

Below is 7 of the most popular and commonly used plastics:

Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Polycarbonate (PC)

Polyethylene (PE)

Polypropylene (PP)

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)

Let's take a look at each of these distinctive plastics in more detail.

1. Acrylic or Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Well-known for its use in optical devices and products, acrylic is a transparent thermoplastic used as a lightweight, shatter-resistant alternative to glass. Acrylic is typically used in sheet form create products such as acrylic mirrors and acrylic plexiglass. The transparent plastic can be made colored and fluorescent, abrasion-resistant, bullet-resistant, UV-tolerant, non-glare, anti-static and many more. In addition to being than glass and polycarbonate sheeting, acrylic is seventeen times more impact resistant than glass, easier to handle and process, and has endless applications.

2. Polycarbonate (PC)

Tough, stable, and transparent, polycarbonate is an excellent engineering plastic that is as clear as glass and two hundred and fifty times stronger. Thirty times stronger than acrylic, clear polycarbonate sheets are also easily worked, molded, and thermo-formed or cold-formed. Although extremely strong and impact-resistant, polycarbonate plastic possesses inherent design flexibility. Unlike glass or acrylic, polycarbonate plastic sheets can be cut or cold-formed on site without pre-forming and fabrication. Polycarbonate plastic is in a wide variety of products including greenhouses, DVDs, sunglasses, police riot gear, and more.

3. Polyethylene (PE)

The most common plastic on earth, polyethylene can be manufactured in varying densities. Each different density of polyethylene gives the final plastic unique physical properties. As a result, polyethylene is in a wide variety of products.

Here are the four common polyethylene densities:

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

This density of polyethylene is ductile and used to make products like shopping bags, plastic bags, clear food containers, disposable packaging, etc.

Medium-Density Polyethylene (MDPE)

Possessing more polymer chains and, thus, greater density, MDPE is typically in gas pipes, shrink film, carrier bags, screw closures, and more.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

More rigid than both LDPE and MDPE, HDPE plastic sheeting is in products such as plastic bottles, piping for water and sewer, snowboards, boats, and folding chairs.

Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)

UHMWPE is not much denser than HDPE. Compared to HDPE, this polyethylene plastic much more abrasion resistant due to the extreme length of its polymer chains. Possessing high density and low friction properties, UHMWPE is in military body armor, hydraulic seals and bearings, biomaterial for hip, knee, and spine implants, and artificial ice skating rinks.

4. Polypropylene (PP)

This plastic material is a thermoplastic polymer and the world's second-most widely produced synthetic plastic. Its widespread use and popularity are undoubted because polypropylene is one of the most flexible thermoplastics on the planet. Although PP is stronger than PE, it still retains flexibility. It will not crack under repeated stress. Durable, flexible, heat resistant, acid resistance, and cheap, polypropylene sheets are used to make laboratory equipment, automotive parts, medical devices, and food containers. Just to name a few.

5. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET)

The most common thermoplastic resin of the polyester family, PET is the fourth-most produced synthetic plastic. Polyethylene Terephthalate has excellent chemical resistance to organic materials and water and is easily recyclable. It is practically shatterproof and possesses an impressive high strength to weight ratio. This plastic material is in fibers for clothing, containers for foods and liquid, glass fiber for engineering resins, carbon nanotubes, and many other products that we use on a daily basis.

6. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

The third-most produced synthetic plastic polymer, PVC can be manufactured to possess rigid or flexible properties. It is well-known for its ability to blend with other materials. For example, expanded PVC sheets are a foamed polyvinyl chloride material that is ideal products like kiosks, store displays, and exhibits. The rigid form of PVC is commonly in construction materials, doors, windows, bottles, non-food packaging, and more. With the addition of plasticizers such as phthalates, the softer and more flexible form of PVC is in plumbing products, electrical cable insulation, clothing, medical tubing, and other similar products.

7. Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)

Created by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene, ABS is robust, flexible, glossy, highly processable, and impact resistant. It can be manufactured in a range of thicknesses from 200 microns to 5mm with a maximum width of 1600mm. With a relatively low manufacturing cost, ABS plastic sheeting is typically used in the automotive and refrigeration industries but is also in products such as boxes, gauges, protective headgear, luggage, and children's toys.

To learn more about industrial plastic and its infinite uses, call or contact A&C Plastics, Inc.

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Types of Plastic | Learn What is Plastic Made Of & Different Types of Plastic - A&C Plastics

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Learn about the seven most popular types of plastic at A&C Plastics. With our expertise, we are prepared to answer all of your questions about plastic. What is plastic made of? What are the different types of plastic? Find out that and more at A&C Plastics.

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can using plastics be sustainable

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The disposal of plastics is a global problem. They are nearly indestructible in natural conditions but are discarded worldwide on a large scale. The world produces around 359 million metric tons of plastics each year. Nature cannot address the amount of their disposal at a speed fast enough to prevent harm to living beings.

There is a consensus that plastics are an unsustainable material. And yes, plastics are certainly an enormous problem, but they don't necessarily have to be. The main issue is with our linear economic model: goods are produced, consumed, then disposed of. This model assumes endless economic growth and doesn't consider the planet's exhaustible resources.

Most people believe that plastics recycling is severely restricted: that only a few types can be recycled at all. This is unsurprising. The proportion of plastics that are recycled is minimal. The UK, for example, uses five million tonnes of plastic each year, and only 370,000 tonnes are recycled each year: that's just 7%.

But all polymers are, technologically, 100% recyclable. Some of them have the perfect cradle-to-cradle lifecycle: they can be used again and again to produce the same goods. Some plastics can be reused just as they are by shredding an object into flakes, melting it, and reusing.

Such recycled plastics may have lower mechanical properties compared to virgin plastics, because each time you melt and process a plastic, the polymeric chains degrade. But these properties can be recovered by mixing it to additives or virgin plastic. Examples of successful industrial recycling include PET - poly(ethylene therephtalate), which is used to make soft drinks bottles, and polystyrene.

Alba_alioth/Shutterstock.com

All of the rest can technically be reprocessed into new materials for different applications. In the final instance, any plastic waste can be shredded and used as filler for asphalt, or be pyrolysed to produce fuel. The Japanese company Blest Corporation already sells a portable machine to convert domestic plastic waste into fuel in a simple, affordable way.

The problem is that recycling much of this plastic waste is currently unfeasible and unprofitable. Polymers such as rubbers, elastomers, thermosets and mixed plastic waste are comfortably labelled as "unrecyclable" by the recycling sector. But the amount of these materials all over the world is frighteningly large and keeps on growing. What if this plastic waste could be used to produce something useful to society?

Many universities and entrepreneurs are attempting to do this. Most solutions target mixed plastic waste and suggest applications different from the original ones. For example, several groups have developed building materials made of plastic waste.

Plastics are strong, durable, waterproof, lightweight, easy to mould, and recyclable - all key properties for construction materials. So what if all of this plastic waste could be converted into building materials for low-income populations? Existing initiatives are promising, but not yet reproducible on an industrial scale.

Plastic building blocks

I study plastic waste with the specific aim of finding interesting ways to remove it from the environment. Since 2009, I have developed a number of building materials made of post-consumer plastics mixed with different waste-stream materials. From agricultural wastes such as sugarcane bagasse - a by-product of the sugar industry in Brazil - and coffee dregs, to concrete waste and construction debris, compounded with recycled plastics, there are many ways to obtain materials to produce bricks, roof tiles, plastic lumber and other useful elements for building.

Our team is currently trying to develop a viable building block made of recycled plastics. We have prepared a range of prospective materials using a mix of virgin and recycled plastics - coloured PET bottles, polypropylene, polyethylene - and other local waste-stream materials - hemp, sawdust, concrete waste and red mud.

We are currently adjusting the properties of the materials for the rotomoulding process, a plastics moulding technology which is ideal for making large hollow articles. We want to use the maximum amount of recycled plastics in this block. Blocks made of 25% recycled plastics have performed extremely well in mechanical tests. Next we'll try 50%, 75% and 100%.

We are also thinking about the aesthetics of the blocks. Blends of recycled mixed-colour plastics usually end up with a grey or black colour. To enable colour, we are preparing blends of virgin or recycled plastics to overlay the main bulk of the block.

Building from waste

So perhaps plastics are not necessarily the problem. They can be part of a pathway towards a more sustainable way of living. Using a natural or renewable resource is not necessarily environmentally friendly. The ecological footprint of a polymeric material is smaller than that of natural materials, which have a sizeable demand on arable land, clean water, fertilisers and regeneration time.

According to the Global Footprint Network, before the pandemic we were demanding 1.75 times the available resources of the planet. Working with the "unrecyclable" waste and developing plastics alternatives to natural materials may reduce this demand and leave a cleaner and more sustainable planet for the next generations.

Building materials made from recycled plastics are not yet widely used in the construction industry - prototypes have mainly been used for demonstrative installations. It will take political will and widespread environmental awareness to encourage more investment into the potential in plastics recycling.

But hopefully the tide is beginning to turn, as a consequence of the increasing pressure from public opinion about the plastic pollution matter. Thanks to the engagement of government and industry to the idea of a circular economy, it seems that there will be an opening in the market - and in people's minds - to welcome plastic initiatives to replace conventional building materials.

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Plastics could help build a sustainable future - here's how

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The disposal of plastics is a global problem. They are nearly indestructible in natural conditions but are discarded worldwide on a large scale. The world produces around 359 million metric tons of plastics each year. Nature cannot address the amount of their disposal at a speed fast enough to prevent harm to living beings.

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Sakiori - Japanese Weaving Technique

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add smaller stitched details after

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Do you want to add beautiful machine quilting texture to your quilts but aren't sure where to start? Check out this list of 10 tips for successful quilting on your home machine.
Photos via Christa Quilts!
1. Find as much table surface area as you can for quilting.

A drop-in table where your machine sits flush with the bed of the table is ideal for free-motion quilting on a domestic machine. Gravity will pull the weight of your quilt down and cause it to drag, creating friction, which prevents good stitches from forming. By getting the quilt up off the floor and onto a table, this will prevent drag from occurring. If you don't have a drop-in table, use the largest table top surface you have access to, and set up portable tables around you to control as much of the bulk as you can.

2. Match thread colors in both top and bobbin.

When you're threading your sewing machine, you'll want to be aware of thread choice. Unless your tension is absolutely perfect, you may see dots of bobbin thread showing through on the top of the quilt, or your needle thread poking through on the backside. To eliminate this, use a matching thread color in both the top and bobbin of your machine. They don't necessarily have to be the same weight or even the same fiber content, but by using matching colors, you will prevent all of those little "pokies" from being seen!

3. Hide your mistakes with busy fabric prints and thin, blending threads.

By using multicolored "busy" fabric prints, all you will see is the texture of your quilting rather than any less-than-perfect stitches. Choose a thin (50 weight or less) cotton or polyester thread for machine quilting in a color that blends in with your quilt top. This helps prevents a "thready" look to your quilt and hides all sorts of mistakes!

4. Practice on scraps and small projects first.

It may be tempting to want to dive in and begin working on a large quilt right away. However, just as you should practice the steps of cutting and piecing before you make your first quilt top, practice makes perfect with free-motion quilting, too.

Start off by making a few practice samples: two 10″ or larger scraps of fabric with a layer of batting in between. You can play with different thread combinations, try out a variety of batting types, check your tension, and stitch out a few designs to see how they look. Keep these samples as a reference and make notes along the way.

When you are happy with your results, make a small project such as a potholder, table runner or baby quilt, and give it away. The recipient will be pleased and will not notice your imperfections!

5. Quilt all of your quilts yourself. (This is another way to say practice makes perfect.)

Most quilters spend a lot of time piecing but then outsource the quilting to someone else, so they never get comfortable with the machine quilting process. If you force yourself to quilt all of your own quilts from the beginning, your machine quilting skills will be in line with your piecing skills, and you can improve both techniques one quilt at a time.

6. Choose simple quilting designs.

Just as your first quilt will most likely be made from a simpler design using large squares, strip piecing, or pre-cuts, choose a simple quilting design that will complement it. For example, you can quilt effectively with a walking foot utilizing straight lines, or with your free-motion foot in an allover stipple or swirly design.

I like to use a technique that I call "stitch near the ditch" when making charm quilts. I select a decorative stitch on my machine and simply quilt over the seam lines in a blending thread. It's a quick way to quilt and does not have to be perfect to create beautiful texture. I can always go back in later and add more quilting if desired.

7. Come up with a quilting plan before you quilt.

I like to take photographs of my quilt tops or sketch them out on the computer using quilt design software (such as Electric Quilt). I then draw my quilting motifs on the printed paper before I start quilting. This allows me to "audition" designs and see how they will interact with the pieced top. It also helps me figure out where I need to move across the quilt while quilting.

8. Educate yourself.

I read a lot of books and take a lot of quilting classes to improve my techniques. My favorite online classes are Quilting Big Projects on a Small Machine with Ann Petersen, and Design It, Quilt It: Free-Form Techniques with Cindy Needham. Both classes focus on teaching you how to quilt your own quilts on a domestic machine.

9. Fill in your background areas with lots of texture.

Contrary to popular belief, some of the most intricate looking free-motion quilting designs are actually the easiest to stitch out. The key to adding beautiful background texture is variety and asymmetry. You can use stencils and washable marking tools to place key elements of your quilting design, then fill in all the spaces around them with dense background quilting in a variety of sizes.

10. The most important tip: develop a can-do attitude!

Most people are not natural born artists. Many of us have to work at what we do and take the time to acquire the skills needed to be successful. Just as you had to learn how to print your name in school before you learned cursive, learning machine quilting skills takes time and practice, too. Your first completed quilt may not be perfect, but you can call it your own and then move on to the next one!

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Free-Motion Quilting for Beginners: 10 Tips

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Do you want to add beautiful machine quilting texture to your quilts but aren't sure where to start? Check out this list of 10 tips for successful quilting on your home machine. Photos via Christa Quilts! A drop-in table where your machine sits flush with the bed of the table is ideal for free-motion quilting on a domestic machine.

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natural dyes - foraging

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After years of studying and planning and digging and weeding, we are very excited to have launched Field & Forage Yarn; yarn naturally dyed by fibre artist, Megan Samms, exclusively with raw plant materials grown, gathered, or salvaged from the local area. 18 colours coaxed from the earth through the slow processes of growth, harvest, and transformation. As much as it is a beautiful collection of yarn, Field & Forage is a study in the tradition and philosophy of colour.

It is easy to take colour for granted. When you look around the physical environment, you see it is full of things painted, dyed, stained, and printed a myriad of colours, but where does that colour come from?

Traditionally, colour was harvested from plants, trees, bugs, and other growing things. It was a slow process that required more than a little bit of patience and expertise, and conformed to the seasonal cycles of sowing, growth, death, and decomposition. Vibrant colours such as blues and reds where extremely rare and coveted - wars were fought for them - while others, such as yellows and greens, were relatively easy to obtain. Colour was used sparingly to decorate cherished items.

With the invention of synthetic dyes in 1856, all that changed. The challenging tradition of growing colour was abandoned as, with increasing ease, monetarily inexpensive, vibrant colours were synthesized and distributed to industries around the world. Quickly, the human environment was transformed to the one we know today - a world with blue houses and red cars. Yet, all that colour comes at significant environmental and social cost (costs we've written about before in our blog, Announcing the CWM Natural Dye Club 2017, so we won't get into them today).

Here at the mill, we spend a lot of time thinking about colour and, in honesty, we have a complicated relationship with it. Dyed colour at a wool mill is a necessary thing - no one wants to do all their knitting or crafting in natural sheep shades of white and grey only - but we feel concerned about the environmental and social impact of standard textile dyes. Even though we take great effort to source and use the least impactful synthetic dyes available, as we become increasingly aware of their far reaching consequences (even with many dyes accepted under 'organic certification'), we find ourselves searching for a different answer.

Field & Forage is the beginning of that search; a self immersion in the origins of dyed colour and a return to the basics where colour is part of an environmentally and socially ethical cycle. All of the dyes were either grown here at the mill or in the community under regenerative agriculture growing practices, gathered as invasive species from sensitive Alberta landscapes, or salvaged waste from other uses here in Alberta. It was created entirely, from fleece to dyed yarn, within the Alberta economic environment where people were payed a first-world living wage for their efforts.

On that note, at $36.00 per skein, you will find that Field & Forage yarn is not cheap. We hope you will find value in knowing the environmental and social cost of colour is more fully paid in the monetary price per skein, and we recommend that you cherish the colour and use it sparingly. It is a foundational principle at the mill that our products should be accessible to anyone in our society who wants to knit; we believe that, like food, environmentally and socially ethical, high quality textiles should not just be reserved for the weathly, and price has been a big concern for us throughout this process. However, when paired with our natural sheep shade yarns, we believe Field & Forage can bring an elegant detail of colour to a project that is, overall, still very affordable.

To those of you who have been following along and encouraging us in this project through visits to the mill and through social media - thanks! We hope you enjoy the end product as much as we have enjoyed the process.

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Field & Forage Naturally Dyed Yarn: a study in colour

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After years of studying and planning and digging and weeding, we are very excited to have launched Field & Forage Yarn; yarn naturally dyed by fibre artist, Megan Samms, exclusively with raw plant materials grown, gathered, or salvaged from the local area. 18 colours coaxed from the earth through the slow processes of growth, harvest, and transformation.

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different techniques for felting - maybe weave with wool and felt after?

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Felting : How to do it properly in 10 steps - Sew Guide

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Easy ways to make felt using different fibers and the best fibers that should be used to make the matted textured fabric

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general info about animal fibres

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Animal Fibers are textile fibers obtained from animals. They are basically hair or fur or skin or secretions of animals.

These fibers are then woven or knitted or felted to form beautiful Animal fabric and ultimately made into soft and warm jackets, ponchos, blazers, wraps, shawls, coats and other clothing and accessories. Carpets, rugs and blankets are made with rougher fibers.

The animal fibers are of many kinds and are differentiated according to the animal it is taken from, their chemical structures, the way they are obtained and the fiber length. They are all made up of protein.

The animals are raised as fiber animals. The coarse, longer hairs, hairs of medium thickness and the undercoat are segregated, cleaned and they are sold as luxury fibers.

Sheep, camel, goat, and rabbit are the commonly used animals for providing animal fibers which are very soft in texture; Horse, cows and pigs give straight fibers which are less soft. Have you considered feather of birds as a fiber - it is one too.

This is the fiber obtained from the wool of alpaca, a variety of camel native to South America (Peru). It's wool is soft, and very warm. It can be blended with wool and silk to create beautifully soft textiles.The fabric made from these fibers is greatly valued for its softness and warmth.

Angora is the soft white hair of Angora Rabbit. It is used to make very high quality knitwear. China is the biggest producer of this fiber.

This is an animal found mostly in America and Europe. The fur of the animal is very soft and silky and has a good shine.

Camel hair is a very soft fiber and because of its rarity, a very expensive fiber. It is usually blended with wool to reduce the prize. You also can be duped into buying wool that dupes the look of camel hair. The two-humped Bactrian camels of Mongolia gives the softest of camel hairs. China, Afghanistan and Iran produce the most camel fibers in the world. The color of the fur varies from a light tan to a brownish-black colour and comes with a flat surface or with a nap. The quality also varies.

This fiber is made from the hair of the Indian Cashmere goat. It is found in India, Tibet, Iran, Iraq, China, Persia, Turkestan and Mongolia. The original color of this soft and silky fiber can be white, black, brown or gray but they are then dyed into different appealing colors and woven and knitted into the softest most exquisite fabric. It is also delicate on its own and very expensive so it is blended with wool. More on Cashmere fabric here.

You get fox hair in colors ranging from black to red, silver, silver-gray and white.

It is taken from an animal in Argentina. The resultant fabric is very soft and has a natural honey beige color.

Hair has a wooly texture and it is used for felting

Llama wool is obtained from llama, a domesticated South American camel variety. It is very similar to alpaca wool. Llama fibers are lightweight strong, durable, lanolin-free and hypoallergenic but not as fine as alpaca fibers. The color ranges from white to brown and black.

This is made from the hair of the North African Angora goat. Mohair is very soft and lightweight. South Africa is the biggest producer of Mohair fibers. It smooth, glossy, and wiry and is a much in demand fabric for dressmaking, hatmaking and for upholstery purposes.

Muskrat is an animal found in North America with a very fine and thick blue-gray hair resembling that of the beaver's.

This is very silky and soft fibers taken from an animal found in South America

Opossum is an animal found in the USA, Australia and Argentina. The fur is loose, grayish and white-tipped.

Wild rabbits have brownish or gray colours. Tame ones range in colour from white to black.

Raccoon is found in America and it has a fur that is grayish-brown and black.

Silk is an animal fiber made from the secretion of silkworms and it is the strongest of all natural fibers. There are many different varieties of silkworms. The mulberry leaf eating silk worms gives the softest silk fibers. Wild silk worms fed with other leaves like oak tree leaves give out silk fibers which are rougher.

You can learn more about Silk and How it is made here. ; and different types of silk

Wikipedia says that Vicuna is the most expensive of all wool. It is obtained from a variety of camel found in Peru and makes the finest and softest fabric in the world.

This Wool refers to the hair of the domestic sheep/lamb. The hair of sheep is the most commonly used animal fiber. It is long, thin and curly. Merino wool make a particularly soft and warm fiber. Australia, China and New Zealand produce most of the wool fibers of the world.Learn more about wool here.

There are many varieties of Weasels. Some Weasels have a yellowish brown fur, some have white fur (Ermine). It is extensively used in the fur industry.

Yak is a very soft wool and is obtained from coat hair of yaks found mainly in Mongolia. It is hypoallergenic, The undercoat of the yak is especially soft, even considered as soft as Cashmere.

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Animal Fibers : The 20 main types that turn into beautiful {ANIMAL FABRIC} - Sew Guide

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Animal Fibers are textile fibers obtained from animals. They are basically hair or fur or skin or secretions of animals. These fibers are then woven or knitted or felted to form beautiful Animal fabric and ultimately made into soft and warm jackets, ponchos, blazers, wraps, shawls, coats and other clothing and accessories.

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durable and water resistant - would be good for outdoor products

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Malai - (noun) a newly developed material made from entirely organic and sustainable bacterial cellulose, grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India.

We work with the local farmers and processing units, collecting their waste coconut water (which would otherwise be dumped, causing damage to the soil) and re-purposing it to feed the bacteria's cellulose production. One small coconut-processing unit can collect 4000 litres of water per day, which we can use to grow 25kg of cellulose.

Malai is a flexible, durable material comparable to leather or paper. It is water resistant and because it contains absolutely no artificial 'nasties' it will not cause any allergies, intolerances or illness. It is a completely vegan product and as such you could even eat it!*

*but it's way too pretty for that...

The world 'Malai' refers directly to the creamy flesh of the coconut and it is the coconut water (a by-product from the harvesting of this flesh) that sustains the bacteria whilst they are producing the cellulose, which is then in turn collected and refined until it becomes the finished material: Malai.

We can produce it in sheets (with a range of thicknesses) and we have also developed a process whereby we can create seamless three-dimensional vessels or objects using a moulding technique (technology under development).

Malai is available in a range of colours achieved through the use of mordant-free natural dyes, and it can develop a soft sheen or patina over time.

Malai will last many years if properly cared for, however should you wish to have a clear-out, it can simply be placed in with your compostable rubbish and it will naturally break down.

Malai is a very user-friendly material. Because of its entirely natural composition it is sensitive to humidity, much like paper or leather. To ensure it remains at its best we suggest applying a thin layer of beeswax (either a clear shoe polish or a furniture grade beeswax) or coconut oil (to continue Malai's completely vegan credentials) to the surface to ensure it remains moisturised. This is especially advisable during hot, dry weather or after cleaning.

Yup, don't panic if you spill something on your Malai or if it becomes dirty because it can be wiped clean with a damp cloth and then left to air-dry (although it won't survive a trip through the washing machine). We advise against drying with intense heat or ironing it as this may cause damage. When it has dried, applying beeswax (see above) will help restore it to its original condition.

Although tough by nature and designed to remain in good condition for many years, Malai will eventually start to break down. We cannot predict the exact rate at which this will happen because it is very specific to its treatment and the environment but if properly cared for a product from Malai shall last anything from 4-8 years.

Although we do not operate a repair service, should damage occur please contact us and we will endeavour to suggest how it could be fixed.

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Malai - (noun) a newly developed material made from entirely organic and sustainable bacterial cellulose, grown on agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in Southern India. We work with the local farmers and processing units, collecting their waste coconut water (which would otherwise be dumped, causing d

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properties of different types of wool

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The shorn coat of the sheep is probably known since the Bronze Age as a textile material. The ancient Egyptians already opened wool factories on large scale to process this precious material.

Until the 19th-century wool was considered a precious material and the wearing of woolen clothing was a privilege for wealthy citizens. Only since sheep's wool was imported in Europe from Australia and New Zealand it became available in sufficient quantities, so the warming material was affordable for the rest of the population.

The sheepskin consists of the outer, stiff and coarse hairs, which serve as protection against the weather, as well as the inner, soft and fine hair, which regulate the body heat. The actual sheep wool is extracted from the inner hair.

Characteristic of the fluffy material is the flaky outer layer of the hair and its ripples, which is very different depending on the breed. The more uniform the fiber structure, the better the quality of the wool.

During wool growth, sebaceous glands produce the body's own fat lanolin, which wraps around every woolen hair and binds the hair together so that no moisture gets on the skin. Lanolin is also used as a cosmetic product and in medicine.

The shaved fur of sheep is also called fleece. The best wool grows on the back and on the sides. On average, each sheep delivers 3.5 kilograms of wool, depending on race and age. Through the breeding of the past centuries, the amount has approximately tripled.

Felt is also made from the raw wool: for this purpose, the fibers are rolled and densely intertwined under the influence of moist heat, pressure, and soap. Wool is considered to be one of the best and healthiest raw materials available for textiles: depending on their quality and strength, the yarns are used for outerwear, stockings, sportswear, up to rustic knitwear and carpets. Hats and slippers are made from felt.

The benefits of wool

It seems surprising, but since ancient times it has been discovered that wool has healing properties. Experts believe that the therapeutic effect is based on gentle contact with the skin. The fine fiber thus stimulates the blood capillary system, helping to increase the body's natural healing power. Thanks to the mild heating effect, the muscles relax. The micro massage of wool yarns rivals with preso-puncture and reflexology. The thicker the fabric or the wool, the greater is its energy action. That is why home-made objects of natural wool are beneficial for sick or elder people.

The woven yarns accumulate and maintain the air, thus achieving the thermo-regulation effect. Wool absorbs moisture and dust, acting as an organic filter for the body. The material contains a natural substance called lanolin, with anti-inflammatory and impermeable, so wool, although it absorbs moisture (up to 30% of its weight), does not give the feeling of wetness. The moisture evaporates slowly, and the wool remains dry.

Asides from some its more controversial properties, that are still up for discussion, wool does have other important benefits that are recognized both by those who use it for industrial properties, as well as those who prefer handmade and organic clothing.

Water repellent. The interplay of the two fiber parts which compose the wool is responsible for the moisture management of the wool. The multilayer outer shell is hydrophobic, so water repellent. But it lets water vapor pass through the fiber. Thus, it is possible that wool fibers can absorb about 30% of their own weight of water without the wool feeling wet.

Mechanical self-cleaning. Another fiber-based property of wool is its mechanical self-cleaning quality. Put quite simply, strands of two different types of fibers entwined with each other in a liana-like manner in the filament trunk swell to different degrees when moisture is absorbed and released. Firmly connected, they put the wool fiber in motion. This self-movement of the fiber repels dirt particles lying on the fiber surface. These dirt particles remain only on the surface, they cannot penetrate into the fiber. Due to this natural process, wool doesn't get dirty so fast.

Chemical self-cleaning. The chemical self-cleaning power of wool is remarkable and responsible for its comfort. The complex physical and chemical structure of a wool fiber allows it to absorb or neutralize a variety of chemicals. Whether this is hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, toxic carbon compounds based on benzene or the ingredients of cigarette smoke, wool "destroys" these foreign substances. That's why wool clothing doesn't smell so much even when it's dirty.

Non-flammable and antistatic. Finally, wool is both non-flammable and antistatic. A spark burns quickly a hole in synthetic clothing, while wool remains unaffected. And anyone who has ever felt a "spark" when touching a metal door handle or had their hair standing up after putting on a blouse made of synthetic material knows how to appreciate the wool's lack of static charge.

Types of wool

You might think that all wool comes from sheep or that all wool is the same, but this is not true. Wool differs in density, color, shininess and other important properties, depending on its origin.
1. Lambswool
Like for the most types of wool, the best quality lamb wool is obtained from the first shearing of the sheep. This is considered the softest and finest wool and it typically shorn from lambs that are not yet seven months old. Sheep produce wool depending on their bread, age, and other health factors, but the yield is about 1 to 13 kilos annually. Some breeds produce wool that is more resilient, usually used for carpets, rugs or upholstery, while the softer wool is used for clothing.

Merino sheep

2. Merino wool
It's considered to be the finest and softest sheep wool and it's named after a sheep breed. Merino wool is popular among luxury clothing brands. It's so fine that it can have a diameter of down to 17 microns. Merino sheep originated from Spain, but now most of the Merinos come from Australia (up to 80%).

Merino needs to be processed because it can be spun to a yard and because the wool needs scouring to get rid of the fatty grease lanolin. However, only about half of the initial fleece can be used to produce clothing items.

3. Cashmere
Cashmere is obtained from goats, more precisely from the undercoat of the Cashmere goat. Cashmere is an extremely fine material. The diameter of the fiber is around 18 microns, which makes it similar to the finest merino. The fines cashmere is collected from the neck region of the undercoat and need to be combed over one to two weeks. One goat usually yields only about 150 grams of cashmere each year, which explains why this material has such a high price.

Although cashmere has resilience similar to the one of sheep's wool because it's finer it's more delicate and softer on the skin. In most cases, when cashmere is finished into clothing, the nap is raised on the wool to further improve its softness.

4. Mohair
Mohair wool should not be confused with the angora yarn obtained from the Angora rabbit. In fact, mohair is obtained from the Angora goat. It has a distinctive frizzy look because the guard hairs from the topcoat are often mixed from the hairs from the undercoat. Mohair fibers have a slightly larger diameter, of about 20-40 microns, similar to wool, but they are stronger and smoother because they are also longer. Like in the case of wool, the finest mohair is obtained from the first three shearings of the Angora goat.

Angora goats are farmed in a similar way to sheep, but on a much smaller scale, hence the higher price of mohair. One Angora goat yields between 3- kilos of mohair in a year.
5. Angora
Angora is obtained from the undercoat of the Angora rabbit. The fiber is very fine, only about 10-15 microns in diameters. This is why Angora is so incredibly soft compared to all other types of wool. The quality of angora depends on the proportion of the guard hair mixed with the undercoat.

There are four rabbit breeds used for the production of the angora. These are the English rabbit, the French rabbit, the Giant rabbit, and the Satin rabbit. Because angora fibers are not as resilient, they are mixed with stronger elastic materials. The production of angora is costly and often questionable for ethical reasons. The rabbits are kept in separate cages and in near darkness to protect their undercoat.

The hair of the Angora rabbit grows quickly, but one rabbit can produce only up to 400 grams of hair each year.

6. Alpaca
Alpaca wool is obtained from the hairs of the Alpaca, an animal native from South America which produces some of the finest hair. Alpaca hairs are very fine and soft, having a diameter of only 15-40 microns, but those that are over 30 microns can be itchy so they're not suitable to make clothing items. In most cases, alpaca fibers are blended with other wool to improve its draping qualities.

Alpaca hair is a natural hypoallergenic, making it superior to other types of wool like cashmere and it needs less preparatory steps. As there are different breeds of Alpaca, the quality of the hairs also differs. The Suri Alpaca is a very rare breed, so the hairs collected from it are very expensive. On the average, an Alpaca can yield about 3.5 kilos in a year.
7. Camel
The undercoat of camels is very soft, making it a good choice for producing clothing items. Camel hair also has very good insulation properties, even better than wool. However, there is also an important disadvantage to camel hair, asides from being rarer to obtain - it's less resilient and can become worn out easily.
8. Qiviut
This is a fiber obtained from the domesticated Alaskan musk ox and it usually has a taupe-grey color. The main advantage of this fiber is that it's eight times warmer than wool, although it has the same weight. Therefore, it's used for gloves, sweaters, hats, scarves and other types of winter clothing.

Vicuna

9. Vicuna
This is a very expensive wool, if not the most expensive, as it's sold for up to 3,000 $ per yard. It's considered to be one of the softest and finest fibers, but it's also very rare, especially since the Peruvian government has strict guideline regarding the harvesting and exporting of vicuna, the animals that produce this wool.
10. Llama
Related to the alpaca, the llama produces a type of fiber that is naturally glistening. The llama fibers are weaker and coarser, but they're suitable to produce warm clothing items. However, llama fibers are rarer, so you won't find many items made of this wool on the market, compared to other types of wool.
11. Cashgora
This is a less common type of fiber obtained from a crossbreed of an Angora doe and a Cashmere buck. It's finer than mohair, not as fine as cashmere fibers, so more like something "in between".

11 amazing facts about wool

In an archaeological site in Egypt, clothes made of wool some 3,400 years ago were discovered, which highlights the fact that people have found it useful since antiquity.

That feeling of itching that some people experience while wearing wool is actually due to the uneven thickness of the wool fibers from which the coat is made, the standard thickness is 28 microns.

On the label of natural wool garments there always appears the letter S followed by a number. They precisely determine the fineness of the wire used in the finished product, measured in microns. In the same way, on some labels, you can find the Super S lettering followed by a number. This sign certifies that the best, purest and finest wool was used, which is also freshly collected, called virgin wool. Also, on the labels where Super S appears, it can also be said that virgin wool was mixed with rare wool such as cashmere, alpaca or mohair. According to international standards, the number scale goes up to 210 at the moment.

The record for the fastest shearing of a sheep is held by Hilton Barrett from Australia, with 39.31 seconds. Wool can be extended up to 70% of its natural length without breaking.

A product can be labeled as 100% natural wool under EU rules, as long as it contains no more than 5% inadvertent impurities.

Wool is made from fibers collected from various other mammals, not only sheep. The fibers can be twisted into yarn and then textiles.

Modern wool fibers range from 16 microns to 40 microns.

Wool was used as a valuable commodity for centuries. For example, when King Richard I was captured in 1192 by the Holy Roman emperor, Cistercian monks paid their part of the ransom in 50,000 sacks of wool.

Wool is used not only for clothing but also in other industries, like the producing of piano dampers or absorbent pads.

It's a biodegradable material, which can be used including fertilizing plants because it contains 17% nitrogen.

Wool can absorb and repel water at the same time.

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11 things to know about wool - types of wool

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The shorn coat of the sheep is probably known since the Bronze Age as a textile material. The ancient Egyptians already opened wool factories on large scale to process this precious material. Until the 19th-century wool was considered a precious material and the wearing of woolen clothing was a privilege for wealthy citizens.

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fungus makes bio leather waterproof - outdoor materials?

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Dutch designer Emma van der Leest believes that bio-leather might one day replace animal leather in the fashion industry and is developing a fungal coating to make the material more versatile.

Although there are various plant-based leathers commercially available, many of them include a small amount of polyurethane (PU) to make the material water-repellent and durable. As a result, these materials are not fully biodegradable, and so are arguably less eco-friendly than animal leather.

Van der Leest is exploring whether fungus can be used instead of plastic to make these plant-based leather materials more sustainable.

As well as testing different types of fungus in the lab, she has designed a speculative brand identity for the future product, which she calls Fungkee.

"To take a biomaterial and coat it with PU, which of course is plastic, doesn't really make sense to me," said Van der Leest.

"In nature there are all kinds of different waterproof coatings, on leaves, on mushrooms, on the shields of insects," she told Dezeen. "I made it my goal to find a fungus that could coat this material."

Based on initial results from the lab, the designer believes a product could be developed in the next five to 10 years.

"In 10 years, I can see a lot of companies and designers using this product," she told Dezeen. "That's my wish."

Van der Leest is developing the concept in partnership with cell biologist Aneta Schaap-Oziemlak. In 2019, the pair were awarded the Bio Art & Design Award, a €25,000 prize that helped them get their research off the ground.

They spent six months working with mycology experts Paul Verweij and Sybren de Hoog of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, over which time they were able to prove their concept works.

For the initial tests, Van der Leest chose a specific type of bio-leather made from bacterial cellulose. This material is effectively grown, by cultivating bacteria and yeast in a vat of liquid.

Van der Leest became familiar with this material after working with Suzanne Lee of BioCouture, a designer who has pioneered bacterial bio-materials.

Notpla is a biodegradable material designed "to make packaging disappear"

"That was when I realised how difficult it is to create 100 per cent naturally grown material from organisms," she said.

"Even then, you still need to design in properties that make the material water-repellent."

The concept developed by Van der Leest and Schaap-Oziemlak is for a fungal coating that doesn't just cover the material but actually wraps the cellular structure.

They create this coating by cultivating mycelium spores in liquid and found one particular fungus that gave them the result they were looking for.

"We saw fungal strains growing invasively through the material, which was a good sign," said Van der Leest.

"They weren't biodegrading the material, they were using it as a kind of home. That was one of our goals."

Although the coronavirus pandemic caused delays to the research, the designer plans to continue pursuing her goal of turning Fungkee into a commercially viable product.

Her ambition is for the coating to be used both by industry and consumers. As well as bio-leathers, she hopes to be able to replace PU in other textiles, for instance, on tent fabric.

"It's very interesting to see how you can develop materials or products that are more natural, but with the help of modern science you can scale them," she added.

Fungkee was exhibited at the recent Dutch Design Week, in an exhibition titled It's in our Nature.
Dutch Design Week ran from 16 to 24 October 2021 at venues across Eindhoven. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Emma van der Leest develops fungal coating to make bio-leather more durable

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Dutch designer Emma van der Leest believes that bio-leather might one day replace animal leather in the fashion industry and is developing a fungal coating to make the material more versatile. Although there are various plant-based leathers commercially available, many of them include a small amount of polyurethane (PU) to make the material water-repellent and durable.

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using every component of wool production

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Background

As with many discoveries of early man, anthropologists believe the use of wool came out of the challenge to survive. In seeking means of protection and warmth, humans in the Neolithic Age wore animal pelts as clothing. Finding the pelts not only warm and comfortable but also durable, they soon began to develop the basic processes and primitive tools for making wool. By 4000 B.C. , Babylonians were wearing clothing of crudely woven fabric.

People soon began to develop and maintain herds of wool-bearing animals. The wool of sheep was soon recognized as one of the most practical to use. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, wool trade prospered. The English had become proficient in the raising of sheep, while the Flemish had developed the skills for processing. As a result, the British began to sell their wool to the Flemish, who processed the raw material and then sold it back to the English.

The ambitious British soon realized the advantages of both producing and processing their own wool. As Britain began to prosper, it sought to enhance its position by enacting laws and embargoes that would stimulate its domestic production. Some laws, for example, required that judges, professors, and students wear robes made of English wool. Another law required that the dead be buried in native wool. When the American colonies began to compete with the motherland, the English passed a series of laws in an attempt to protect their "golden fleece." One law even threatened the amputation of the hand of any colonist caught trying to improve the blood line of American sheep.

Today, wool is a global industry, with Australia, Argentina, the United States, and New Zealand serving as the major suppliers of raw wool. While the United States is the largest consumer of wool fabric, Australia is the leading supplier. Australian wool accounts for approximately one-fourth of the world's production.

What for centuries was a small home-based craft has grown into a major industry. The annual global output is now estimated at 5.5 billion pounds. Though cotton is the number one plant used for fabrics and the number one fiber overall, the number one source for animal fiber is still wool.

Raw Materials

While most people picture only sheep when they think of wool, other animals also produce fine protein fiber. Various camels, goats, and rabbits produce hair that is also classified as wool.

In scientific terms, wool is considered to be a protein called keratin. Its length usually ranges from 1.5 to 15 inches (3.8 to 38 centimeters) depending on the breed of sheep. Each piece is made up of three essential components: the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla.

The cuticle is the outer layer. It is a protective layer of scales arranged like shingles or fish scales. When two fibers come in contact with each other, these scales tend to cling and stick to each other. It's this physical clinging and sticking that allows wool fibers to be spun into thread so easily.

The cortex is the inner structure made up of millions of cigar-shaped cortical cells. In natural-colored wool, these cells contain melanin. The arrangement of these cells is also responsible for the natural crimp unique to wool fiber.

Rarely found in fine wools, the medulla comprises a series of cells (similar to honeycombs) that provide air spaces, giving wool its thermal insulation value. Wool, like residential insulation, is effective in reducing heat transfer.

Wool fiber is hydrophilic-it has a strong affinity for water-and therefore is easily dyed. While it is a good insulator, it scorches and discolors under high temperatures. Each fiber is elastic to an extent, allowing it to be stretched 25 to 30 percent before breaking. Wool does, however, have a tendency to shrink when wet.

Design

While some of the characteristics of wool can be altered through genetic engineering of sheep, most of the modifications of design are implemented during the manufacturing of the fabric. Wool can be blended with any number of natural or synthetic fibers, and various finishes and treatments can also be applied.

Different types of fleece are used in producing wool. Lambs' wool is fleece that is taken from young sheep before the age of eight months. Because the fiber has not been cut, it has a natural, tapered end that gives it a softer feel. Pulled wool is taken from animals originally slaughtered for meat and is pulled from the pelt using various chemicals. The fibers of pulled wool are of low quality and produce a low-grade cloth. Virgin wool is wool that has never been processed in any manner before it goes into the manufacturing phase. This term is often misunderstood to mean higher quality, which is not necessarily the case.

These wools and others can be used in the production of two categories of woolen fabrics: woolens and worsteds. Woolens are made up of short, curly fibers that tend to be uneven and weak. They are loosely woven in plain or indistinct patterns. Usually woolens have a low thread count and are not as durable as worsteds. They do, however, make soft, fuzzy, and thick fabrics that are generally warmer than their counterparts.

The mechanization of the woolen cloth industry provides a heady example of the extent of nineteenth-century industrial change. Every step of the process, except shearing the sheep and sorting the wool into different grades, was mechanized between 1790 and 1890. Only the organic aspects of shearing live animals and the value judgments required of human sorters resisted mechanical replication until the twentieth century.

Growth of the American woolen trade was based on more than mechanical change, however. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, American sheep provided wool that was quite satisfactory for "homespun," the rough, durable cloth woven by hand on looms owned by professional weavers who set up shop or moved from town to town with their looms. But domestic cloth was overshadowed in quality by imported material.

Several varieties of sheep bred in England and Europe produced wool vastly superior in quality to American-produced wool. The importation of breeds such as the English Southdowns and Spanish Merinos improved domestic quality and allowed the American woolen industry to compete with the best imports.

The Merino sheep, in particular, with their deeply wrinkled folds producing large quantities of wool, caused a stir among American farmers in the early part of the century. A few "gentlemen farmers" avoided Spanish export restrictions and imported some Merinos. As wool prices rose during the embargo of 1807, a "Merino craze" occurred that pushed the price of fine wool and purebred animals to record levels. Then, in 1810, an American diplomat arranged the importation of 20,000 purebred Merinos, and the woolen industry from Vermont to Pennsylvania to Ohio was changed forever.

William S. Pretzer

Worsted fabrics are made of long, straight fibers with considerable tensile strength. They are usually woven in twill patterns and have a high thread count. The finish tends to be hard, rough, and flat. Also, the insulation

value is normally not as high as woolens. Worsted fabrics also tend to be more expensive than woolens.

The Manufacturing
Process

The major steps necessary to process wool from the sheep to the fabric are: shearing, cleaning and scouring, grading and sorting, carding, spinning, weaving, and finishing.

Shearing

1 Sheep are sheared once a year-usually in the springtime. A veteran shearer can shear up to two hundred sheep per day. The fleece recovered from a sheep can weigh between 6 and 18 pounds (2.7 and 8.1 kilograms); as much as possible, the fleece is kept in one piece. While most sheep are still sheared by hand, new technologies have been developed that use computers and sensitive, robot-controlled arms to do the clipping.

Grading and sorting

2 Grading is the breaking up of the fleece based on overall quality. In sorting, the wool is broken up into sections of different quality fibers, from different parts of the body. The best quality of wool comes from the shoulders and sides of the sheep and is used for clothing; the lesser quality comes from the lower legs and is used to make rugs. In wool grading, high quality does not always mean high durability.

Cleaning and scouring

3 Wool taken directly from the sheep is called "raw" or "grease wool." It contains sand, dirt, grease, and dried sweat (called suint); the weight of contaminants accounts for about 30 to 70 percent of the

fleece's total weight. To remove these contaminants, the wool is scoured in a series of alkaline baths containing water, soap, and soda ash or a similar alkali. The byproducts from this process (such as lanolin) are saved and used in a variety of household products. Rollers in the scouring machines squeeze excess water from the fleece, but the fleece is not allowed to dry completely. Following this process, the wool is often treated with oil to give it increased manageability.

Carding

4 Next, the fibers are passed through a series of metal teeth that straighten and blend them into slivers. Carding also removes residual dirt and other matter left in the fibers. Carded wool intended for worsted yarn is put through gilling and combing, two procedures that remove short fibers and place the longer fibers parallel to each other. From there, the sleeker slivers are compacted and thinned through a process called drawing. Carded wool to be used for woolen yarn is sent directly for spinning.

Spinning

5 Thread is formed by spinning the fibers together to form one strand of yarn; the strand is spun with two, three, or four other strands. Since the fibers cling and stick to one another, it is fairly easy to join, extend, and spin wool into yarn. Spinning for woolen yarns is typically done on a mule spinning machine, while worsted yarns can be spun on any number of spinning machines. After the yarn is spun, it is wrapped around bobbins, cones, or commercial drums.

Weaving

6 Next, the wool yarn is woven into fabric. Wool manufacturers use two basic weaves: the plain weave and the twill. Woolen yarns are made into fabric using a plain weave (rarely a twill), which produces a fabric of a somewhat looser weave and a soft surface (due to napping) with little or no luster. The napping often conceals flaws in construction.
Worsted yarns can create fine fabrics with exquisite patterns using a twill weave. The result is a more tightly woven, smooth fabric. Better constructed, worsteds are more durable than woolens and therefore more costly.

Finishing

7 After weaving, both worsteds and woolens undergo a series of finishing procedures including: fulling (immersing the fabric in water to make the fibers interlock); crabbing (permanently setting the interlock); decating (shrink-proofing); and, occasionally, dyeing. Although wool fibers can be dyed before the carding process, dyeing can also be done after the wool has been woven into fabric.

Byproducts

The use of waste is very important to the wool industry. Attention to this aspect of the business has a direct impact on profits. These wastes are grouped into four classes:

Noils. These are the short fibers that are separated from the long wool in the combing process. Because of their excellent condition, they are equal in quality to virgin wool. They constitute one of the major sources of waste in the industry and are reused in high-quality products.

Soft waste. This is also high-quality material that falls out during the spinning and carding stages of production. This material is usually reintroduced into the process from which it came.

Hard waste. These wastes are generated by spinning, twisting, winding, and warping. This material requires much re-processing and is therefore considered to be of lesser value.

Finishing waste. This category includes a wide variety of clippings, short ends, sample runs, and defects. Since this material is so varied, it requires a great deal of sorting and cleaning to retrieve that which is usable. Consequently, this material is the lowest grade of waste.

Quality Control

Most of the quality control in the production of wool fabrics is done by sight, feel, and measurement. Loose threads are removed with tweezer-like instruments called burling irons; knots are pushed to the back of the cloth; and other specks and minor flaws are taken care of before fabrics go through any of the finishing procedures.

In 1941, the United States Congress passed the Wool Products Labeling Act. The purpose of this act was to protect producers and consumers from the unrevealed presence of substitutes and mixtures in wool products. This law required that all products containing wool (with the exception of upholstery and floor coverings) must carry a label stating the content and percentages of the materials in the fabric.

This act also legally defined many terms that would standardized their use within the industry. Some of the key terms identified in the Act are:

Wool. Refers to new wool. Can also include new fiber reclaimed from scraps and broken threads.

Repossessed Wool. Material that is obtained from scraps and clips of new woven or felted fabrics made of previously unused wool.

Reused Wool. Wool obtained from old clothing and rags that have been used or worn.

The Future

The current widespread use and demand for wool is so great that there is little doubt that wool will continue to maintain its position of importance in the fabric industry. Only a major innovation that encompasses the many attributes of wool-including it warmth, durability, and value-could threaten the prominence of this natural fiber.

Where To Learn More

Books

Botkin, M. P. Sheep and Wool: Science, Production, and Management. Prentice Hall, 1988.

Corbman, Bernard P. Textiles: Fiber to Fabric, 6th ed. McGraw-Hill, 1983.

Ensiminger, Eugene. Sheep and Wool Science. Interstate Printers, 1970.

Periodicals

Hyde, Nina. "Fabric of History: Wool," National Geographic. May, 1988, p. 552.

Ryder, Michael L. "The Evolution of the Fleece," Scientific American. January, 1987, p. 112.

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How wool is made - material, manufacture, making, history, used, processing, parts, components, structure

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As with many discoveries of early man, anthropologists believe the use of wool came out of the challenge to survive. In seeking means of protection and warmth, humans in the Neolithic Age wore animal pelts as clothing. Finding the pelts not only warm and comfortable but also durable, they soon began to develop the basic processes and primitive tools for making wool.

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why using wool is sustainable

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Wool has long been accepted as an environmentally positive fibre choice with a number of benefits, such as being 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable. Not to mention that it is thermo-regulating, easy to care for, and can be repaired and enjoyed for years and years.

Increased consumer anxiety over climate change and a desire for complete transparency has challenged every brand to rethink their approach to business and best practice. This includes their material choices - the fibres selected to create products, and how these materials are produced.

Wool is the original eco fibre

Currently cotton and synthetic fibres are the most widely used and produced fibres globally. And yet they do not share the same performance, repairability and environmental credentials as wool. From the raw material stage on a farm to driving the adoption of cleaner wool processes and technologies, wool offers the opportunity to create high quality, durable, comfortable and beautiful products that have been created with the land and biodiversity at centre stage.

Many textiles and fibres are made from carbon-based products, but only some, such as wool, are made from renewable atmospheric carbon. When disposed of, wool acts like a fertiliser by slowly releasing valuable nutrients and carbon back into the soil.

By comparison, the carbon in major synthetic apparel fibres, such as polyester or acrylic, is extracted from fossil fuels, de-sequestering carbon stored millions of years ago.

But even at the beginning wool can play a role in sequestering, or storing, carbon, through the use of regenerative farming practices.

The Woolmark Company is constantly assessing how the wool industry can reduce its carbon footprint.

There are many ways the wool industry is working to manage and reduce GHGs. In Australia, where more than 90% of the world's fine apparel wool is produced, significant research is under way to better understand and mitigate methane. At the farm level, emissions can be offset by changing pasture species, improving soil management to increase carbon storage, and via tree planting.
Download a fact sheet on wool and GHG.
The fashion industry is increasingly reliant on Lifecycle Assessments (LCA) to determine the environmental footprint of clothing. However, LCA is a young science which is still evolving.

Current LCA methodologies show non-renewable (synthetic) fibres in a positive light, scoring them better than renewable (natural) fibres.

Natural fibres like wool and cotton are grown on farms where the resources needed to create the fibre can be readily measured and accounted for in LCA - such as the amount of land, water and energy - as well as waste streams to waterways and to the air. However, the oil that synthetic fibres are made from comes 'free' of an environmental footprint because the large amount forest, land and greenhouse gas emissions associated with creating the oil happened eons ago. This inconsistency in system boundary for producing textile fibre inherently disadvantages the ratings of renewables compared to non-renewables.

Looking further along the lifecycle, we see wool's strengths in the use phase of clothing and end-of-life. Consumers wash wool clothing less frequently than other fibre types, saving the water, energy and detergent associated with laundering. Surveys show consumers are much more likely to donate wool clothing to charity, where it is either used again or recycled to create new yarn and fabric. Ultimately, when the fibre is exhausted it readily biodegrades, releasing its nutrients to the soil to be used again. These strengths of wool in the use phase and end-of-life are not yet considered in LCA ratings.

Learn more about the lifecycle of wool.

Wool, by nature a circular fibre, can help brands enter more easily into the development of circular products. Many brands and designers are asking themselves how they can shift into a circular business model and create circular products while still turning a profit? In the Material Circularity Indicator by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, wool gets the highest score possible. Renewable, recyclable and boasting a long use phase, wool and wool products have meaningful, positive impacts throughout its lifecycle.

As a natural fibre, wool does not shed microplastics which can negatively affect ocean health. Scientific studies show that wool is 100% biodegradable in both land and marine environments and so. Machine washable treatments, such as Hercosett, are also fully biodegradable.

The Woolmark Company supports the movement towards a more positive fashion industry. We achieve this by actively developing and promoting a cleaner, more responsible use for wool and provide confidence and scientific evidence for our partners that wool remains an environmentally considered choice for fashion production.

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Wool has long been accepted as an environmentally positive fibre choice with a number of benefits, such as being 100% natural, renewable and biodegradable. Not to mention that it is thermo-regulating, easy to care for, and can be repaired and enjoyed for years and years.

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Circular production - producing new textiles and interior products from waste textiles

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Currently only 25% of the 95% of textiles that can be recycled actually are: In response to this urgent global issue of waste Really upcycles textiles to create materials that challenge the design and architecture industries to rethink their use of resources and to design their products with a circular economy in mind.

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Currently only 25% of the 95% of textiles that can be recycled actually are: In response to this urgent global issue of waste Really upcycles textiles to create materials that challenge the design and architecture industries to rethink their use of resources and to design their products with a circular economy in mind.

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what material would work well for an interiors product

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6 Top Materials for a Sustainable Interior in 2021

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It’s that time of the year again. Spring is approaching and like last year, I look to renovate and innovate our pool of resources for interior projects. So

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using chiffon scraps

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What Is Chiffon Fabric?

Chiffon is a term that is used to refer to a wide variety of different types of fabrics that all share similar qualities. This type of fabric is sheer , which means that it is light and semi-transparent with a simple weave.

This type of fabric was originally made from silk, and it was both expensive and in high demand among upper-class women in Europe and the United States when it was originally marked in the mid-19th century. The term "chiffon" is French, and it literally translates as "cloth" or "rag," but this word has come to be synonymous with any type of lustrous, sheer fabric that is woven in a particular style.

Chiffon fabric was first made in France, but the production of this substance expanded worldwide as the Industrial Age picked up steam. By the first few decades of the 1900s, silk chiffon was in relatively wide production in the United States, and producers of this fabric in America were starting to show interest in replacing silk with another material for chiffon production.

The first non-silk chiffon became available for consumer use in 1938. It was made from nylon, which was, at the time, heralded as a miracle fabric that would rapidly replace practically every type of organic textile. However, serious issues with nylon as a chiffon textile quickly became apparent, and for a while, most chiffon was, once again, made from silk.

In 1958, however, a polyester version of chiffon was developed, and most chiffon in existence today is made from this purely synthetic material. As a chiffon textile, polyester mirrored silk in many ways, but it, of course, was not as soft or "silky" as this organic textile.

While much of today's chiffon is still made from polyester, manufacturers of this sheer and alluring material have also tried using rayon to make chiffon. In some cases, cotton may also be used, but this pill-prone and relatively delicate substance isn't as suited for chiffon as many other synthetic or semi-synthetic materials. To some degree, chiffon is still made from silk, but silk chiffon is now seen as a luxury textile, and it is only available in the form of relatively expensive chiffon garments.

Rather than being distinctive for being made from a certain material, chiffon stands out due to the unique method that is used to produce it. The weaving method used to make chiffon is called the alternate S-and Z-twist, and this name is derived from the shapes that yarn takes on when it is used to make this fabric: Yarn made into S-shapes is woven into yarn with Z-shapes, which results in a slightly puckered fabric that facilitates greater elasticity and produces a more textured appearance. This weaving method also gives chiffon a relatively rough feel.

Silk chiffon was originally worn as a sign of status, but now that this fabric can be made with relatively cheap textiles, it no longer provides this benefit. Instead, it is a relatively widespread material that is used in everything from bows and ribbons to wedding dresses. People from all over the world wear chiffon, and it continues to enjoy enduring popularity.

It's important to point out that chiffon fabric exists that emerged separately from the silk chiffon diaspora that originated in France. For instance, certain indigenous groups in Ethiopia and Eritrea have been making chiffon-like garments made from silk for hundreds of years. These garments usually take the form of ankle-length gowns, and they are often brightly colored.

In addition, chiffon has been produced in India for many centuries, and it is commonly used in saris, which are traditional Indian garments for women. As in France and other Western nations, silk chiffon was once used as a status symbol in India, and it has since become more mainstream.

How Is Chiffon Fabric Made?

Chiffon fabric is made with different methods depending on the type of material that is used to weave this unique type of textile. The production of silk , for instance, involves the breeding of silkworms, the softening of cocoons, and the reeling of filaments. Polyester production, on the other hand, involves no organic components, and this fabric is made entirely from synthetic chemicals that are synthesized in a laboratory.

No matter what base material is used to make chiffon fabric, once this textile yarn has been produced, the weaving of chiffon follows a uniform pattern. The yarn used to make this type of textile is arranged in opposing S-shaped and Z-shaped curves, and it is then woven together with a loom or an industrial weaving machine.

Due to the fact that chiffon fabric is incredibly delicate, this textile is often woven by hand. No matter what material it is made from, the production of chiffon fabric is often a slow and laborious affair; while automated machines can be used to make this fabric, these machines also have to work at relatively slow paces to avoid causing any damage to finished textiles.

Since it has such a slippery texture, tailors may place sheets of paper on either side of chiffon during the sewing process to ensure that it remains in place. Once the chiffon fabric garment is fully sewn, the paper is carefully ripped out.

How Is Chiffon Fabric Used?

This style of fabric is mainly used to make garments for women. Chiffon fabric is very delicate, so it is not typically used in daily apparel. Instead, it is used to make nightgowns, evening wear, or blouses that are meant for special occasions. Since it is semi-transparent, it is common to use chiffon fabric to make overlays, which are types of garments that go over opaque types of apparel to impart a textured or delicate appearance.

Where Is Chiffon Fabric Produced?

Since so many different types of chiffon fabric are made from a wide variety of materials, it's hard to pick a clear winner in the global market for this product. As with most textiles, China is the biggest exporter of finished chiffon fabric products, but in many cases, the raw silk or cotton used to make these garments may be made in other countries before it is sent to Chinese companies for finishing.

Silk has been produced in China for at least 5,000 years, but this substance has also been made in India and other neighboring countries for a nearly equal amount of time. Companies in nations like India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may export their silk crops to China for final processing, or these companies may manufacture silk chiffon fabric products within the boundaries of their own nations.

If chiffon fabric is made from synthetic materials, however, chances are that it was made in China. This Asian nation is, for instance, the largest producer of polyester in the world, and companies in this country also make large quantities or rayon and nylon.

How Much Does Chiffon Fabric Cost?

Chiffon fabric fetches varying prices depending on the material from which it is made. Silk chiffon fabric, for instance, remains the most expensive type of this textile, and it can be more than twice as expensive as chiffon fabric made from polyester or rayon. While some consumers believe that this increased price is well worth it, others prefer relatively inexpensive alternatives like polyester or cotton chiffon fabric.

What Different Types of Chiffon Fabric Are There?

Chiffon fabric varies both in style and in the materials that are used to make it:

Material variations: As we've mentioned, this style of fabric can be made with a variety of different organic, semi-synthetic, and fully synthetic materials like polyester, rayon, and silk.

Silk crepe chiffon fabric: This type of fabric is what most people think of when they are asked to visualize chiffon. It features the slightly puckered texture and relatively rough feel that made this type of material famous.

Silk satin chiffon fabric: This version of chiffon fabric is smoother than silk crepe, and it is more transparent and lightweight.

Pearl chiffon fabric: Featuring a pearlescent shade and glossy texture, this type of chiffon fabric stands out from other versions of this textile.

Jacquard chiffon fabric: While this type of chiffon fabric is quite thin, it also feels hefty when it is picked up. It is commonly used in kurta dresses and scarves.

Chameleon chiffon fabric: This type of chiffon is one of the rarest varieties on the market, and its name is derived from its multi-toned appearance.

How Does Chiffon Fabric Impact the Environment?

The potential environmental ramifications of chiffon production vary depending on the type of material that is used to make this fabric. In general, the production of fully synthetic fabrics is more harmful to the environment than the production of semi-synthetic or organic fabrics, but it's also important to take into account the varying production processes that are used by different manufacturers.

Polyester is commonly used to make chiffon, and some manufacturers may still use nylon to make this type of fabric. Both polyester and nylon are derived from petroleum oil, which is a non-renewable resource. The acquisition of petroleum oil requires significant energy expenditures, and it is also almost always harmful to surrounding ecosystems.

The processing of petroleum oil is also harmful to the environment, and when this substance is used to make nylon and petroleum, a number of byproducts are produced that may or may not be disposed of correctly. In addition, both nylon and polyester are non-biodegradable fabrics, which means that they contribute to the massive pile-up of trash that is accumulating in landfills, waterways, and forests all around the world.

When chiffon fabric is made from silk, however, the environmental impact of the production of this textile is negligible. The production of silk is sustainable , and it doesn't release any toxins into the environment.

This fabric is derived from the cocoons that are made from silkworms, which are caterpillar-like insects that primarily live on mulberry trees. These worms only eat mulberry leaves, and it is not necessary to use pesticides or fertilizers to grow these leaves.

The only potential environmental impact of growing silk is the harm to insects that is a necessary aspect of this type of textile production. To liberate the silky cocoon from the juvenile silkworm, this cocoon must be boiled with the silkworm inside, which kills the worm. Some animal rights activists contend that this practice is inhumane. However, it can't be denied that silk is biodegradable and, overall, environmentally-friendly.

Cotton production similarly does not cause a significantly negative environmental impact. In some cases, toxic substances may be used to bleach or clean cotton, but the production of cotton seeds to make this type of fabric is generally a non-toxic and environmentally-friendly process. Additionally, cotton is biodegradable, and the production of this fabric involves sustainable practices.

Some chiffon fabric is made from rayon, however, and this substance is significantly harmful to the environment. While rayon is somewhat more biodegradable than purely synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon, the chemicals used to make this semi-synthetic textile are highly toxic, and they may harm workers or the ecosystems surrounding rayon factories.

Chiffon Fabric Certifications Available

The types of certifications available for chiffon depend on the materials that are used to make this fabric. For instance, if chiffon is made from nylon, polyester, or rayon, it is not eligible for USDA organic certification or any other type of non-GMO or organic certification since these types of fabrics are either fully synthetic or semi-synthetic.

If chiffon is made from silk or cotton, however, it may be possible to have garments made from this fabric certified as organic. Producers of cotton or silk chiffon have the option of producing their crops using sustainable practices, and if they do so, they may meet the organic certification guidelines offered by the USDA or similar organizations.

Even if chiffon is made from fully synthetic ingredients, however, it may be possible to have this fabric certified by the Global Recycle Standard (GRS) . This organization observes the practices that are used by synthetic fabric producers to make their textiles, and if it is found that only recycled materials are used, synthetic chiffon producers may qualify for GRS certification.

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What is Chiffon Fabric: Properties, How its Made and Where

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Chiffon is a term that is used to refer to a wide variety of different types of fabrics that all share similar qualities. This type of fabric is sheer, which means that it is light and semi-transparent with a simple weave.

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bio materials

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is using dead stock a sustainable option

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There has been a lot of recent hype around deadstock fabric as a solution to garment production in the sustainable fashion world. But, what is it that you are really buying when you buy a dress made out of deadstock fabric. And, is it as eco-friendly as we have all been lead to believe?

In this article:

what is fashion made with deadstock fabric? and, what does deadstock mean?

So, what is deadstock? And, what does deadstock mean? Deadstock refers to old fabric that hasn't been able to sell. Maybe there are small damages, maybe the company who purchased it ordered too much. Maybe they are scraps from factories cutting room floor that are being sewn together and made into something new, like Zero Waste Daniel.

Or, maybe there is a small little-known industry secret.

how is deadstock fabric eco-friendly?

The thought process goes, that because this fabric is extra if it is not rescued by "eco" brands it will end up in a landfill. Therefore they are doing the world an environmental justice by making "waste" into fashion.

Not really. What most people don't know is that there is a difference between deadstock and available stock.

What is available stock fabric?

Available stock fabric is a fabric that a factory overproduces because they know that it will eventually sell. An example of stock fabrics that most factories and mills keep a ton of on hand is plain knit jersey fabric for t-shirts. They produce a lot because they know that they know there will always be a customer for t-shirts and the fabric, although it does not have a buyer now, will be purchased by someone very soon.

myth debunked - what's really happening...

Dying, printing, knitting, and weaving, require huge, complex machines. Some ranges can take up entire city blocks, and take multiple people to operate. It takes a lot of manpower to turn off the machines, clean them, set them up for the next fabric, and then run a new fabric. It is cheaper for mills to produce extra of a fabric that they plan to sell at a discount than to shut the machines off after the order is fulfilled.

This means that in their basic costing, mills plan to sell x percent at full price and y percent at a discounted "deadstock" price. At no point are they calculating a percent going to the landfill. Remember mills are in the business of making money, not wasting it.

deadstock market places are just a fancy way of saying jobber

If the mills can't sell the fabric then they will pass it onto a jobber. What is a fabric jobber? A fabric jobber takes fabric from all over a country, or sometimes even the world, and re-sells it for a premium (higher than what you would pay a fabric mill directly for it).

Jobbers have existed since the industrial revolution when machines instead of people started making textiles. But, like everything else in fashion they are now being greenwashed.

The most famous of jobbers is probably Mood, based in NYC, and prominently featured on Project Runway, make it work people. I wouldn't call jobbers eco-friendly, they are just another cog in the fashion supply chain. Again, fashion is a business, that makes money. The last thing that anyone would want is to lose money by sending fabric to a landfill. It would sit in storage for years before that happened.

are deadstock clothing brands unethical?

Available stock options are a great model for mills, it helps them to run efficiently. But, it is not an ethical model for a clothing brand that markets itself as eco-friendly - it's taking advantage of consumers' lack of manufacturing knowledge.

Problems with available stock fabrics

By buying available stock fashion you are buying into the concept of overproduction. And remember not to let those greenwashers fool you. Most of the deadstock that is being sold is really just available, purposely over produced yardage.

Western brands aren't saving anything

A big part of factories' willingness to overproduce is growing local markets. Rest assured that this fabric overproduced was never intended to end up in a landfill, it most likely would end up making lower price clothing for a third world economy.

"Western markets simply don't matter as much as they used to. India produces twice as much clothing for its own consumers as it does for us. Fifty-six percent of the clothing produced in China is for the Chinese market. Both of those numbers are only going to grow." - Michael Hobbes for The Huffington Post

Problems with deadstock fabric

If a brand is buying true deadstock. The kind that by definition is damaged in some way that makes the original brand that ordered it not want it, then you as a consumer are actually buying a lower quality product.

When the fabric gets rejected by a brand, it happens for a reason. Maybe that fabric is not passing strength testing so holes form. Or, maybe in the case of waterproof fabric, the finish is not performing so a product made with it won't protect you from the rain. Maybe it didn't pass chemical testing and has too much formaldehyde or another toxic chemical in it still. There are hundreds of reasons why a fabric could have been rejected. And mills do not have to disclose this at the time of purchase.

Lack of transparency

Deadstock has become a loophole for brands like Reformation which allows them to use non-eco-friendly fabrics like polyester. Reformation claims that using already produced polyester is better than it going to a landfill. But, as I already proved, it was never actually going to be wasted.

But, there is a second problem with the deadstock fabric being associated with the sustainability model. And, that is transparency.

In an article on Sourcing Journal, one of the only things that me and The Queen of Raw could agree on is that there is no real way of knowing if a fabric is a true deadstock, or a factory is just calling it that to sell it to eco-driven brands making them feel good about buying cheap polyester that was dyed with cancer-causing dyes and finishes.

If you don't have a subscription to Sourcing Journal, it's a great industry publication and if you sign up for an account they let you read a few articles a month free. Here is a little preview of some of the stuff we got into in the article I was featured in.

"We shouldn't be burning textiles or garments or getting rid of them in any way but these markets are making it too easy to overproduce, have the benefits of economies of scale and then get rid of [these fabrics]," she explained.

twice the price for half the quality

If you are ok with this kind of environmental b.s. think about this - available and dead fabric is sold for a heavy discount so mills can get rid of it, fashion companies then mark up the price under the "eco" or "vintage" label so they are doubly inflating their margins, and you the consumer are paying twice as much for a product that is half the quality.

I literally walked through warehouse after warehouse of fabric, but, remember... there is a plan for all this

what are better options to dead stock fabric?

if you care about keeping fabric out of landfills, then don't buy as much - the less clothing you buy the less you will throw away, and the less that will end up in a landfill

buy second hand - one man's waste is another's treasure, give new life to a pre owned garment

buy directly from small artisans - who make in small batches so there is no waste

look for vintage deadstock. There are so many cool people on Instagram and Etsy that take old vintage clothing and re-sew it into modern silhouettes. Try shopping from them.

deadstock for small brands - the pros

I don't want to leave you with all negatvies about deadstock fabric. There are always positives.

Deadstock is a great option for brands just starting out. Because the fabric is already made, there are no minimums. This makes it easy for designers that are small and self-funded to buy a few yards, and not have to invest capital into fabric they may not need.

and, the craziest deadstock I ever saw...

but first, let me take a selfie - with all of this block printed deadstock fabric

Did you know that there are some US importers that actually sell THIS VERY FABRIC as "vintage"? One meter costs me about 300 rupees (less than $5), and I have seen it sold in NYC for over $500! Buyer beware! And, check this out if you want to learn more about fake vintage.

Lesson recap...

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Deadstock Fabric is NOT as Sustainable as You Think

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There has been a lot of recent hype around deadstock fabric as a solution to garment production in the sustainable fashion world. But, what is it that you are really buying when you buy a dress made out of deadstock fabric. And, is it as eco-friendly as we have all been lead to believe?

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Using Deadstock

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You might be asking yourself what deadstock is. Well, it's a word used to describe the materials that were leftover in the process of manufacturing something. Why aren't they used? In the case of knitwear, maybe there are several colors in the item and one color ran out. Or maybe one of the colors had some fallout (like a flaw) and so the other colors had excess. Maybe someone saw a reduction in sales and cut their order last minute. Maybe the person on the manufacturing side made a mistake when processing. After all, the process is filled with lots of humans, the chain is long, and human error is a reality. It's not always on purpose, but it doesn't change the fact that leftovers happen, for whatever reason.
What happens with deadstock yarn?
Typically it gets stored for a long time while manufacturers make meager attempts to sell it or reuse it. But buying limited stock is hard! What if a brand's sweater design calls for equal parts of 4 colors? Finding enough in those 4 colors is tricky, then of course they won't all be the same amounts, so smaller amounts will still be leftover. And getting the supplier to show you the colors is usually a long process since that is not their main business or priority.

If stored too long, even great materials can go bad, and in that case, they usually get sent to a landfill. At The Endery, we hand source the best yarns before that happens. By creating a new product from already existing (deadstock) yarn, both water and energy are saved. This is also part of a circular fashion system, which injects those leftovers back into the cycle, preventing them from being wasted.

At The Endery, we are passionate about deadstock design because we've seen leftovers accumulate in real time, right here in our workshop. Figuring out what to do with them was a big part of how The Endery was born and our mission to contribute to the circular fashion movement to make fashion more and more sustainable. Join us in going sustainably circular by wearing one of our designs. As they say, waste isn't waste until it's wasted.

Written by Kelly Phenicie

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You might be asking yourself what deadstock is. Well, it's a word used to describe the materials that were leftover in the process of manufacturing something. Why aren't they used? In the case of knitwear, maybe there are several colors in the item and one color ran out.

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reclaimed yarn

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As a good knitter, surely you have a project that you started one day, but without knowing how or why, you ended up leaving in the background to start other things that you wanted to knit more. After some time, you know you'll never finish the project, but you love the yarn and want to reuse it. No doubt, you've tried knitting something else with it and found that the fabric just doesn't look the same as when you first took off the label. In this step by step, we'll teach you how to reuse yarn that you've already knitted.

For this tutorial, we're going to use a sample that we had already knitted and blocked in our Pima cotton. If you have wool instead of cotton, don't worry. The process that we're going to teach you here is exactly the same. You'll also need a container to be able to soak the material and some yarn in a color lighter than the one you're going to undo (white or natural would be ideal) to keep the color from running.

The first thing is to pull out, or frog, they yarn you've knitted.

At the same time that you're pulling out the yarn, wind it into a ball so that it doesn't knot up.

When you've pulled out all the yarn, it's time to make it into a hank. To do this, use a book if you don't have much yarn. Use the back of a chair if you have a lot of yarn. If you have a swift or winder, you could also use that for this step.

After winding the hank, find the ends of the yarn.

Place the ends as you see in the image above, following their natural direction within the hank.

Now we're going to make sure that the hank doesn't fall apart during the process. Cut a couple strands of the lighter colored yarn and tie them around the skein. Put one of them where the ends cross so that later when you soak it, they don't get tangled, and you can work comfortably.

Dip the skein completely in water at room temperature. Slowly push it down so that it is completely submerged, and the top part also gets wet. Remember that if the water is hot, your yarn will tend to shrink, and in the case of wool, to felt.

At the same time that you're soaking the yarn, begin stretching it a little, so that the curls relax.

Let the skein soak for at least half an hour.

When the yarn is ready, squeeze out the water, wringing it without twisting it.

To remove excess water, wrap the hank in a towel and squeeze gently, without rubbing. Repeat this process as many times as necessary until the yarn is no longer dripping.

Put the skein on a hanger and let it dry out in place without direct sunlight.

Once you have the dry hank, remove the strands you used to tie it up.

Wind it loosely into a ball, taking care not to stretch the yarn too much. Now, you're ready to start a new project with the yarn as if you just took off the label.

We hope you find this step by step useful and that you use it to give new life to that yarn that you've had hibernating. Don't forget to share your new projects on social media with the hashtag #weareknitters. It's always a pleasure!

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How to reclaim used yarn - The Blog - US/UK

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As a good knitter, surely you have a project that you started one day, but without knowing how or why, you ended up leaving in the background to start other things that you wanted to knit more. After some time, you know you'll never finish the project, but you love the yarn and want to ...

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yarn made from textile remnants

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reselling waste yarn from old jumpers

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plastic yarn made from marine plastic

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HLX® is a patented performance yarn that delivers durability and refined quality. HLX® yarn structure creates a refined surface texture through its helical submerges RPET under the surface. Its helix can also enhance the abrasion resistance on natural fabrics without compromising aesthetics.

BIONIC® is a material engineering company supplying the consumer and industrial markets with fully traceable, high-grade textiles and polymers, made with coastal and marine plastic.

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Marine Recovered Ocean Plastic MaterialYarn | Bionic

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HLX® is a patented performance yarn that delivers durability and refined quality. HLX® yarn structure creates a refined surface texture through its helical submerges RPET under the surface. Its helix can also enhance the abrasion resistance on natural fabrics without compromising aesthetics.

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Recycled yarns

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The Crafty Therapist ‣ Crochet patterns designed for eco-friendly creativity

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There is more to recycled yarn than T-shirt yarn and not all T-shirt yarn is recycled! There are lots of recycled yarns in all kinds of materials, textures, sizes and prices. Unfortunately, they take some finding! Search terms don't seem to bring up much and throw up many non-recycled yarns. But as it's a passion of mine to rethink waste I've been using recycled yarns for years and I've created a list with links here so you don't have to search for hours like I did.

This isn't a review of the yarns, just a list and short description, along with some links where to get them. For reviews see Eco Yarn Reviews.
Just to let you know this post contains adverts and affiliate links, if you click or purchase anything via these links I might earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. If you'd like to help support my blog please consider purchasing supplies through my links. You may read my full disclosure here if you'd like to know more.
I'll start with the bulky yarns and get right down to 4ply! It is by no means complete, new yarns are always being developed and discovered and I may have missed some, please tell me if there's any you know of that aren't here.

If you need hooks for the yarn weight, one of my favourite makes is Knit Pro Waves. They are highly affordable and comes in a great range of sizes with comfortable chunky handles. I use these a lot with plarn and chunkier recycled yarns and they make an enormous difference to comfort.

Super chunky Bulky weight

T-shirt yarn is a fantastic choice for chunky projects. Hoook ed Zpagetti was the original brand but there are now lots of brands. However t-shirt yarns can still be difficult to get hold of, with expensive postage. A lot of the popular yarn shops don't stock them. Online I found lots of small sellers and one big worldwide online shop Love Crafts, who stock a few different brands.

If it's Hoooked you especially love (and there's so many reasons to love them). You can find their full range on their website. UK orders now have a very high minimum order due to Brexit but the great news is there is a smaller range of most of their yarns at Love Crafts and Deramores.

Paintbox yarns at LoveCrafts have their own brand of Recycled T-shirt yarn, offering great value and a lovely range of choices.

I recently discovered Retwisst, who have a massive range of recycled yarns. They have an enormous range of colours in T-shirt yarn and are a bit cheaper than other brands if you buy direct, postage is free for orders over £35, otherwise it's pretty steep. There are also resellers on Amazon and ebay for the UK and worldwide too.

I am super impressed with UK based Woolly Whatknot who stock several brands of recycled T-shirt yarn and Barbante offering outstanding choice of colours across brands. A further gold star goes to her for low-cost postage, making small orders affordable. She's now also on Amazon with some products with free postage. Woolly Whatknot Amazon Shop.

When browsing recently, I discovered super cheap recycled T-shirt yarns at LindeHobby and Rito Yarn & Hobby.

An alternative to t-shirt yarn is Ribbon tape, which is lighter in texture but still a super chunky yarn and is also used to make bags, rugs and chunky makes, but can also be used for clothing.

Hoooked Ribbon XL (80% Cotton 20% Synthetic) Hook size 8-12mm Fantastic range of 30 colours plus a sparkly Lurex range of colours in a 60% Cotton 40% Other mix for gorgeously glam recycled makes.

Retwisst XXLace (80% cotton and 20% polyester) 250g rolls (8-10 mm hook) and comes in a great range of colours.

Wool and the Gang Mixtape (80% Cotton 20% Polyester) 250g roll (8-15mm hook) comes in a small, but lovely, range of colours.

A recent new offering on the recycled scene by Paintbox yarns, is their Recycled Ribbon tape yarns. With a gorgeous range of colours in both solid colour ribbon and metallic ribbon they offer more choice in this very popular type of recycled yarn.

If you like the ribbon tape there are more options from Tek Tek Tape and Welcome Yarn Lace that you'll find in a great range of beautiful colours at Woolly Whatknot.

Ice Yarns have a 100% recycled cotton ribbon yarn, Jumbo Cotton Ribbon, that offers exceptional value.

If you're looking for a tougher, strong yarn, then another super chunky offering can be found at Woolly Whatknot, it's Bobbiny Rope (100% recycled cotton) a versatile cord yarn in 3 thicknesses: They have the super thick Jumbo 9mm (16 - 18mm crochet hook) and my personal fav for making awesome baskets, the Premium 5mm (8-10mm hook) . Check out this pic of the Jumbo, how amazing is this!

I'm delighted to see well known brand DMC come into the recycled market with their new DMC Nova Vita, made from 80% Upcycled Cotton 20% Polyester. It's a Super Chunky weight Macramé type woven rope yarn, much like Bobbiny rope mentioned above. It's perfect for baskets, plant pots and home décor items. Comes in a 250g (8.8oz) skein and a gorgeous range of colours.

Chunky/Bulky weight

Bobbiny Rope also have a smaller offering too, the Junior 3mm (6-8mm hook)

A chunky yarn (not tape) has been launched by Paintbox. This comes in a gorgeous range of bright colours. Recycled Big Cotton is a described as a super chunky weight 60% cotton 40% polyester yarn that knits/crochets on 12mm needles/hooks. Having tried this yarn, I wouldn't describe this as super chunky weight, but it is chunky.

Bergere de France Recyclaine (58% Acrylic 30% Synthetic 12% Wool) Discontinued, replaced by the one below.

Bergere de France 100% Recyclé 51% Acrylic 38% Wool 8% Polyamide 3% Other, 100g (3.5oz), Super Chunky, knit or crochet using 8mm for quick chunky rustic makes.

Lang Yarns Neon, 67% Polyester 33% Virgin Wool, 50g (1.8oz), Chunky weight, 6.5-8mm hooks. Made from consumer plastic, combined with virgin merino wool, this is a sturdy yarn for making warm accessories and jumpers. Super bright colours.

Wool and the Gang New Wave, a slimmer tape style in worsted/chunky weight. Hook size 5-8mm Made from plastic bottles! 53% Cotton 47% Polyester.

You will see a type of yarn called 'Barbante' come up in this weight range. This is a typical plied type of recycled yarn but thicknesses vary by brand. Some brands call this Macrame yarn others have a separate product described as Macrame Cord. They can be the same thing and also completely different! I've found a bit of everything here though to cover them all.

Hoooked offer 2 types of Barbante, Chunky and Aran/Worsted.

The Chunky weight Spesso Eco Barbante Chunky Cotton (85% Cotton 15% Synthetic). Hook size 8-10mm. comes in a small range of lovely colours. Ideal for Macrame and chunky makes, like baskets. Both LoveCrafts and Deramores stock this, but not the full range of colours.

Welcome Yarn Barbante (80% Cotton, 20% other fibers) comes in 2 thicknesses 2mm (3-6mm hook) and XL in 4mm (8-12mm hook) thicknesses in a great range of colours and 2 sizes of balls too.

Tek Tek Barbante (98% recycled cotton and 1% polyester, 1% polyamide) 2mm (3-6mm hook) 3mm (5-8mm hook)

Bobbiny in 100% recycled cotton 3mm and XL 5mm is marketed as a macrame cord rather than a Barbante yarn. But being 100% Cotton this may be a firmer yarn.

Welcome Yarn, Tek Tek and Bobbiny can all be found at Woolly Whatknot .

Eco Brights by L oops & Threads 100% recycled polyester from drinks bottles in a great range of lovely bright colours. Suggested hook size 9mm.

Retwisst Barbante (80% recycled cotton 20% Other recycled fibres) is in between the 2 Hoooked choices with a thinner chunky weight with a suggested hook size of 6-8mm and comes in a great range of 30 colours.

Recycled Fabric Ribbon

If you're looking for texture and incredibly beautiful colours, then recycled sari ribbon could be just what you're looking for. Check out Yarn Yarn for great choice. They make their sari ribbon from leftover fabric from sari manufacturing, produced by women's co-operatives and craftspeople in rural deprived areas of Northern India. So not only is the beautiful sari ribbon highly versatile for knitting, crochet, weaving, textile art and even jewellery making, it is handmade, hand dyed and it's about as Ethical as it gets.

Another fabric yarn from Yarn Yarn is a Recycled Eyelash Cotton fabric yarn, that is brimming with beautiful texture and has the same impressive ethical credentials as their sari ribbon.

You will also find a vast array of choice in recycled Sari ribbon of varying thicknesses and beautiful colours at Darn Good Yarn. All made from ethically sourced recycled fabrics made by women's co-operatives in India.

Spun Sari and Banana Yarns

By the same artisans who produce sari ribbon yarn, and therefore also ethically produced, we also have recycled spun sari yarn and banana yarn,. These are generally chunky weight but can also be Aran and finer weights. They can also vary from skein to skein! Being hand-spun, expect inconsistencies. Generally, a supplier will have batches of similar weight. There are many of suppliers these types of yarns. Too many to list here, but if you go head over to my Banana Yarn Review, you'll find suppliers listed there. If you're looking for recycled yarn that is ethical and unique, these are the yarns for you.

Silk Roving Worsted Weight Yarn by Darn Good Yarns, made from recycled sari silk, comes in a truly gorgeous array of hand dyed colours and they're ethically sourced from artisans in India too.

Please note my experience of recycled silk and banana yarns is that the dyes run so you need to rinse them several times before use.

Aran/Worsted Weight

Borderline between chunky and worsted/aran weight is the new yarn from Hoooked (launched March 2020), the gorgeous Wavy Blends. It is a gradient cake yarn in 80% recycled cotton yarn and 20% other recycled fibres (Hook size 4-6) and comes in several beautiful colourways. This is a firm feeling yarn, perfect for bags, rugs and home decor.

New to the market in March 2020 is Paintbox Recycled Cotton Worsted. It's 100% recycled cotton, a truly fantastic addition to the new Paintbox recycled range. Currently in a lovely range of colours too. Having used this I can tell you it's closer to DK weight and has a rustic appearance.

Sadly NOW DISCONTINUED! King Cole Big Value Recycled Aran Cotton (85% Cotton 15% Other fibres) - a really great aran weight yarn. Soft and strong and in a range of 18 colours, it was exceptionally good value too. I loved this yarn and used it a lot.

Launched in 2020 is King Cole Forest, an aran weight, 100g ball. A blend of recycled cosy fibres 35% Wool, 20% Acrylic, 20% Polyamide, 25% Viscose. Comes in pretty heathered natural shades. I'd be loving this without the wool content! Wool allergy. But if it's anywhere close to being as good as the discontinued cotton version above, then it will be a fantastic buy.

Hoooked have their second offering in this type of yarn the Eco Barbante Milano (85% Cotton 15% Other) a super practical thickness in aran/worsted with a 4-6mm suggested hook size. Has a good range of colour choices including multi coloured mixes and 2 choices of ball sizes. Go to Hoooked for the full range.

Drops Paris Denim, 100% recycled cotton from jeans. Just 4 colours of Jean wash available. Incredibly low priced.

Premier Yarns Rodeo is a 85% cotton 15% polyester blend in super popular aran weight, making a great choice for a more eco friendly alternative to ordinary cotton.

Schachenmayr Cotton4Future, 50% Cotton 50% Polyester blend, made from waste cotton fibres and recycled plastic bottles.

Cascade Yarns Rebound is a 70% Polyester 30% Cotton mix yarn, all recycled fibres. Classic neutral tones. I've tried this one, and am very impressed look out for the review coming soon!

Knit One Crochet Too 2nd Time is a 75% Cotton 25% acrylic blend, in aran weight, this blend is a great combination for garments.

Bergere de France Recycline (50% Other 30% Acrylic 20% Wool) just a few nice Earthy colours, great rustic texture. DISCONTINUED Replaced by the new one below.

Bergere de France 100% Recyclé 4 51% Acrylic 38% Wool 8% Polyamide 3% Other, 50g (1.8oz), Aran weight. Has replaced the Recycline shown above.

Bergere de France Fileco (60% Acrylic 18% Acrylic 12% Wool 6% Polyamide 4% Other) Size 5 hook suggested.

Lang Yarns Cashsoft (50% Cashmere 50% Merino Wool) in 15 colours, largely dark shades with some pretty brights. This is a luxury yarn, so it's pricey.

Berroco Remix (30% Nylon 27% Cotton 24% Acrylic 10% Silk 9% Linen) 5mm hook recommended. A versatile wool-free mix of recycled fibres great for gorgeous textures. Pretty range of lightly flecked colours but expensive, so keep an eye out for offers if you want to try this one.

Fabulous big brand Lion Brand, has joined the recycled market with their Sustainable Stitching range of yarns:

Re-Up (70g, 117 yards) in Aran/light worsted weight 100% Recycled Cotton. It's a super practical thickness and a highly affordable eco friendly switch for ordinary cotton and it comes in a really lovely range of colours too! It's not widely available in the UK yet though, but Hobbycraft have made a start in stocking some colours, We Crochet stock it and send orders to the UK for not too high a postage cost and there's some to be found on Amazon.

Re-Spun Bonus Bundle (a whopping 284 grams 658 yards) is a 100% recycled polyester yarn spun from recycled plastics. The soft feel makes it perfect for everything from garments and accessories to home décor. Aran #4 weight (but it's thin, much more like DK weight). I found it at Joanns online and was over the moon to see they now ship to the UK! Review coming soon!

Re-Tweed (100g, 202 yards) is a 40% Wool, 40% Polyester, 20% Acrylic blend that comes in an array of muted natural colours. Aran #4 weight.

Sirdar Simply Recycled Aran discontinued but still available in smaller online shops.

Brand NEW December 2021- Yarn and Colors Gentle. A 100% recycled cotton in a fab range of colours! YES, this is very good news for colour fans, we have an eco rainbow and a whole lot more too!!! They come in 50g (1.8oz) balls so there's not much yarn to play with but with an affordable price tag that's ok. Besides smaller yarn balls are ideal for mixed colour projects and amigurumi.

DK

Another brand new offering: Yarn and Colors Amazing, a 100% recycled Acrylic DK yarn that comes in a gorgeous range of colours in 100g balls. It is exceptionally good value and I am trying hard to contain myself! I just discovered this one today and I have ordered some to try out! I will be reviewing it as soon as I can. Subscribe to my email list if you'd love to hear about it (and other fabulous new posts and patterns too!).

Grundl Green Line Second Life - a thicker DK (European Sport Weight that falls between DK and Aran weight) 86% recycled polyester from plastic bottles 14% acrylic. Gorgeous range of bright colours at LoveCrafts UK (but not US yet, sorry). This is quite a firm and robust feeling yarn but while I wouldn't describe it as soft, it isn't itchy, and is a great alternative to acrylic with amazing stitch definition! Yarn review coming soon!

Cascade Yarns ReVive - DK weight 100% recycled Wool, 100g (3.5oz). Small range of colours, mainly earthy natural tones. This yarn has excellent green credentials for creating sustainable wearables and accessories.

King Cole Big Value Limited Edition 100% Recycled Acrylic, 100g (3.5oz), DK weight. It's 100% recycled acrylic!!! Wow, I waited a long time for such a yarn, so was overjoyed to see this. The colours are few and are limited edition, so will only be around for a short time, before being replaced by new ones. It's a good swap for an eco-friendly alternative to DK acrylic. Review coming soon for this yarn!

Super budget friendly Hoooked Soft Cotton (80% cotton, 20% other fibres) in a fantastic range of colours. I'm delighted to see this very much needed new addition. Well done Hoooked, but please get it stocked in more places! A review of this one coming soon. Check out my other Eco Yarn Reviews.

Another from Hoooked is their beautiful Somen a 60% recycled cotton 40% Linen mix. Perfect for lighter garments.

Re-use by Rosarios 4, 100% recycled cotton DK weight in a small lovely range of colours. Suggested hook size is 4.5 - 5mm so it may be closer to Aran/worsted weight.

Stylecraft have brought a new yarn out in 2021: Re-Create DK, a 100% recycled blend of 40% wool, 30% acrylic and 30% polyester (from plastic bottles). A small range of pretty heathery colours and recommended for garments and accessories.

Wo ol and The Gang Billy Jean yarn, 100% cotton DK yarn made from denim remnants. Only in 3 denim colours

Retwisst Slim Cotton (80% Cotton 20% Polyester) - a recycled DK cotton (hook 3-4mm) in a great range of bright pretty colours offering exceptionally good value.

Tweedy by Hedgehog Fibres DK (50% Falkland Merino Wool, 37.5% Recycled wool 12.5% recycled thread waste) - 100g. Woolly and soft. Just one neutral beige colourway with pretty specks of bright colours. This company will recycle your waste yarn ends into this yarn. You can send them to them by post, see their website for details.

Bergere de France Eco(48% Cotton 48% Acrylic 4% Other) 50g 3.5-4mm hook. Small range of pretty pastel colours.

Berroco Remix Light (30% Nylon 27% Cotton 24% Acrylic 10% Silk 9% Linen) 3.75mm hook recommended. A versatile wool-free mix of recycled fibres great for gorgeous textures. Pretty range of lightly flecked colours. Luxury yarn so is expensive.

Phildar Phil Eco Jean (48% Cotton 47% Polyester 5% Other) 50g Made from recycled jeans. Only in a small range of denim colours. Needle/hook 4mm.

Erika Knight Studio Linen (85% recycled linen 15% linen) 50g Range of grey/pastel tones for classic, elegant styling. DK 3.75mm hook.

Lana Grossa Solo Lino (80% recycled Viscose 20% Linen) DK (Hook 3.5mm) Pretty range of colours.

Lana Grossa Solo Lino Melange (80% recycled Viscose 20% Linen) Tube yarn that has an airy tape appearance but lighter weight than the chunkier tape yarn (Hook size 5mm). Pretty range of colours. Ideal for garments with drape.

Rico Essentials Recycled Cashmere (95% Cashmere 5% Wool) 25g Perfect for eco conscious luxurious makes in a small range mainly pinks and grey tones.

Rowan Denim Revive (95% Cotton 5% Other) 50g Small range of lovely colours.

Sirdar Simply Recycled DK discontinued but some stocks are still around. Very limited pastel shades.

*DISCONTINUED* Bergere de France Initial (48% Cotton 47% Polyester 5% Synthetic) Sport weight. Made from recycled jeans and water bottles!

We are Knitters have a small range of pretty colours in their recycled DK yarn. It's composed of 95% cotton, 5% other fibres, gives a rustic appearance and comes in a 100g skein.

4ply/Sport weight (#2)

The choice in 4 ply is considerably less but I hope with the current trend in upcycling and reuse, that yarn companies will make more in this thickness.

Drops Love You 6 (discontinued) and 9 recycled cotton come in a pretty range of colours. This is a fantastic strong yarn that I use a lot for flowers. Check with Garnstudio for stock and suppliers, there are quite a few.

Cascade Yarns Reverb (70% Recycled Polyester 30% Recycled Alpaca), 100g ball. A wonderful eco-friendly option for wool blend yarns in this thickness.

Cascade has brought out another new eco yarn late 2021- Cascade Yarns ReFine, 75% Merino Wool 20% Nylon 5% Viscose, 100g (3.5oz). A lovely practical blend ideal for garments and socks, it comes in a beautiful range of colours too.

I recently discovered a very pretty one through another crocheter, Banana Moon Studios. Trend Setter Recycled Linen Hand Dyed (84% Recycled Linen, 16% Linen) Sport weight, and it looks beautiful. Check out the review of it by Banana Moon Studio.

Darn Good Twist Sport Weight This 100% silk yarn is hand-spun from recycled silk waste by women's co-operatives in India. Comes in a small range of pretty, eye-catching colours.

Lang Yarns Cashsoft Baby (50% recycled Cashmere 50% Virgin Wool, 25g (0.9oz), 4-Ply 10 pretty shades. Luxury yarn, very pricey.

Lace Weight Silk Yarn at Darn Good Yarn, made from recycled, ethically sourced, hand-dyed by artisans in India. It comes in a stunning range of colours that you will fall in love with!

Macrame thread/cord

A range of recycled undyed and bleached recycled cotton yarn and macrame cords in various thicknesses are available at UK based Airdale yarns. Perfect for dyeing your own.

Retwisst have recycled Macrame cord in a range of beautiful colours including a fab cake range too. It's 80% cotton 20% polyester (2-4mm crochet hook) This could be a great alternative to DK

So there we are, quite a few different yarns in all shapes and sizes! Hope this helps you source the perfect recycled yarns for your projects and encourages you to try recycled yarns. Let me know what you think and please PIN it (you can pin any photo) and SHARE it to help others find it. Together we can make a difference 💚

And if you'd like to hear more from me and hear about new posts, offers and all things eco, then I'd love to offer you exclusive discounts as an email subscriber.

x Thank you x

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The Definitive (ish) list of Recycled Yarn ‣ The Crafty Therapist

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There is more to recycled yarn than T-shirt yarn and not all T-shirt yarn is recycled! There are lots of recycled yarns in all kinds of materials, textures, sizes and prices. Unfortunately, they take some finding! Search terms don't seem to bring up much and throw up many non-recycled yarns.

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cotton yarn - dyes well for vibrant colours

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mushroom leather manufacturer

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Mylo™ Unleather | Sustainable Vegan Mycelium Leather

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Meet MyloTM

Made from mycelium, the underground root-like system of fungi, Mylo™ is a bio-based leather alternative that is soft, supple and less harmful to the environment.

The material that sparked a " mushroom leather" movement, Mylo is made possible by the world-class scientists and engineers at Bolt Threads and is backed by pioneering brands like adidas, lululemon, Stella McCartney, and more.

Why
UnleatherTM ?

Leather has served humans for centuries. But people evolve, and so should our materials.

In our resource-constrained world with a growing population, we are overdue for a renewable, sustainable alternative to leather. The time is now to embrace new frontiers of possibility and unleather the products we use every day.

Unleather

[ən-le-t͟hər]

The radical act of choosing products made sustainably with infinitely renewable mycelium over animal and synthetic-based materials.

Deep Science Meets High Design

Magical thinking meets radical intention. This is a mission that never compromises what's possible for what's easy or accepts the old way as the only way.

Enter the Mylo consortium - a group of world-class companies investing in meaningful material innovation.

Intentionally selected for their exceptional product quality, impactful global reach, and proven commitments to innovation and sustainability, these companies are coming together, across competitive lines, to help create a more sustainable future for fashion.

Subscribe to the Mylo newsletter to be the first to learn when Mylo products are available from our growing list of brand partners.

STELLA'S JOURNEY WITH MYLO

Stella McCartney has never settled for the status quo. A visionary whom Vogue once called "fashion's conscience," Stella redefines luxury by never using animal leather, skin, fur, or feathers in her collections. As one of the first designers to ever use Mylo in her studio, the pioneering designer has been instrumental in bringing Mylo to life.

I believe the Stella community should never have to compromise luxury and design for sustainability, and Mylo makes that a reality.

In April 2021, adidas debuted the Stan Smith Mylo™, the first-ever shoe made from Mylo. To showcase the future of material innovation, adidas chose to use Mylo in one of the most iconic sneakers of all time, the Stan Smith. This reimagined classic enables adidas to quickly scale Mylo through a globally beloved silhouette, paving the way for a better future while paying homage to their heritage. The outer upper, perforated 3 stripes, heel tab overlay, and premium branding are all made with Mylo, and the midsole of the shoe is made with natural rubber to unlock a more sustainable future.

This is larger than sports, this is for our future.

- adidas Annual Report 2020

MYLO IN PRACTICE WITH LULULEMON

Athletic apparel brand, lululemon, revealed the world's first Mylo yoga accessories in a capsule collection including a concept yoga mat made entirely from undyed Mylo. The first brand to use the material in a product beyond those traditionally made with animal or synthetic leathers, the yoga mat was designed to demonstrate Mylo's future potential for use in products for a healthy lifestyle and environment.

Leveraging a material like Mylo demonstrates our commitment to creating a healthier future through low-impact products, paired with the performance-driven and high-quality design we're known for.

- Sun Choe, lululemon Chief Product Officer

Familiar Material, Radically Transformed

Mylo products have an unmistakable resemblance to traditional leather goods, but are designed for a lower environmental impact.

A community of visionary brands and global supply chain partners - who share really good chemistry - have helped hone Mylo's finishing to achieve a range of colors and textures, with more offerings to come.

Concept Mylo™ yoga mat by lululemon, limited release Mylo Driver Bag (in black), and adidas Stan Smith Mylo

Concept Mylo™ yoga mat by lululemon, limited release Mylo Driver Bag (in black), and adidas Stan Smith Mylo

In addition to products from consortium partners, pioneering brands like Mercedes Benz and GANNI continue to explore and develop Mylo's product possibilities. Across fashion and sportswear, Mylo is now in the design studios of industry leaders.

From the Earth, For the Future

For billions of years, mycelium has grown beneath our feet and served as an ecological connective tissue. A sprawling, infinitely renewable, interlaced web, it threads through soil, plant bodies, and along river beds to break down organic matter and provide nutrients to plants and trees.

Mushrooms are the fruit of mycelium. Much like the branches and vines that grow apples or grapes, mycelium functions like these twisting, branching supports just under the Earth's surface.

On a mission to harness the promise of advanced materials science, a team of visionary scientists and engineers at Bolt Threads have developed a state-of-the-art process to grow and transform mycelium into a​ high-quality alternative for animal and synthetic-based leather.

The process begins with mycelium cells grown on beds of sawdust and other organic material. Billions of cells grow to form an interconnected 3D network which is processed, tanned, and dyed to make Mylo.

All of the Leather, None of the Animal

Mylo consumes significantly less land and emits fewer greenhouse gases than raising livestock. The material is certified bio-based, which means it's made predominantly from renewable ingredients found in nature. It is verified vegan through DNA testing and supply chain assessment, ensuring zero animal products are used from end to end.

The mycelium used to make Mylo is grown in less than two weeks using just mulch, air, and water in a vertical agriculture facility that is 100% powered by renewable energy. It is then harvested and processed into material form using Green Chemistry principles. This highly efficient process is rigorously designed to reduce environmental impact from start to finish.

Mylo supply chain partners all meet top sustainability certifications.

UNLEARN the ways and materials of the past to begin a new future.

UNEARTH the magic of the natural world to create solutions as remarkable as they are renewable.

UNLEASH the power of advanced materials science.

UNLEATHER and join the journey where science and sustainability lead the way.

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Mylo™ Unleather | Sustainable Vegan Mycelium Leather

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Meet MyloTM Made from mycelium, the underground root-like system of fungi, Mylo™ is a bio-based leather alternative that is soft, supple and less harmful to the environment. The material that sparked a " mushroom leather" movement, Mylo is made possible by the world-class scientists and engineers at Bolt Threads and is backed by pioneering brands like adidas, lululemon, Stella McCartney, and more.