05. The ethical knitter's guide (part 1): Yarn and the environment at Wolly Roger

Hello, knitters, and raise the anchor!

Today, we're tackling an important topic: ethics in knitting and crochet. Adjust your boots and tighten your tricorne, because we are setting sail towards an essential triptych : environment, animal, and human. Here is the first part of our exploration.

 

Why Choose Ethical and Eco-Responsible Knitting Yarns?

Because behind a skein or a pair of needles, there is a whole world. In this article, we will focus on the environmental aspect of fibers, and we will address animal welfare and social issues during our next stop (and what's more, it rhymes!). There are three types of fibers: natural, man-made, and synthetic. Each has its own unique characteristics.

 

Natural Fibers: Pros, Cons, and Sustainable Alternatives

 

Conventional Cotton vs. Recycled and Organic Fibers at Wolly Roger

Advantages of Natural Fibers: Natural fibers are organic, so they are biodegradable and decompose quickly. Some, like linen or hemp, require very few resources and are particularly eco-responsible. These two are also good students in terms of carbon footprint, as they are fibers often found in our latitudes. They are mostly very breathable, allowing the body better thermoregulation.

Disadvantages of Natural Fibers: In the category of "I am extremely greedy for water, energy, and pesticides," we present conventional cotton! Cotton cultivation is a scourge for the environment during its growth, processing, and transport (the majority of cotton comes from Asia and Africa).

The Wolly Roger Alternative: By offering yarns made of recycled fibers such as Reborn Wool, Reborn Denim, and Studio Linen, we allow you to indulge in your passion while lightening the ecological footprint of the textile industry and taking care of your wallet, as these yarns have an exceptional price-quality ratio. Wolly Roger also loves organic products and offers two GOTS certified yarns: Bio Balance and Northern Lights, as well as yarns from Ferme Attali whose farming is certified organic.

 

Synthetic Fibers: Environmental Risks and Our Solutions at Wolly Roger

 

Why Wolly Roger Avoids Acrylic and Opts for Strategic Nylon

Advantages of Synthetic Fibers: Synthetic fibers are cheap to produce and easy to care for. They are often stretchy, durable, and wrinkle-resistant. Moreover, they dry quickly, which makes them a textile of choice for sports, in particular.

Disadvantages of Synthetic Fibers: Synthetic materials are not biodegradable and take several hundred years to decompose. These materials, created from petroleum or coal, release micro-plastic particles that end up in the oceans and ravage marine ecosystems (the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles each year).

The Wolly Roger Alternative: Wolly Roger will never offer you yarns containing acrylic. Only our sock yarn, Lazy Lion, contains a synthetic fiber (25% nylon) because socks are items subjected to a lot of friction, and the addition of nylon allows for very durable pieces.

 

Wolly Roger's Global Commitment: Ecological Dyeing and Sustainable Tools

 

Azo-Free and Oeko-Tex Certifications: The Guarantee of Safe and Responsible Knitting

Of course, for all these fibers, there is also the question of dyeing, which can be a major source of pollution, whether it's chlorine or heavy metals present in the pigments. This is why all the yarns offered by Wolly Roger are azo-free or Oeko-Tex certified. This means they are free of products harmful to the environment and the skin.

 

Knitting and Crochet Tools: The Second Life of Olive Wood and Bio-Plastic

Furthermore, the wood for our Addi needles and hooks comes from centuries-old olive trees that no longer bear fruit. These trees were destined to be burned, but their life now continues in the form of these magnificent creative tools. Similarly, some Cocoknits accessories offered by Wolly Roger are made of bio-plastic, a biodegradable polymer.

We cannot change the world, but we want to actively contribute to a more positive knitting/crochet, because kindness doesn't stop at the end of the skein...

Hopla, Bis bàll!

Jessica