In many ways, the link between knitting and the
environment might seem pretty tenuous, at least on the face of it.
While floods of near-Biblical proportions, winds of unprecedented
strength and the rest of our often freakish weather constantly stoke the
fires of the global warming debate, it may seem hard to see what good old
K1, P1 has to do with carbon emissions and climate change.
However, it is clear that everything we do and this
includes our hobbies and our handicrafts has the potential to affect
our environment, one way or another; the issue is no longer just about
low-energy light-bulbs or long-haul flights. In the words attributed to
Chief Seattle of the Suquamish all things are connected.
No matter how you view the whole issue whether, like Al Gore,
you see it as the greatest single threat to humanity or you think
it is yet another triumph of spin and hype over common sense
you would have to agree that doing something good is probably the
best course of action.
So, in that spirit, how can knitting be earth-friendly
and can you really purl for the planet?
Yarns
| A quick glance through the
pages of any knitting magazine, or a swift visit to your local wool
shop will present you with a welter of different yarns. With
everyone and their dog eagerly waving their eco-credentials in this
environmentally-aware age, it can be confusing to know which yarn or
supplier to choose. There are organic wools, fair-trade yarns,
straight-forward natural fibres and, increasingly, yarns made from a
range of novel and unusual materials, such as bamboo or recycled
plastic.
Trying to decide which of them is the most
eco-friendly is rather like trying to compare chalk and cheese
and perhaps it is the wrong question anyway. After all doing
something to help, however small, is better than doing nothing and
the knitting you have selected this particular yarn for, is unlikely
to be the last project you will ever do! |
- Innovative shade cards
from Shokay*
|
Dyeing yarns can be a bit of a problem area too.
Conventional dyestuffs have used some pretty unpleasant chemicals
over the years, which has led a number of people to opt for natural dyes
made from plant materials, such as onion skins, berries and flowers.
Until recently, this was really the preserve of the home-hobbyist,
but work is currently underway that may ultimately make these available on
a commercial scale and in the meantime, there is a range of low impact
dyes specifically approved for use on organic textiles.
Accessories
While bamboo may be something of a new material for
yarn, bamboo knitting needles and crochet hooks are much more familiar and
established, being produced by several companies and widely available
online and from retail outlets. This is not, however, the only renewable
material pressed into this role, with a growing number of suppliers now
offering hooks and needles in a variety of types of wood. Like bamboo,
wood is warmer and less percussive than metal or plastic needles a
real boon for arthritic hands and, properly managed, forests represent
the ultimate sustainable resource. Once you have made your selection,
there are even fair-trade companies who will sell you a handy bag to keep
them all in supporting indigenous craft-workers in a social and
globally conscious way.
 |
Even the ravages of
clothes moths can be avoided by eco-friendly means, with chips of
Eastern aromatic red cedar a natural insect repellent
offering a renewable and far better smelling alternative to
old-fashioned moth balls!
Any handicraft and knitting is no exception
tends to focus the mind on where and how things are made; a
measure of resource consciousness is inevitable. While melting
glaciers and dwindling rainforest are powerful, iconic images, they
are so far away and so remote from our everyday lives, lacking
immediacy and direct involvement. By contrast, knitting opens up the
possibility to achieve the time-honoured maxim and truly think
globally while acting locally. |
With careful choices and assuming security will let
you take your needles on the plane you can go someway towards
shining up your own eco-credentials, making a wearable DIY carbon offset
all of your own, on the flight.
See RESOURCES,
LINKS & CONTACTS
for related information
* Shokay source
yak fibre directly from Tibetan herders, enabling them to earn a
living and preserve their traditional lifestyle. A portion of their
profits return to these communities to aid local development. |
