Photo by Amy R. Singer

One of the surprises from Knitty.com’s Spring 2007 issue: The Everlasting Bagstopper, designed by the chief knitwit herself, Amy Singer. Using only two skeins of Hemp for Knitting’s allhemp6, the bag includes a drawstring closure for extra security, which is a nifty touch.

Related article:
1. Yarn Review: Hemp for Knitting allhemp3

A generous 165 yards per skein, Hemp for Knitting’s fingering to sportweight allhemp3, in the pumpkin (022) colorway pictured above, knits up very similarly to 100 percent tightly plied cotton—they’re both plant-based fibers, after all. Because, like 4-ply cotton, the fibers have little give, your hands may start to cramp if you barrel through extended sessions of knitting. (So if you don’t like knitting with most cottons, which I personally don’t, you’re not going to like working with hemp, either, which the joints of my fingers didn’t.)

allhemp3 is a sturdy yarn that can take a fair amount of abuse—unsurprising because of hemp’s reputation for tensile strength—but it isn’t very forgiving of repeated frogging; tufts of fiber will whip about and latch onto your clothing. Strands aren’t perfectly smooth, either, so you’ll get the rare bump in your knitting, though probably not enough to be noticeable.

Blocking made the swatch softer, and the stitches evened out more, though not dramatically. Rated gauge is 7st per inch on size 2 needles.

This review refers to yarn purchased online at Kpixie.com

Photo by Llamajamas

You guys are going to love this one. Llamajamas is a family-owned purveyor of “pure, natural” wool that includes alpaca and merino. I’m particularly drawn to its line of organically dyed merino and their vibrant, earthy hues.

According to Llamajamas:

These yarns have been naturally dyed using time honored recipes and locally available materials. We roast plants, bark, nuts, and other natural materials over open fires for many hours to create the rich, natural dyes.

Spun by artisan women in Ecuador, Llamajama’s yarns are fairly traded. The company pledges to “pay a fair wage, engage in environmentally sustainable practices, build long-term relationships, and insist on healthy and safe working conditions.”

Also available—though it’s currently listed as out of stock—is a wool wash made with organic coconut, olive, and jojoba oils, and imbued with the natural antibacterial and antifungal properties of tea-tree oil.

There are some really darling knitting patterns for sale, as well, but if you’re not of the knitting temperament, Llamajamas also sells ready-to-wear slippers, soakers, pants, and blankets.

Patterns, yarns, and a small cache of that wool wash can also be found at Kpixie.

Photo by Lion Brand Yarn

I nearly sprayed my morning tea on my computer screen when I got Lion Brand’s e-mail announcing their foray into the realm of color-grown organic cotton. From the company:

Many of us choose organic foods at the grocery store or farmer’s market, especially when it comes to feeding babies and children. Why? Organic methods are great for both people and the environment—improving the soil’s health, the water’s purity and the health of wild animals like birds, bugs, and bunnies, too.

Lion Brand’s new yarn, Organic Cotton, comes from that same soil. Harvested and sorted by hand, the cotton is free of pesticides and herbicides. This cotton grows in 4 natural colors, right on the plant, so dying is not necessary. Now these subtle earth tones are available to you. This all-natural, soft and versatile new yarn is ideal for all sorts of projects, from baby clothing to luxurious clothing and items for your home.

Start a new baby out right. Craft with Lion Brand Organic Cotton with a clear conscience. It’ll do our environment, and the new baby, a whole lot of good.

Bunnies, people. WON’T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE BUNNIES?

You even get three free patterns to go with your new organic loot. Don’t be fooled by the company’s cheapie rep, though—at $6.99 for 82 yards, you’re better off buying Blue Sky Alpaca’s line, which costs less per yard at $8.50 for 150 yards.

Still, as the Wal-Mart of yarns, Lion is providing increased sustainable-fiber access and face time to a wider clientele, which isn’t a bad thing, but don’t ask me to stretch the Wal-Mart metaphor further by going into organic-fiber standards, because it’s way too early in the a.m. to do anything more complicated than poke the metaphor. And maybe name it Squishy. But THAT’S WHERE I DRAW THE LINE.

Also, if this turns out to be one elaborate punk’ing, I will hunt you down and cut you.

Also, also, it snowed a bit this morning, but admittedly that’s neither here nor there.

Interweave Press has served up a light sprinkling of preview pages for Natural Knits for Babies and Moms: Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns, by yarn doyenne Louisa Harding, to whet our appetites. I love the simple yet classic lines, and that cleverly adjustable Bump Sweater is the perfect blank canvas for some embroidered adornment along its edges. What do you think?

(Click to enlarge.)

Photo by Blonde Chicken Boutique

A very welcome addition to the sphere of sustainable fibers, Blonde Chicken Boutique launched this year with the purpose of supplying ethically sourced, made-to-order handpainted yarns to fiber buffs. The Dayton, OH-based “handpainted, organic, luxury” store is “committed to seeking out fair trade, organic and sustainable [yarns] and fibers to share with our customers.” Better yet is its desire to “offer not only yarns and fibers, but also education about making eco-friendly decisions in your fiber arts.”

Currently, Blonde Chicken has a soysilk yarn in three handpainted colorways for online gawking: Lilac, Verdant, and Hydrangea. Piqued your interest? Sign up for the mailing list to receive updates on new products.

(I’ve added a list of specialty sustainable yarn stores to the Greensleeves index, as well. Give me a holler if I’ve left out your favorite store.)

Natural Knits for Babies and Moms: Beautiful Designs Using Organic Yarns by Louisa Harding

Nature Babies: Natural Knits and Organic Crafts for Moms, Babies, and a Better World by Tara Jon Manning

I was going to wait on announcing this, but I’m totally doing the PEE-PEE DANCE and I can’t contain my excitement any longer. As an environmentalist, fair-trade advocate, and knitter, I’ve been interested in exploring the less-traveled realm where knitting and sustainability intersect. I hope you’ll join me as I explore sustainable fibers such as organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, and even soysilk, and perhaps contribute to the online compendium of resources I plan to assemble.

Please give a holler my way if you have any thoughts on sustainable knitting, crocheting, spinning, dyeing (I’m looking at you, Felicia!), and the needle arts. I hope to also run companion posts that gather the ideas/rants/musings of crafters who are also seeking to create sustainably. (I won’t judge your stash if you won’t judge mine.) A “tink¹ tank,” if you will.

¹ “Tink” is “knit” backwards, and refers to the motion of slowly undoing your stitches one at a time. I know, I’m an incorrigibly bad punster. Another sign I’m marked for eternal damnation.

In a bit of serendipity, Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic has designed a chic red cardigan with Blue Sky Alpaca’s dyed organic cotton yarn. (Say it loud, say it proud, TAKE A HIKE DDT cloud!)

What? Hang on to my day job? You people have no poetry in your soul.

Hooded Pullover from Blue Sky Alpacas, by way of Kpixie.com.

Happy Tuesday!

How cute is this hooded pullover from Blue Sky Alpacas? Kpixie.com recommends using BSA’s worsted alpaca/wool blend or the company’s organic cotton, which comes in amazing, naturally occuring colors. (I would also use faux suede or leather cording instead of the genuine articles, but that’s because I’m a crabby herbivore.)

And while knitted skirts are usually hit or miss, this one completely rocks my socks.

Sylvia of BSA told me over the phone (see, RESEARCH—don’t say I don’t love you) that they source their yarn directly from mills in Peru. BSA also works closely with Heifer International, an organization that aims to end world hunger and poverty by providing gifts of livestock and fostering self-sufficient communities.

So next time you’re knitting with BSA’s alpaca yarn (or any fair-trade fiber, for that matter) and someone clicks their tongue at you for buying more yarn, you can fix unto them the COUNTENANCE OF THE RIGHTEOUS and tartly inform them that you’re FIGHTING WORLD HUNGER. (I’ve found this also works with chocolate because, you know, heaven help the person who gets between me and fighting world hunger.)

A bit of rooting around on the Internet also uncovered this from The Green Guide:

Alpacas are incredibly earth-friendly animals. Their hoof-less, padded feet don’t damage terrain, they eat grass and chew their cud (i.e. they need very little, if any, fossil-fuel-generated feed), and because they’re descended from camels, they don’t need to drink much water to survive. Furthermore, Alpaca wool is naturally thick and resistant to ticks, fleas and other pests, rendering chemical dips unnecessary, and it grows in 22 colors, so most Alpaca wool clothing comes in the color in which it was grown on the animal, not from a harsh, artificial dye.

I need to find a delicate way to tell the hub to move out because buying yarn fighting world hunger and saving the Earth is going to require a lot of storage space. We all have to make sacrifices.