Hello! Are you looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of your crochet? There are so many opportunities to create what we do in a more sustainable way. Tiny changes can make a big difference, right? I will say right away that none of us is perfect, and I certainly don't want to be seen as being judgemental here. I know I don’t get it right all the time. However, by incorporating eco-friendly practices into your projects, you can help to minimize your environmental impact and create beautiful, conscious pieces at the same time. With all this in mind, let's explore some of the options to make your crochet endeavors more sustainable.
Choosing Eco-Friendly Yarns
Bamboo: This is a rapidly renewable resource that produces soft and durable yarn. The drape of the fabric crocheted in this fibre can be stunning!
Local: Support local or national yarn producers to reduce transportation emissions, provide local employment and embrace traditional farming and spinning methods.
Organic Cotton: Choose yarns made from organic cotton, which is grown without harmful pesticides or fertilisers.
Merino Wool: Be aware of the practice of mulesing in merino sheep, it’s a painful and unnecessary procedure which is causing many consumers and brands to now advocate for mulesing-free merino wool.
Recycled Yarns: Yarn made from materials like plastic bottles or recycled fabrics, are becoming more and more popular. In fact I have some Kremke Reborn Wool in my stash which I’m keen to try soon. It’s formed of 65%-75% wool and the rest is other fibres such as viscose, nylon or acrylic depending on the textiles used in the recycling process.
Fair Trade Yarns: By choosing Fair Trade yarn, you’ll be ensuring ethical working conditions and pay to farmers.
Wool: Where possible, choose wool from ethically sourced, cruelty-free farms.
Reducing Waste
Leftover Yarn Projects: Create small, functional items like coasters, face scubbies, bookmarks or pot holders from leftover yarn.
Stash Busting: Prioritise using yarn from your stash before buying new. It’s amazing what we can find in our cupboards, under the bed etc - you’re likely to find something there you’d forgotten about!
Scrappy Projects: If you’ve been around me for any length of time, you’ll know how much I love a scrappy blanket! These are perfect for using up all the left-over bits & piecesyou have from other projects. I have several scrappy projects on my blog for FREE, you can find Scrappy Blanket II here.
Sustainable Project Ideas
Reusable Items: Crochet reusable iems such as bags, dishcloths or produce bags to reduce single-use plastic consumption.
Upcycled Projects: Create new items from recycled materials, for example from old clothing or fabric scraps. One item I’ve enjoyed making is a bathmat crocheted up in long strips of old T-shirts.
Repair and Restore: Give old items a new life by crocheting repairs or additions. I’ve dedicated a whole blog post to this topic, which you can read here.
Seasonal Projects: Crochet seasonal items like scarves, hats and mitts instead of opting for fast fashion alternatives.
Spreading Awareness and Inspiring Others
Share Your Journey: Document your sustainable crochet projects on social media to inspire others and raise awareness about eco-friendly crafting. You can gently encourage others to adopt sustainable crafting habits by sharing information and resources you’ve found.
Join Sustainable Crafting Communities: Connect with like-minded crocheters and share ideas for sustainable practices. This could be online or in person groups, go find your crowd!
Conclusion
By incorporating even a sprinkling of these sustainable practices into your crochet practice, you’ll be contributing to a healthier planet. Please remember that we're all human and we all make mistakes; it's important to be understanding and supportive of each other to keep the community the friendly place it’s known to be. So, let's try to make more eco-friendly crochet to create a more sustainable future together, one stitch at a time.
Until next time, happy crocheting,
Marta xx
