Yarn Switchup

Another day, another blog! How are we all feeling? Sending you restful energy if you aren’t already feeling it. 💕

Let’s get straight to it, we need to talk about yarn. Yarn is a topic that is constantly on my mind. Whether it be type of yarn, color of yarn, length of yarn; you name it, I’m thinking about it. One topic that hasn’t left my mind is my use of synthetic fibers. As a fiber arts beginner, I used acrylic yarn, as this type of yarn is cheap, easy to work with, and is everywhere you look. It makes sense to begin with this type when you are starting since you don’t know if you’re going to stick with the hobby. No need to waste money on something you won’t use, right? Maybe it’s not that simple.

Flash forward to now, years later and I find myself staring blankly a shelf full of acrylic yarn. 

I have found myself in a place I don’t enjoy being. Buried in plastic.

It may sound strange, but since the acrylic yarn I use is so soft, I forgot it is just plastic. Plastic that, sadly and unfortunately I just realized, will most likely will end up in landfills. I say I just realized this because in my mind, my creations will stay with their owners forever, never getting lost, forgotten, or thrown away. But sadly, that’s not how life works. I may hold on to my pieces for as long as I can, but not everyone will view my work the way I do. Honestly, nobody will view my work that way I do. It was created from my hands and my mind, so naturally I view it in a way that no other can or will. Others will love it, yes, but it is not the same as the love that comes from the creator. Items end up random places on purpose and on accident and there is no way of stopping them from ending up in nature or in landfills. So with that realization, I have decided to switch to nature plant fibers!

This is a very excited transition for me! I do what I can to love and protect the earth and this is a way I can further that for her. ✨

If anyone has any recommendations on eco friendly, vegan fibers, please send them my way! This goes for yarn of course, but I’m also looking for fabrics to sew with. I am looking to work with hemp, organic cotton, linen/flax, Lyocell/tencel, piñatex/pineapple leaf, cork, bamboo, and ramie. I am only interested in plant fibers, so no recommendations for animal fibers are needed. I’ve been vegan for about 6 years 💚 and I’m not interested in looking outside of that.

This transition is an opportunity for growth: being able to support small businesses, as opposed to big businesses. Michaels doesn’t carry any of these options, so that vendor is no longer feasible for me. This is, in the long run, a good thing, as I want to support other local artists and other small businesses owners. At the same time, it is presenting challenges. I haven’t been able to find any credible sources who provide these fibers and who aren’t AI driven . I am not looking to support businesses with AI at their head, considering its environmental impact.

A lot of positive changes are happening and I can’t wait to see where this new avenue takes me.

Sending love to you and yours. Sending love to Mother Earth. 

Stay well, my friend.

xoxo, Grace