Don't forget to stop by the Fuzzy Square shop to poke around!
Echo Yarn Spring Discount
Yarn for Good: 10 Charitable and Recycled Yarn Brands
Do you know where your yarn comes from? Yarn consciousness is slowly making impressions on people as we see more recycled, eco-friendly, and charity-focused yarn brands fill the shelves. Check out these yarn providers who hand-dye, recycle, upcycle, and even support poverty with their wonderfully unique yarns.
I ran into this brand in a small knitting store in Madison. Based in Maine, Darn Good Yarn provides eco-friendly, fair-trade, child labor-free yarn. All of the yarn is recycled and eco-friendly materials, including recycled silk and recycled sari ribbon from Nepal and Northern India. The latter are hand-spun and dyed by women in Nepal, and the workers benefit from sales through Darn Good Yarn (the yarn label reads: “Reasonably priced, high-quality yarn that helps women in India and Nepal and gets rid of waste”). I bought some of the pulled silk yarn, and it has a lovely sheen and soft texture.
Darn Good Yarn also has newspaper yarn made from old newspapers - have you heard of it? There are some great tutorials, videos, and other resources about how to make your own. Check them out!:
The Mirasol Yarn Collection
 |
| (Mirasol Miski) |
Upton Yarns
This beautiful yarn is hand-dyed with natural, plant based dyes. The wool comes from coopworth sheep in small New England farms and backyard flocks. The fiber is spun at small mills and then dyed at Upton. The website features a wonderful description of both the yarn and the sheep - a very pleasant read! - and colorful pictures of the yarn.
Brambleberry Yarns
Brambleberry Yarns also supplies natural, hand-dyed yarns. The colors are stunning and individually unique. For knitter gardeners, this is the site for you. She has a great, colorful blog with her knitting and gardening adventures.
The Nude Ewe (UK)
I am just tickled with their name - too funny! The Nude Ewe in a non-profit wool company whose wool comes from sheep in Bedfordshire nature conservation projects. Proceeds from sales then support those conservation efforts. The wool is naturally beautiful - undyed, unbleached, and unique.
Etsy also hosts numerous recycled, for-good yarn producers, and their work is incredible.
Northcott Wilson Artisans
This is one of my favorite Etsy finds. Previously a statistician, the shop owner switched to the fashion industry. However, traveling the world for a growing apparel company, she was struck by poor factory conditions overseas. Disturbed by the problems she saw and the lack of others seeking solutions, she left her job and founded this shop in 2006. Much of her work is made from recycled silk yarn, purchased from a from a women's collective in Kathmandu, and she sells the remaining fair trade yarn in his shop. By purchasing yarn from the women's collective, the women are able to support themselves and their children and they can pay for their children's' education. The yarns are beautiful - I wholeheartedly recommend this one!
Penelope's Fine Yarns
This great Etsy store features yarn recycled from thrift store sweaters. The yarn is mostly cashmere, silk, and merino. Most of the yarn is lave weight and comes in a wide variety of colors, all at very reasonable prices.
Crafty Yarn
Another wonderful recycle yarn store on Etsy, Crafty Yarn features a wide variety of yarn, repurposed from previously knit items or hand-spun with scrap fiber.
Echo Yarn
Echo Yarn hosts many recycled yarns thrifted from secondhand sweaters. The store also offers a great opportunity to try free samples to make sure you are getting the yarn you really want.
Mike's T-shirt Yarn
You've probably heard of making t-shirt yarn or have done it yourself. This shop makes and sells it at affordable prices. It also supplies t-shirt yarn loops for crafting and t-shirt yarn hats and necklaces.
Don't forget that you can recycle your own yarn using old sweaters or thrift shop knits. Here are some guides for recycling yarn:
Granny Square Skirt
Despite my shaky crochet skills, I made a granny square skirt for my sister K this past Christmas. It was a great stash-busting project, and it helped me practice crocheting. The inspiration came from a runway picture K sent me a few years ago. Sometimes she'll send me some pictures of runway knits/crochet(s?) and will ask me how impossible they would be for me to make. Since then, granny squares have been a bit of a revived hit in the crafting and high fashion world (see below).
Since this was supposed to be a surprise, I estimated the measurements. I used acrylic blends and washed any scratchier yarns in hot water to soften them. I then made the many granny squares and had the outer color of each be black. One of the most challenging parts of the project was lining up all of the squares so that no colors would be too close to same or similar colors (but a fun puzzle nonetheless). When I had them all arranged, I stacked them up in order by row and sewed the squares together with the black yarn. I then picked up stitches along the top edge of the skirt and knit a ribbed waistband. It did not need elastic because of the general suction of the skirt and the yarn's ability to hold its shape.As the veteran crochet readers will likely notice, my granny squares aren't perfect - working on that! We'll pretend it was on purpose to make them look like "Fuzzy Squares." (;
Haven't witnessed the granny square fashions? Here are some pictures you've gotta see!:
Also check out this article on granny square prints on a variety of items.
Ladder Stitch Cowl Pattern
Difficulty: Easy
This simple cowl is worked in the round and slips over the head when completed.
This pattern is on
This pattern is on
100% worsted acrylic, Approx.350 yds
(**Would be wonderful in a very soft yarn!)
US 11 (8mm) circular needles, 16in
Stitch marker
Large embroidery needle
Abbreviations:
CO: cast on
BO: bind off
sts: stitches
k: knit
p: purl
*: repeat this section
PATTERN:
CO 76 sts. Place stitch marker and join round, being careful not to
twist stitches.
Row 1-4: *k1, p1, to end.
Cowl pattern:
Row 1: *k1, p3, to end
Row 2: k all stitches to end
Repeat these two rows until cowl measures 12 inches.
Row 1-4: *k1, p1, to end.
Loosely BO all stitches.
To finish, use your large needle to sew in yarn ends.
= Correction made 3/16/13
= Correction made 3/16/13
Striped Kitty
Here's a super quick, easy, and cute kitty pattern by Old Habits New.
I used 100% cotton and finished the kitty in a few hours. I don't have the right supplies to make whiskers at school, but kitty is still a cutie! (: The kitty has a happy home with her new mom.
Save Money: Buying Your Personal Craft Supplies "Wholesale"
Craft addictions can be expensive! We want to make everything! Cut back your costs by buying craft supplies in bulk online. Below are some tips to keep in mind to avoid first-bulk-purchase slips up and to make sure that you're really saving on your crafts instead of overspending and getting the supplies you're looking for.
Shop with projects already in mind.
When prices appear to be so low, it can be tempting to buy everything that looks appealing. Have a plan in mind when you tackle price-reduced merchandise to keep yourself from going overboard. If you are making something that has a pattern, look for materials similar to what the pattern recommends.
Read the description.
Online product images can be deceiving. Make sure to read the product descriptions carefully to make sure you are getting what you think you are. When buying yarn, check the yardage, fiber(s), weight, and any other information you can pin down to get a better idea about what you're buying. The description can also help you compare numbers with any pattern recommendations.
Know the retail prices.
Check out what stores are charging for similar products to make sure that buying in bulk makes sense. Make sure to take shipping prices into account.
Compare shipping prices.
Shop around to see what shipping prices suppliers offer. While the craft supplies may be cheap, the heaviest pricing usually shows up in the shipping costs. Try filling carts at multiple shops to compare what provider offers the best prices with shipping included.
Know your store.
Shopping online is always a challenge. If you are shopping on a new site, be sure to familiarize yourself with their policies and, if possible, look for other shopper reviews to back up your choice.
My favorite sites to buy craft supplies in bulk are Create for Less and Yarn Paradise. What are yours?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
