After I discovered that there are yarns out there other than acrylic, it was a natural evolutionary step to wonder about eco-friendly yarns. Not that I think my little acrylic yarn stash was in any way responsible for global warming, I just couldn’t help wanting to grow-up a little in this age of environmental-responsibility awareness. So I went forth on a quest to find yarn stores and manufacturers that were themselves environmentally aware or at least offered eco-friendly alternatives. What I found was so much more.

As I compiled my list of online eco-friendly resources and stumbled (as much as one can stumble on the Internet) across Hanna Breetz and her site The Green Knitter¹. This site is a wildlife preserve in the fiber forest. The Green Knitter is packed with valuable information on the world for organic and eco-friendly yarns.

While exploring The Green Knitter you will find detailed explanations of each green buzz word (e.g. Sustainable, Natural, Organic, etc.). She then explains our fiber options (Animal and Plant) and the manufacturing process for each one. Her thoughts on bamboo gave me a new perspective on eco-friendly.

What I applaud her for is her Yarn Chart. An invaluable resource for anyone wanted to know what yarn options are available and plenty of information to make informed choices. It lists yarn manufacturers, brand name, fiber and processes used on those yarns. You can even find which yarns are considered vegan. Amazing!

If I had an award to give for being eco-awesome Hanna would get it hands down.

Not to let my own research go to waste, I’ve created an Eco-Friendly Resources page in the navigation section listing online companies that offer organic and eco-friendly yarn and crochet/knit resources.

1. I know. I know. Knitters rule the fiber world. I get it.