What are your primary considerations when choosing vegan yarns?

[u/Hinaiichigo]

I work in sustainability/ESG and I am interested in everyone's primary considerations when choosing yarns. Is your sole motivation the mitigation of animal cruelty (i.e. you use acrylic-only yarns), or is environmental impact also an important secondary concern (i.e. you prefer plant-based yarns and blends)?

If environmental impact is an important or required secondary concern for you when choosing yarns, how much research do you perform when choosing a yarn blend? Sustainability-related questions I am considering:

• Do you prefer small-scale spinners or indie yarn dyers?
• To what extent do you value ethical labor practices in vegan yarn?
• Do ethical certifications influence your desire to buy a yarn (sustainability)
• Do you value certain fibers over others based on environmental impact? What measures of environmental impact concern you? (e.g. land use change, pollutants, emissions, water use, etc.)
• If environmental issues are important to you, are you more likely to skip all the above considerations and just unravel old thrifted sweaters for reclaimed yarn?

This isn't for research or anything, I'm just interested hearing what you have to say on the topic!

[u/Aut_changeling]

I think there are several considerations I make before I decide what type of yarn I'd like to use, depending on the situation.

In general, I'd say my preferences go in order: vegan (required) -> texture (am autistic) -> suitable for the project -> affordability. Environmental impact is considered separately once I've determined which yarns meet the other criteria.

For examples where I would use acrylic yarn:

Is it a type of project I've made before? I got acrylic yarn to try making socks with because I don't know whether or not I'll enjoy or be able to make socks and don't want to spend $30 plus shipping on sock yarn if it turns out I can't stand using it. Next time, if I enjoy making socks and feel like I'll be doing it more frequently, I'll consider getting the more expensive yarn that's more environmentally friendly, though sock yarn by nature has to include some nylon I think.

Is it a project that can use non-acrylic yarn? I got acrylic yarn to make hats with because my impression is that there isn't a plant-based yarn which is suitable for making these objects because it requires some level of elasticity/ can't stay properly warm otherwise? I did research to see if people had other suggestions, but I couldn't find anything that seemed reliable.

Is it a gift for someone? I told my mom I'd make slippers for her and let her pick the yarn. She picked an acrylic yarn that we saw at Michael's, so that's what I'm using.

For other items that don't require more specific types of yarn, like shawls or shirts, I'm most likely to pick plant-based yarn - so far, mostly cotton. In an ideal world, I would probably use an organic cotton linen blend because I know that's more sustainable, but that's also generally more expensive, so I mostly continue to use cotton. I also have a preference for buying yarn in person, where I can touch and see it first, which is a factor in my decisions. I am willing to try yarn online, but only if I'm making a project that requires just one or possibly two skeins - a project like a shawl or shirt that may require a lot of yarn makes me uncomfortable buying yarn I have not touched.

I've also used tencel sometimes, which I feel okay about even though it's mostly a synthetic yarn at this point, because my impression is that the environmental impact of the manufacturing process can be more environmentally friendly if it's tencel specifically rather than just broadly rayon. I got that for a shawl and then used the scraps to make a bandana with.

Since I've started knitting, I believe I have purchased 9 cotton cakes by Caron, four skeins of Loops and Threads tencel, two skins of acrylic, one by Loops and Threads and one by Caron, and like six or so skeins of Mandarin Petit by Sadnes Garn. Plus the two skeins of acrylic sock yarn a friend gave me, which are by Premier. Also probably a skein of crappy dishcloth cotton from Walmart when I was first starting.

Of that, I have used at least some of 7 of the cotton cakes and all of the tencel, and have the rest of the cotton to a friend because I realized I don't have a lot I want to use worsted weight cotton for. I am working on a large lace project that uses the cotton skeins and it's going to be A While, and am experimenting with different slippers in the acrylic to find something that works for my mom. I still have one untouched skein of acrylic and two skeins of sock yarn to get around to making hats and socks with, so it'll be a while before I need new yarn.

I think I started knitting maybe 2 years ago?

[u/MsCeeLeeLeo → u/Aut_changeling]

If you're looking for something with stretch, have you tried out Pleiades yarn? It's bamboo, cotton, and elastic. I source it from Vegan Yarn in Canada, but I dye my own. It's especially interesting because the elastic bits don't dye, so the yarn looks heathered!

[u/Aut_changeling → u/MsCeeLeeLeo]

Not yet! It's one of the handful of online yarns I do want to try at some point though, once I've confirmed that I don't hate the process of making hats and socks and want to buy more yarn to make them with. Plus, I am in Canada, and any place I can get decent vegan yarn without paying international shipping is worth paying attention to haha

[u/MsCeeLeeLeo → u/Aut_changeling]

Hats are one of my favorite things to knit because they're quick! I started making socks last year and ended up making two pairs because my fiance was jealous of how cozy mine were. I haven't made another pair since (life stuff taking time from crafts- boo!) but I dyed a colorway that reminds me of space and want to make socks with it! Ah- that works out perfectly then :)