Here at Blonde Chicken Boutique, it’s all about the Eco-friendly. But what does “eco-friendly yarn” mean? There are three main tenets of Blonde Chicken Boutique: Local, Sustainable and Recycled. Organic cotton, a more sustainable fiber, is a new member of the VeganSpun line, check out all the colors in the Boutique.
In my quest to supply Eco-friendly yarn and fibers for everyone, I’ve come across a real need for beautiful vegan (non-animal) supplies. I love wool, alpaca, mohair, all of the wooly wonderful product of happy animals and happy farms. But even wool-lovers need to branch out, especially as Spring and warmer weather approach.
There are many crafters who avoid using animal products in any part of their life, including spinning and knitting. I want to provide these fiber artists with handdyed fibers and yarn that meet their specific need.
In this spirit of finding sustainable, earth-friendly fiber, I’ve researched the options and settled on banana fiber (read more here) and organic cotton.
What is Organic Cotton?
According to the Organic Trade Association:
Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. In addition, federal regulations prohibit the use of genetically engineered seed for organic farming. All cotton sold as organic in the United States must meet strict federal regulations covering how the cotton is grown.
Here is a chart that clearly identifies the differences.
Why Organic Cotton?
Cotton production uses more chemicals per unit area than any other crop and accounts in total for 16% of the world’s pesticides (source).
It’s that simple. If you’re going to change *one* thing to improve your environmental impact – switch to organic cotton! By spinning, knitting, crocheting and dressing in organic cotton, you can easily reduce the amount of agrochemicals!
And organic cotton is not an expensive switch. Organic cotton fiber costs no more than traditional cotton fiber! My handdyed, handspun organic cotton yarn costs no more than a similar wool yarn. The same is true for my handdyed organic cotton roving.
So if you’re ready to try out some organic cotton roving, check out the VeganSpun section of the Boutique, where I’ll be adding new colors of roving and yarn all week!
