Here I am again with some musings on the joy of natural fibres. Part of my love for knitting is based on exploring the qualities of natural fibre; the “feel” of them while knitting them, and of course, how they feel when you are wearing them.
The first thought that comes to my mind when thinking of natural fibres is the animals the fibre comes from. To me, it is humbling to know the time and effort it takes to raise animals like sheep, alpacas, goats, yaks, camels, rabbits, bison……the list goes on and on. These animals are raised with care, because the wool or fibre they have is a renewable resource. In Iceland, they only shear the sheep from the head to two thirds down the back. They leave pants on the ewes so spring heat loss won’t affect their ability to provide milk for their young. Fibre from rabbits is plucked, so the rabbit never is without a coat. In cases like the yak, camel or bison, it is only the fluffy undercoat that is used, which is shed each spring.
By using natural fibres you are helping to support a farm family, as well as a host of small businesses. Feed mills and farmers co-ops produce animal feed. They process the grains needed for each specific breed of animal, and produce pellets made of Timothy hay for rabbits. Livestock veterinarians also operate as a small business and play an important role in keeping the animals healthy, which is very important for a renewable resource. Shearers for sheep and alpaca make their living going from farm to farm to shear the wool. Fibre mills that process natural fibres are also often small businesses that turn raw wool from sheep and alpacas into roving, which is a rope of fibre that is used for spinning into the neatly packaged wool you buy in a store.
Each type of fibre has different qualities. Sheep wool even varies in its qualities depending on the species of sheep. I just love the softness of merino, which is largely raised in Australia and New Zealand. On our trip to Iceland last summer, Hope and I discovered the feel of Lett Lopi, from Icelandic sheep. We stocked up before we left too! The wool from the angora rabbits I used to keep is as soft as a cloud and is silky as well. Alpaca is also very soft, but doesn’t have the springiness of wool. As for silk, what can I say? It is absolutely lovely to work with, but it is slippery to knit. I love to use a blend with merino and silk, which makes it a little less slippery. Flax is another natural fibre made from the flax plant. I made a light summer top a few years ago with 100% flax. It is also a bit slippery but has such a smoothness to it, it is a joy to both knit and wear.
It is true that you need to take extra care when washing your natural fibres , but hey, how many hours have been put into knitting the garment? It is funny, but I have certain clothes I consider “good”. This mean to me that I can wear them to more dressy occasions, and I feel great in them. Most of my natural fibre garments I have knitted have taken time, the pattern has been carefully selected, as well as the type of yarn and the colours. The finished garments are in the “good” clothes part of my closet, and I hand wash them because I love them and want them to last a long time.
I hope this little bit of background info has helped you to understand the important role that natural fibre plays in our society and around the world. Keep those knitting needles clicking!
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