Vegan Knitting With Bamboo, Soy, and Hemp

I haven't knitted since I was a teenager. We used to sit in front of the fireplace at Sunset Lodge in Maine and knit scarves. It's a soothing and cozy pastime and I've wanted to do it again for years. But I didn't want to work with wool.

I don't like wool for two reasons. First, it's itchy. And second, wool production is horribly cruel to animals. I can't see adopting a hobby that promotes animal suffering.

But I've recently discovered that there is a big population of vegan knitters. They are using fibers made from soy, bamboo, and hemp—as well as the more common cotton and linen, and of course, synthetics.

I love the idea of soy and bamboo, especially. Soy yarn is a byproduct of tofu-production, and bamboo is a fast-growing renewable resource. And the yarns are absolutely delightful—very soft and silky.

Although they are new to me, it seems that everyone else in the world already knew about these yarns, because they are remarkably easy to find. My local yarn shop had a supply of them, and a number of online yarn shops sell them, too. They are pretty expensive compared to wool so I'm starting to look for them on ebay, and have found some good deals.

My favorite website for information about vegan knitting and yarns is: Fake Sheep.

And I brushed up on my knitting skills—which had been dormant for some 35 years—by watching videos on this excellent website: Knitting Help. I struggled for just a few minutes, and then my hands "remembered" exactly what to do.

I still need some practice to get my stitches looking even and nice—and about the only thing I can make is a straightforward scarf at this point. But knitting is fun! And I'm thrilled to be able to do it again with a clear conscience.