...wool

[midnightexpression]

Ok I'm a vegan like to the extreme I don't eat meat I eat honey I dont eat any thing with dairy in it and I don't use any thing that is an animal biproduct wool, leather, etc. so I was wondering what are some alternatives to wool?

[sakurasaku]

Cotton and acrylic are the obvious ones and those alone will give you lots of choices.

 

Bamboo, soy silk, etc. are being used these days to make some amazing yarn. You can check out Southwest Trading Company.

[Paralee]

Just curious -- I sort of understand not eating meat or using leather, but why do you avoid wool? It doesn't hurt the sheep to be sheared, does it?

[Wendy79]

For one thing, yes, it sometimes does. For another, many of our wool sheep are bred to have super-coats (very heavy) and live uncomfortable lives. Then, too, institutional farms have any number of questionable practices that are harmful to animals and the environment. Some people who wouldn't ordinarily use wool will use it if they know it comes from humanely-raised sheep (a small family farm, for instance, might be one source). Others view any use of wool as stealing from the sheep. Hope that answers your question!

[mamaoso]

Familia raised some sheep on the ranch in NM. I think that it would be more inhumane not to shear the sheep.. Did you ever see a sheep that wasn't sheared for a while???? It would be kinda like having a sheep dog and not grooming it, with mats and stuff all over.. And it becomes really heavy to lug around.. We had one sheep that would take of into the mountains every time they would shear the sheep finally they caught him.. He was a mess...

[midnightexpression]

Well see the thing is back before we sheared sheep their coat eventually just came off. I just don't see it as natural for human to shear sheep. and dogs arent ment to be groomed either if they needed to lose hair it would come off naturally. I'm sorry if you disagree with me but I will argue because I've always been taught to speak my mind and that got my suspended from school for three days. so yeah just letting you know I will voice my opinion.

[Yarn Duck]

There's acrylic, if you don't have a problem with chemical processing.

There's cotton, if you don't mind the use of pesticides.

There's tencel, made from wood pulp, if you don't mind logging.

There's silk, but it's an animal by-product.

You can also find yarn made from bamboo, hemp or soy fiber, if you don't have a problem with harvesting plant fibers.

 

The point here is that everything we use has some sort of impact on our environment. Everything you touch, wear, eat or use has to come from something. There are companies out there though that do try to lessen the impact that there product makes.

[Wendy79]

Great post, Julie! No matter what we use, we have to make choices and concessions. I'm sure it's possible to make bamboo yarn in environmentally un-friendly ways too, and same with soy etc. I really like the looks of the Southwest Trading Company, so thanks for that link, Sakura.

[Paralee]

Hmmm, lots to think about. Julie is right, everything has an impact in some way. Not just humans either, animals and plants impact each other. Don't forget, we are part of the eco-system, too. Not just some interfering outsider.

 

I like the looks of SW Trading Company too, btw. I will definitely go back and look at that site more.

[shebear]

OH yeah and like farming isn't bad for the soil and underground water........even on a fairly organic farm.

 

Let's face it....the virus on THIS planet is MANKIND!

[losingmymind2]

I have to agree with Julie. I prefer to work with natural fibers, but that is a personal decision everyone has to make for themselves as to which materials cause less impact on the planet.

[aurora]

I know people who describe themselves as vegan who will wear things that have been frogged from a thrift shop. I'm a vegetarian myself, so I still use wool.

 

That said, there's some amazing stuff out there that isn't animal hair. There's even yarn made from paper! Tencel feels lovely and soft, too.

[Bethany]

I'm crocheting a top out of color-grown organic cotton now. It's grown without pesticides and comes in earth-tone brown and green colors without dyes -- it comes right out of the ground that way. Very cool and presumably low impact, though not cheap.

 

However, it depends on what you mean if you ask about a substitute for wool. There are many other lovely fibers you can work with besides wool, but there are no "substitutes" for wool: none of these other fibers will have the same properties as wool in terms of springyness of the fiber, memory, etc. Probably most notably, as far as I know no non-animal-fiber will felt.

[craftconnie1]

Wool sheared from sheep should not hurt the sheep in anyway....they seem to be relieved to have it off. Its natural for the wool to come off....humans just quicken the process. its their winter coat, same with outdoor cows and horses though we usually just brush out....it too can be made into 'wool' My brother has siberian huskies and you get the most amazing wool from their coats. Wool can be composted its all natural why would we want to waste it? I appreciate your thoughts but having grown up on a farm everything you "feed" needs to have a purpose.....better for their coats than not to have life at all. With quite literally everything else we use for crocheting there is some sort of chemical process involved but with wool it can be all natural.

[Wendy79]

I appreciate your experience, and it sounds like the farm you lived on was sheep-friendly. But it is a fact that sheep are sometimes harmed while being sheared; it's a fact that sheep have been bred to have heavier coats than they would in the wild; it's a fact that over-farming (that is, too much livestock) has a negative effect on our environment; and it's a fact that while wool CAN be all natural, the wool we buy at the craft store is usually not, and for that matter, cotton, soy, and bamboo can be "all natural", too.

 

I do use and wear wool. But I think it's important to look at its source from all sides, and to be educated consumers.

[midnightexpression]

I just think its wrong because the flesh we take from animals and the milk we take from cows is theirs and when people skin animals we're stealing maybe I'm just weird

[craftconnie1]

You don't skin the sheep for their wool. the wool is cut off like a hair cut. same for goats. As for eating them,that's a personal choice.You do need to be educated because even veggies and fruits destroy the environment....pesticides herbicides fertilizers fuel to get them to your table let alone cook or preserve them. everything in life comes down to choices and fortunately for us, we at least have the possibility of choice. I'm lucky because I have the freedom to choose hormone free meat etc., and since hubby grows most of our veggies I know they are grown chemical free. But not everyone has this choice. Same with the yarns we buy or whatever . I hope I've made a few of the right ones along the way. I don't use real wool in any of my projects (personal choice) but I respect the right of others to do so

[Aggie May]

I have to disagree, totally, with Veganfairylover.

Sheep do not shed their wool naturally in the wild.

In NZ, last year, a farmer found a sheep which had been missed in the mustering, in the High Country, for several years. It had so much wool on it the poor thing could hardly move.

I cant remember the finall tally of things made with the fleece but it was a huge amount of items.

Would you rather the farmer had left this poor animal to its own devices?

I think not.

I think it is great that your parents have taught you to speak your mind but remember, a little humility goes a long way in this world.

I absolutely respect your views on being a Vegan but you should never force your views onto others.

If you dont want to use wool, then dont use it.

Simple as that.

You did ask a question so you need to be prepared for the answer.

All the best.

Colleen.

 

Found this story about Shrek the Hermit Sheep.

http://www.nzine.co.nz/changes/sheepshrek.html

[Squarah]

Using materials or products from animals is stealing? Then the native americans must have been the biggest theives of all with the efficient way they used every last bit of the buffalo! This line of thinking is totally beyond me, but to each his/her own I suppose. But the fact of the matter is that almost everything you use and encounter every day has something from an animal in it. You would be surprised how much medicine does! Pesticides, bandages, latex, cement, cosmetics, dyes, household cleaners--all commonly have animal by-products in them. That's just off the top of my head!

[Luvmyrott'nboy]

Very often we become victims of our own causes.

 

I, for one, think it is reprehensible to slaughter animals for fur in the name of our vanity. However, using animal fur for warmth and survival is acceptable in my eyes...(hate to think about it but...)

 

The very order of nature is based on the food chain. We, as humans at the top of the chain, choose our own morality as to how we use or abuse it.

 

VeganFairyLover has chosen her way, I admire her for it, but I certainly feel this is crossing over into "victim of a cause" territory. But hey! If it works for her, good for her:)

[thecrochetdude]

 

Bamboo, soy silk, etc. are being used these days to make some amazing yarn. You can check out Southwest Trading Company.

 

This is exactly what I was going to suggest!! I'm so excited about these new fibers that feel like silk, or tweed, etc, but are actually bamboo, soy and now corn based, etc!

 

[donnalynn2]

Well see the thing is back before we sheared sheep their coat eventually just came off. I just don't see it as natural for human to shear sheep. and dogs arent ment to be groomed either if they needed to lose hair it would come off naturally.

 

This simply isn't true. Some dogs coats come off naturally but my 2 doggies which are both poodle mixes DO NOT SHED ONE BIT! If I didn't take them to get groomed every 3 months, they would be a mess. Our little Fozzy is a Malti-Poo and after even 2 months you can't see his poor little eyes anymore and his fur gets all matted together and starts to grow into his mouth. This is not healthy. Our little Tweety's hair gets all matted and nasty if we don't groom her too. So yes, some dogs absolutely don't need any grooming at all where as others do.

 

I know someone had mentioned silk, but that is an animal by-product. Unfortunately now-adays it seems like everything we use affects something else. I guess just start looking around and find something you like that doesn't interfere with your personal beliefs.

 

Good luck!

[eurolyons]

*I know someone had mentioned silk, but that is an animal by-product. Unfortunately now-adays it seems like everything we use affects something else. I guess just start looking around and find something you like that doesn't interfere with your personal beliefs.*

 

Someone mentioned soy silk which would be a good substitute for silk...

 

Today is the first anniversary of our beloved cat Yoda's passing. He was a Persian cat...so naturally he had long fur and try as we might to brush him every day, if he didn't occasionally get it sheared, he would have mats...if he had too many mats, quite frankly his skin could not breathe...the alternative if we did nothing for him, he would pull out the mats, which sounds fine until you see the blood...not good. Not everything done to animals is against them...

[knitted_painting]

I know people who describe themselves as vegan who will wear things that have been frogged from a thrift shop. I'm a vegetarian myself, so I still use wool.

 

That said, there's some amazing stuff out there that isn't animal hair. There's even yarn made from paper! Tencel feels lovely and soft, too.

 

I'm the same Aurora I'm also a vegetarian and I like to pick my wool carefully...knowing where it came from and stuff I prefer to get it if it comes from small farms and I know that the sheep don't live harsh lives:yes I also like to use bamboo:)

Thing is though...even the yarn made from paper wouldn't be great though would it I mean paper means cutting down trees and I don't support that...unless it's made of recycled paper. Do you know where to find that yarn Aurora?

and like it has been said everything in this world harms something so you just have to choose carefully, you do actually have to live. I'm even considering to start using those organic kind of pads (you know for your periods) that you can wash and reuse...I had never heard of it before until I found a thread about it on the Ville! don't you just love it:manyheart

[aurora]

I'm not sure where to grab it overseas, but I know that Noro make it. This link came up on a Google search:

 

http://www.stitchncraft.co.uk/acatalog/Noro_Yarn.html

 

 

Veganism is a hard choice, and one that you must be very committed to take on. We can't remove the footprint that our lives leave on the planet, but we can make it a bit lighter. Some people choose to do that by buying organic goods. Others make clothes and afghans for charity. Some give money to children in their own, or other countries. Others do that by reducing their consumption of animal products. Everyone finds something (or a combination of somethings!) that works for them, in the end

 

Although, if you want a really good vegetable cookbook, get one made for vegans.