Guilt Free Shopping

One of the biggest issues facing many yarn shoppers now is the ethics pertaining to being a consumer of beautiful fiber. I have noticed that knitters are especially particular about seeking out "organic" fibers or looking for labels that work towards "fair trade." It took me a while to see it, but The Yarn Garden truly works to carry a number yarns as well as accessories that somehow support the smaller home-grown businesses as well as natural, sustainable textiles.

I would first like to mention the company Lantern Moon. This is a company based in Vietnam, where the women use natural products and handcrafting skills that have been passed down through generations. The proceeds from these products go to support the women who create them in their own homes. The store carries many products from this brand including bags, cases, and (as seen in the pictures above) wonderful tape measures made to look like cake, lady bugs and bees. I am a happy owner of one of these tape measures and I can guarantee that they are not only functional, but also such a delight to use as a knitter.

The next picture in the lot is of one of my favorite yarns in the shop. The brand is called Frog Tree, and the fiber content is 100% alpaca. The store carries multiple weights in beautiful solid colors for very reasonable prices. I love this yarn not only for its dangerously soft feel, but also for the mission of the company that produces it. Frog Tree is distributed under T&C Imports, a non-profit and fair trade organization that works with artisans in Mexico, Bolivia, and the United States. This specific yarn is made by women in Bolivia who raise the alpacas and create the yarn and dyes one their own. The result is a truly wonderful fiber. I love it so much I am going to obtain enough to make a sweater out of it, mark my words.

The two pictures to follow are of two types of organic cotton kept within the store. Cotton is great for summer due to its lightness and its durability. Organic simply means that the cotton is grown, harvested, and processed in such a way that it is safer for the environment and a more sustainable product to boot. 

Finally, another one of my favorite brands, Misti Alpaca. (If you are noticing that I have a fondness for alpaca then I want you to know that I am completely aware of it.) This is actually a US based fair trade, home grown, family business where part of the family raises the alpacas in Peru, sends them to another family member to be dyed, and then is sent to the family in the USA for distribution. Though slightly expensive, this stuff is obnoxiously gorgeous and soft enough to melt in you hands like butter.

I have only touched on a couple of the products kept in the store that promote healthy global trade as well as a healthy earth. I am glad to know I am a consumer who is contributing less to a market that gives little back to those who make it possible. Rather, I have the ability to buy a product that gives back to the people who worked so hard to bring it to my needles.