Alt Fiber : 25 Projects for Knitting Green with Bamboo, Soy, Hemp and More by Shannon Okey (2008, Paperback) : Shannon Okey (2008)

Book by Okey Shannon

introduction:

knitting green with plant fibers

Unusual plant-based yarns, or what I call alt fibers, are an interesting and addictive addition to the knitter’s arsenal. Why “alt” fibers? It’s short for “alternative” and a play on the terminology used in early online Usenet newsgroup names. In many ways, these newsgroups were the predecessors to today’s wide array of topic-specific blogs and websites, so if you enjoy reading knitblogs today, you have Usenet to thank!

Taking the reference a little bit further, while a knitting newsgroup might feature moderators who expect some decorum from online residents, the alt.knitting newsgroup would tend to be more “wild West” in its approach, lacking a fixed set of rules or guidelines. By extension, this book and its contents also want to break--or at least bend--all the rules when it comes to using extraordinary plant fibers in knitting and crochet.

Cotton is usually the first and only plant fiber knitters try, but there are so many new fibers to play with that trying cotton alone is like going to an all-you-can-eat buffet and only eating carrot sticks from the salad table. Let’s take a look at a sampling of the fibers you’ll encounter in this book.

Soy is transformed into a sensuously soft yarn that is virtually indistinguishable from its silkworm-generated counterpart and improves upon real silk in ease of care. But soy isn’t the only plant used for both food and fiber--so is corn! Wood pulp is reborn as cellulose-based lyocell (brand name Tencel), a durable and soft fiber frequently incorporated into higher-end fabrics. Pineapple fiber yarn resembles linen: while it’s hard wearing, after many washes, it becomes as soft as silk yet retains its durability. Ramie, kenaf, flax, hemp--even yarn made from nettles!--it’s a fiber wonderland out there.

An added advantage is that many of these fibers are more environmentally friendly than cotton. Growing cotton has its downside--a constant need for water that has created unfortunate environmental consequences around the world. In Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea has lost more than six miles of surface area along with its lively fishing industry to large-scale industrial farms that diverted the rivers feeding the sea to irrigate endless cotton fields. Today, most cotton is grown in China and the former Soviet Union. By contrast, soy and corn are two of the largest American crops, and North American manufacturers are experimenting with bamboo and other fast-growing fiber crops that don’t require nearly as many agricultural inputs, such as chemical fertilizers and irrigation. Because I believe in making the choice to use fibers from eco-friendly sources wherever possible, the cotton used in this book is all organically grown.

Plant fiber yarns are also allergy friendly. Even if you’re not allergic to wool or other animal fibers, chances are you know someone who is or perhaps you know someone with multiple chemical sensitivities. This book features several sections about natural dyes and naturally colored fibers that may inspire you to use them for these hard-to-knit-for friends.

There’s a small learning curve with alt fibers, but once you’ve mastered a few basics, you’ll be on your way to knitting projects that are allergy friendly, impressive, and socially responsible.

my history with alt fibers . . . or a seed is planted
I first encountered alt fibers a number of years ago when Jonelle Raffino, the founder of South West Trading Company, produced a booklet for spinners complete with fiber samples. I ordered some soy fiber from her online and quite literally fell in love with it. At the time, the only alt fiber yarns I could find locally were linen and some terribly scratchy hemp that seemed better suited for tying up packages than for knitting.

Jonelle’s soy fiber (trade name SoySilk) was a revelation--it was not only softer than the other plant yarns I’d tried, but it was also shiny and beautiful. I’d struggled to find something cool I could knit for my best friend, Pamela, a vegan, using fibers she would appreciate and enjoy. The eventual project, a soy ÒpurlsÓ hat that looked more like the gleaming oyster-born kind than anything grown in the ground, was unlike anything I’d ever knitted before. Fortunately, I’d recently learned to spin, so I could make my own yarn from Jonelle’s fiber without worrying about what was commercially available as yarn. Over time, I hunted down more fibers and yarns--bamboo, organic cotton, linen that didn’t cut your hand like twine--and my alt fibers class was born.

This class, which I’ve taught everywhere from yarn shops to arboretums, drove me to research other fibers that fit the out-of-the-ordinary-plants-used-for-knitting description. Other knitters were taking notice, too. Long before the mainstream knitting magazines featured soy and bamboo as anything other than an oddity, Amy R. Singer, the founder of Knitty.com and author of No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo and Other Delights (Interweave Press, 2007) published an article by Julie Theaker called “Plant Freak” in a 2004 issue of Knitty. Amy herself is highly allergic to animal fibers of all kinds (I’ve seen what happens when she accidentally picks up a skein of alpaca!), so it seemed only natural that her magazine would feature plant fiber yarns alongside the more common wool and wool blends from its very inception. I’m certain that Knitty fans and other online knitters helped spread these fibers’ popularity through their willingness to experiment and try new yarns.

As more and more alt fiber yarns came on the market, the question I was most frequently asked was, “What can you do with them?” My short and sarcastic answer was and is, “Just about everything.” I realized, however, that these yarns have properties both good and bad that puzzle even the most experienced knitters. Are they warm like wool? Well, they can be if you knit them a certain way! How can I compensate for their lack of stretch? Plan carefully and use the right stitch patterns! How do I care for the finished garments? Most alt fiber yarns are machine washable and can even be dried in the dryer! In fact, some of these yarns look better the more they’re washed. Try saying that about wool! This book is in many ways a response to all the questions I’ve gotten and a chance to showcase what these yarns can do.

about this book
Not only do I want to introduce you to these fibers and inspire you to use them in your own projects, but I also want to explain where they come from, the environmental concerns, how to dye and alter them to suit your needs, and many other subjects you won’t see tackled in the typical pattern book. You’ll notice that the “Resource Guide” at the back of the book is considerably larger and more detailed than most. I want you to be able to find the materials you need now for the patterns but also the information you might want in future if you become as fond of these fibers as I am. And don’t worry: the world wool market won’t go out of business if we knit a few soy fiber hats!

yarn qualities
If you are accustomed to knitting with wool or wool blends, adjusting your knitting style to alt fiber yarns might take a little time and experimentation. For one thing, they are not nearly as elastic as wool yarns, and depending on how the yarn is constructed, you may encounter some unexpected behavior. Alt fiber sock yarns are one example: to make up for the lack of elasticity, most plant yarns meant for socks have elastic, Lycra, or another stretchy fiber as one of their components. The inherent incompatibility of these materials with alt fibers can cause splitting as you knit. Fiber in wool sock yarns, by contrast, sticks to itself and generally tends to encase any nylon or synthetic fibers included for durability.

If you are having problems with your yarn splitting, try using a different needle or point type, whether it’s switching from bamboo to metal or from dull tips to pointy ones (or vice versa--everyone’s knitting technique is slightly different, and that’s okay). Many patterns in this book include yarn notes about the alt fiber yarns chosen for the design that will help you make good decisions in choosing the right needle, finishing methods, and other must-know details. Don’t be frustrated if you are having trouble with a yarn! Your knitting style may dictate using another type of needle or knitting method for that particular fiber. Some Continental knitters, for example, find they pick right through a loosely spun alt fiber yarn. Try wrapping your stitches English/American style instead or tensioning the yarn differently.

Wool does have a singular advantage over alt fibers--flexibility and resilience. This is the reason most knitting teachers use wool yarn to teach new students. It is forgiving of mistakes and can be coaxed into the proper shape with the right blocking. Plant fibers are not quite so forgiving, but don’t lose hope--there are ways to tame even the most stubborn plant fibers (yes, linen, I’m looking at you)! If you’re an experienced knitter, no doubt you’ve had some projects that just would not fit or drape correctly. Let’s discuss the general properties of most plant fibers and learn more about the botanical and mechanical reasons these plants behave the way they do as yarn.

Remember your high school biology lessons about cell structure and plants? If not, here’s a refresher. Almost all plants need water to grow, and the long cells that move water around a plant are called xylem. In the case of fiber plants, removing the xylem structure and spinning it into thread yields what’s called a bast fiber. They are som...