Knitting Sustainably: 102

Hello friends, and welcome back to our first blog post of 2021! It's a new year, but we are just as fascinated as ever with

Last year, we really focused on the yarn itself, and there's a good reason for that. It's a huge topic, and we wanted to take our time to 'unravel' (sorry!) all the ways itssustainability can be affected. But as we all know, how yarn is produced is just one aspect of knitting, so this year we're going to expand and look at other aspects of  sustainable knitting.

So what else contributes to the sustainability of our knitting?

When we talk about this, one thing we keep coming back to is the longevity of the things we knit. When a throw-away society has become the norm, there is something so special - and sustainable - about knitting a piece that is made to endure. We invest our time, energy, and money into creating pieces to be worn, loved, and, hopefully, kept for years to come. 

If you want to create something that you are going to wear and have for a long time, then there is a lot to consider:

Choosing the right pattern:

We've all been there; you excitedly cast on a new pattern that you've fallen in love with and spend all that time knitting it only to end up with something that sits in the wardrobe unworn. It happens, and while there's no crystal ball to tell us exactly how our new project will turn out, we can look at different ways to avoid a pile of unloved FO's. Developing your understanding of personal style, looking at ways to achieve the fit you like and having the confidence to make pattern adjustments can go a long way to creating something you'll wear for years to come.

Choosing the right yarn:

We're going to continue our yarn journey by talking about how different fibers and yarn types can affect the fabric of your knitting, not just for the finished look of your FO, but so you know how well it will wear and behave over time. We're also going to explore how you can best tell whether a yarn is a good substitute for another yarn - a topic that we hear you're very passionate about!

Caring for your knits:

If you've chosen the right yarn, picked your ideal pattern, and knit your dream garment, you will be wearing it a lot, which means from time to time, it's going to need a little TLC. Whether it's giving your sweater a good clean, mending a hole, or reinforcing a heel, it's always good to know how to care for your knits, and we are going to be exploring all the ways to do this!

What to do with unloved FO's:

It doesn't matter how confident you are with your yarn and pattern choices, sometimes things don't work out with our knitting, and that's ok! These things happen, and we'll be looking at ways to turn that FO into something you will love, be that by modifying, frogging, or even gifting!

So what do you think of our plans for the blog this year? This is all just a starting point, and as we start posting we're sure even more ideas will jump out at us, but for now, I'm excited to start tackling some of these subjects!

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share or suggestions of things you'd like us to cover, we'd be so excited to hear them! Please comment below or feel free to email me at claire@making-stories.com.