Green knitting and crafts

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Eco friendly knitting!

Knitting has the potential to be a wonderfully eco-friendly hobby. It's also relaxing, and can be fitted into any lifestyle.

This lens is all about green knitting - choosing yarns and needles with the lowest environmental impact, creating home made items to replace mass-produced products, and knitting with a social conscience.

Little Hen Rescue

Keep a bald hen cosy

Little Hen Rescue rehomes retiring battery hens and gives them a chance at a happier life. But some of these hens emerge from their cages almost featherless. A little TLC and some good food will help them grow new feathers - but in the meantime they're a bit chilly!

Why not nnit a hen a cosy jumper to keep her warm while she recuperates?

Knitting for Good!

A Guide to Creating Personal, Social, and Political Change Stitch by Stitch

In the last five years knitting has undergone a complete transformation. Once considered a grandmotherly craft, knitting is now embraced by new generations of young, socially and politically conscious crafters. For these new knitters, their craft represents much more than the finished project; their knitting is a way to slow down in a fast-paced culture, subvert producers of mass manufactured merchandise, embrace the domestic, connect to people in their community, support communities across the globe, and express their own personal style and creativity.

Betsy Greer, creator of Craftivism.com, has written the handbook for this new culture of knitters. By highlighting the subversive, revolutionary, and political aspects of knitting, Greer shows readers that knitting can be a profound way to:Connect to ourselves by embracing the personal and meditative aspects of knitting;Reach out to our community through sharing our skill and through charity knitting; andSupport others across the globe by using knitting as a form of activism and expression.

She offers musings, thoughts, tips, stories, and step-by-step projects-all in support of the belief that every time we knit we have the opportunity to create positive change in the world.

Don't Let It All Unravel

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Wash cloths and dishcloths

Washcloths and dishcloths are really great eco knitting projects because they're easy and fun to make, are useful and make great gifts, and can replace disposable items in your home. If you can source organic cotton yarn then so much the better!

Try this free pattern for an easy stockinette washcloth from About.com.

How to make plarn

Turn plastic bags into yarn for knitting and crochet

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Knitting for charity

If you're a keen knitter with a social conscience then why not knit items for charity? There's a wide range of projects available (try this list for starters) for knitters at all skill levels, and it can make your hobby even more rewarding!

And there's a wide range of charities to support. Perhaps you'd like to knit hats for newborn babies, or blankets for the elderly? Or cozy items for sailors everywhere. Whatever you knit for charity, you can be sure it will receive a warm reception :)

Ravelry



Ravelry is an online community for knitters and crocheters. Once you've signed up you can search for free patterns, join groups and keep track of your current projects and yarn stash.

Joining a knitting group (whether online or in the real world) is a great way to get new ideas, engage with a community and find out what's happening in the world of eco knitting!

The Eco Knits blog

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EmmaCooper

I am the author of 'The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A to Z'. Check out my gardening blog, more gardening articles and the AKG podcast on my website:... more »

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