Knit Green

Joanne Seiff

Description

Let Your Knitting Go Green

Knit Green offers tons of information and ideas on everything you need to be a more environmentally conscious knitter. From sourcing materials locally and using organic products, to supporting fair work and fair trade programs, Knit Green is a tremendous source of information to help you tailor your craft to your convictions.

Fashion-forward knitting and easy-to-digest essays come together to help you "green-up" your hobby and easily implement suggestions and strategies for sustainability in the context of knitting. You'll get a full exploration of green avenues and product options, including organically -farmed fibers, non-animal yarns, alternative or recycled fibers and yarns, fair work and fair trade companies and programs, buying local, sustainable farming and energy in yarn production, and more. Plus, you'll find more than 20 fashionable patterns that don't sacrifice style for sustainability.

• 20 projects for environmentally conscious knitting
• Full exploration of green knitting product options
• From the author of Fiber Gathering

From vegan options to eco-diversity, Knit Green gives you the tools you need to green-up not only your knitting, but your whole life!

Introduction.

1 Supporting Biodiversity.

2 Sustainable Farming Practice.

3 Vegan Knitting.

4 Maintaining Folk and Indigenous Traditions.

5 Promoting Fair Trade and Fair Work.

6 Organic and Natural Fibers and Labeling Use.

7 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

8 Buy Local Goods.

9 Changing Our Habits.

Conclusion: Every Little Bit Makes a Difference.

Table of Abbreviations.

Tips and Techniques.

Resources.

About the Author.

Index.

Sujets

• Loisirs
• Loisirs créatifs et artistiques
• Couture et Tricot
• Crafts
• Hobbies
• Knitting Needleworf

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 20 août 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780470531525
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Knit Green

Knit Green
20 Projects Ideas for Sustainability
JOANNE SEIFF

Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Credits
Acquisitions Editor
Roxane Cerda
Development Editor
Natasha Graf
Production Editor
Donna Wright
Technical Editor
Deborah Robson
Editorial Manager
Christina Stambaugh
Publisher
Cindy Kitchel
Vice President and
Executive Publisher
Kathy Nebenhaus
Interior Design
Erin Zeltner
Project Photography
Megan Wynn
Graphics
Laura Campbell
Brooke Graczyk
Melissa K. Smith
Knit Green: 20 Projects Ideas for Sustainability
Copyright 2009 by Joanne Seiff. All rights reserved.
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .
Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, and related trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.
The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at [phone], outside the U.S. at [phone] or fax [phone].
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Seiff, Joanne, 1973-
Knit green : 20 projects and ideas for sustainability / Joanne Seiff.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-470-42679-1
ISBN-10: 0-470-42679-9
1. Knitting. 2. Sustainable living. I. Title.
TT825.S44 2009
746.43 2-dc22
2009020173
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Composition Services

The cover of this book is printed using vegetable-based ink on recycled stock containing 10 percent post-consumer waste. The interior is printed using soy ink on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.
Dedication
For Paul and Carol Brouha, my best friend s parents, who introduced me to conservation, buying locally, and thinking and talking about environmentalism long before it was common to do so.
Also, for Anne Brouha, my best friend, who keeps me thinking about these (and many other issues) and finally, for Jeff Marcus, my biologist husband, who mentors and supports me when it comes to sustainability.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to the yarn companies who donated yarns: Mango Moon Yarns, Connie Taylor of Bayeta Gordo, Green Mountain Spinnery, Knit Picks, Lion Brand Company, Crystal Palace Yarns, and Lorna s Laces.
Even more thanks to my sample knitters, Judy Seiff (thanks, Mom!) and Bonnie McCullagh, whose fine work helped to support my designs. I couldn t have knit it all without you!
Thanks to my fabulous publisher, Wiley, and the wise editors who have kindly made this book what it is: Roxane Cerda, Natasha Graf, Donna Wright, and tech editor, Deborah Robson. Jodi Bratch, photo person extraordinaire, helped choose many good images for this book. Megan Wynn, of Megan W Photography, did a beautiful job of shooting the photos for the knitting designs. Thanks also to all the models, who looked so lovely as they posed!
I ve learned a great deal over the years from environmentalists, biologists, and conservationists of all stripes. If you re one of the folks who talked to me at my husband s university biology department events, thanks for educating me! Universities have been working toward sustainability for quite a while, and I benefited from that informal part of my undergraduate education at Cornell University. Knit Green s ideas also owe much to the farmers, chefs, and foodies who paved the way first, helping us to think about our food, where it comes from, and how we eat it.
Finally, to you, dear readers, thanks in advance. It s you who will reshape the spectrum of green knitting goods available in the future, through your careful purchases and requests at your local yarn shops and your creative new businesses. A special thanks also goes to those who work to maintain environmentally friendly fiber farms now and in the years to come.
Table of Contents
Introduction

1 Supporting Biodiversity
Hemp Placemats
Zafu: A Churro Cushion

2 Sustainable Farming Practice
Basketweave Hat
Basic Bermuda Bag
Pin Check Bermuda Bag

3 Vegan Knitting
Zigzag Butterfly Table Runner
Vegan Security Blankie

4 Maintaining Folk and Indigenous Traditions
Math Mobile
Knick Knack Paddy Whack Dog Toys

5 Promoting Fair Trade and Fair Work
Tank Empire
Sari Sack
Scrubba Scrubba

6 Organic and Natural Fibers and Labeling Use
Pixie Mitts
Spire Smock

7 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Knitted Curtain
Waves and Stars: Knitted Napkins

8 Buy Local Goods
Gator Gaiter
Soft Basket

9 Changing Our Habits
Cozy Zip-Up Cardigan
Ploughed Acre Knee Socks
Conclusion: Every Little Bit Makes a Difference

Table of Abbreviations
Tips and Techniques
Resources
About the Author
Index
Introduction
Psst. Let me let you in on a secret. I m a moderate. I want to support environmental sustainability, but guess what? I haven t gone off the grid, given up industrially made clothing, or sold my car. Instead, I ve committed to small changes in my life. These changes are things I can maintain on a day-to-day basis. Some of the changes mentioned in this book in regard to knitting may initially appear conflicting. How can you Buy Local in your town and support a far away women s co-op that produces yarn in a developing country? Well, on the surface, many of the options I present here may appear to be in opposition with one another. However, these different possibilities may instead be complementary suggestions.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it s the only thing that ever has.
-Margaret Mead
We have quite a bit of disposable income in the industrialized world, and I m going to bet you re a lot like me. Perhaps you spend a fair amount of your cash on your yarn/fiber/fabric stash? What if those purchases were all spent thoughtfully, on yarn that supported your underlying values? What if some of your choices involved using what you had instead of buying everything you wanted? All of these ideas can make a difference in knitting and limiting one s environmental impact. This book will explain how, but its scope is limited. No one book can solve all these issues, but it may get us started thinking about how to do more.
It s popular right now to fill up environmental literature with statistics on one s carbon footprint or carbon neutral living. As you might expect, the statistics regarding the environmental impact of knitting yarns are not quite cutting edge. Instead of filling up your head with numbers that are hard to back up, I ve chosen a different approach. I ve looked at today s numbers quoted in the general media and offered you some guidelines without the statistics. Beside the fact that the yarn statistics might not have been readily available, I also think the numbers are all changing very quickly. Folks are catching on to living in a more green way. In 5 years, I believe many of these numbers will have changed and I hope, in my most optimistic moments, that the statistics will have improved.
You may already know I m a knitwear designer, a spinner, and a freelance writer. I ve also tried to be environmentally conscious for a long time as I suspect we all need to if we hope to make a difference in preserving our planet. I happen to be married to a biology professor, so I ve heard my share of the sustainability discussions around our dining room table, at parties, and at other events. I even took a year of college-level biology and earned the worst grade of my college career! However, that s exactly the kind of person to write a book on this topic. I hope the result is easy to read, understandable, and best of all, offers you suggestions for how to make a big difference while still enjoying knitting.
Each of the following c