MNN - Mother Nature Network

 

To the right is my blue-and-white camera cover, knit mostly out of yarn from bamboo from South West Trading Company. The white trim’s upcycled from my taking apart a knitted hat I got from Jet Rag, and the button’s a spare from my Loomstate for Target top.

 

As you might have expected, the upcyclable yarn I got by taking apart a pre-loved hat was a lot cheaper than the bamboo yarn I got new — so if you’re a would-be-eco-knitter on a budget, I highly recommend going the pre-loved route. On top of the economic bonus of going used is an eco-bonus: Reusing and upcycling’s greener than buying new.

 

But if you are buying new, some plush warm wool yarns to consider are Lion Brand Yarn Organic Wool, recommended by Brookelynn at Craftzine, and Cascade Yarns Eco Wool, which I got from my local yarn store Compatto.

 

If, on the other hand, you tried adopting knitting as an eco-hobby in a previous year — and since made a new resolution to give up knitting — here’s a different DIY tactic: Upcycling knitting needles into jewelry! Get inspired by Australian crafster Liana Kabel, who creates bangles, necklaces, and other “knitwit” accessories (photos above), available through her Etsy shop (via Ecouterre).