A Guide to Kind Knitting
Ethical wool yarn and alternatives for animal-friendly knitting
Knitting as a hobby is a great creative outlet with endless possibilities to create new items. Many find it relaxing, and it has been shown to help improve focus and concentration.
But did you know that there are unfortunately several animal welfare problems linked to the production of wool?
For instance, Australia is one of the major global producers of wool, and the only place in which the cruel practice of 'live lamb cutting' (mulesing) is still performed on Merino sheep. In order to prevent possible fly infestations, young lambs are restrained on their backs and the large skin folds around their backside are sliced off without anaesthesia.
What can I do to knit kindly?
There are two main questions you should ask yourself.
Could this yarn be made from alternative materials?
Yes, and you can find a list of common alternative materials in the guide.
Does it have to be Merino wool?
If yes, you should consider the following points to ensure that your purchase does not support animal suffering:
Find out about knitting wool brands and retailers. If your favourite brands or retailers publicly oppose live lamb cutting and the wool has one of the following labels, then you can be relatively sure that your wool is mulesing-free (live lamb cutting-free).
BEST AVAILABLE CERTIFICATIONS – WOOL
- Responsible Wool Standard (RWS)
- NATIVA
- ZQ Merino
Be cautious when noticing other labels – even if it says organic, lamb cutting cannot be ruled out for certain. A general rule to apply is, if a brand cannot verify that its wool is lamb cutting-free, avoid it. Australia is the top wool producer, yet only around 20% is lamb cutting-free, leaving a high risk of supporting unknowingly this cruelty.
ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS
These materials are not of animal origin and are therefore automatically free of animal suffering. Attention: synthetic fibres are often mixed with natural fibres (of animal or vegetable origin).
Bamboo
can be processed into viscose fibres or environmentally friendly lycocell. The material is:
- like a mixture of silk and cashmere
- light
- durable
- insulating
- resistant to odours
Cotton
is the best-known alternative to wool and accounts for about a third of the world’s fibre production. Organic cotton produces 70% less CO2than conventional cotton. The material is:
- soft
- sensitive to skin
- wrinkle-free
- absorbent
Hemp
grows fast and comes without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilisers. The material is:
- fully compostable
- durable
- sensitive to skin
- antimicrobial
Linen
is obtained from the stems of the flax plant. Cultivation and processing are particularly environmentally friendly. The material is:
- tear resistant
- cooling
- quick drying
- anti-allergenic
TENCEL
is a cellulose fibre made from sustainable forestry. The material is:
- made from trees like eucalyptus, beech, and spruce
- easily recyclable
- soft
- insulating
Modal
is a viscose fibre that is primarily obtained from the wood pulp of sustainably grown beech. The material is:
- soft and smooth
- easily recyclable
- 50% more absorbent than cotton
- quick drying
The animal suffering behind mohair, alpaca, cashmere and angora wool
When buying cashmere, mohair or alpaca-based wool make sure to select products certified by more robust standards such as the Good Cashmere Standard (GCS), the Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS), or the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). However note, these certifications do not eliminate animal suffering, but do reduce risks to animal welfare. Even better, is to seek sustainable animal-free alternatives.
There is no animal-friendly production of angora wool. Therefore, FOUR PAWS strongly reject its use and purchase.
The main issues regarding animal welfare are:
- Stress, panic and injuries during shearing, with alpaca especially suffering with stress when restrained
- In some cases, wool is forcibly removed from the animals such as cashmere goats where the fine under hair is painfully torn out with metal combs
- Outdoor husbandry is often insufficient with a lack of protection from strong winds and other weather conditions, and an inadequate provision of food and care
- There is often a lack of medical treatment following the shearing process and in the case of Angora rabbits, they often suffer from harmful infections, particularly of the eyes as result of unchecked breeding and poor cage keeping
You can download our complete knitting wool guide here:
'Knitting Kind' - a FOUR PAWS guide
For an animal-friendly knitting experience learn how to find out more about the yarn brand/supplier here!