Whether you’re a beginner, pro, or hobbyist, we found 15 brands that offer a wide selection of sustainable yarns and eco-friendly fabrics to help you level up those sewing projects.
The art of crafting has come a long way from its old-fashioned, grandma-like image. In fact, it became popular during the pandemic when many people started taking up projects at home.
Even famous personalities like Michelle Obama and British diver Tom Daley have embraced crafting. Michelle Obama knitted several items during quarantine, while Tom Daley was seen knitting at the 2020 Olympics. Both found the activity not only enjoyable but also a great source of relaxation and learning.
But crafting goes beyond just a stress-reliever. In the fashion industry, it carries a lot of sustainability values, particularly in relation to slow fashion. Crafting allows you to consume fashion at a slower pace and appreciate it more. It also encourages skill-building and respect for the people who create clothing for a living. It’s a creative and expressive form of protest against fast fashion, and it promotes mindful production and decision-making.
With crafting, you have control over the materials you use. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of 15 eco-friendly yarns and materials to help you create more sustainable sewing projects.
Where to Find Sustainable Knitting Yarns and Eco-friendly Fabrics for Crafting
All-in-One Kits, Yarns, and/or Tools:
1. Wool and the Gang
Wool and the Gang is a community-based platform that empowers crafters of all skill levels. They offer knitting, crochet, macrame, and embroidery kits that come with sustainably sourced yarns and patterns.
Country: United Kingdom
Conscious Qualities: Sustainably Sourced Yarns, Vegan Certified Yarns, Non-mulesing Wool, Carbon Offsetting Initiatives
Crafts Highlighted: Knitting, Crochet, Macrame, Embroidery
What You’ll Find: Kits, Yarns, Tools, Patterns
2. We Are Knitters
We Are Knitters is a Madrid-based brand that aims to rejuvenate the art of knitting. They offer all-in-one kits for knitting, crochet, macrame, embroidery, and more. Their yarns are sustainably sourced from the highlands of Peru.
Country: Spain
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Yarns, Non-mulesing Wool, Fair Trade, Global Recycled Standard (GRS) Certified Yarns, Plastic-free Tools
Crafts Highlighted: Knitting, Crochet, Macrame, Embroidery, Weaving, Hand-dyeing, Latch Hooking
What You’ll Find: Kits, Yarns, Tools, Patterns
3. Darn Good Yarn
Darn Good Yarn is a female-founded brand that creates fair, safe, and sustainable jobs for artisans. They repurpose textile waste and offer a range of yarns made from silk, wool, hemp, cotton, and banana fiber.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Woman-owned, Pays Fair Wages, Supports Artisan Communities
Crafts Highlighted: Knitting, Crochet, Rug Hooking, Weaving, Amigurumi
What You’ll Find: Yarns, Patterns, Kits, Tools
4. ColorStorms
ColorStorms offers naturally dyed yarns treated with colors derived from plants and bugs. Based in Maryland, this woman-owned business also conducts dyeing and knitting workshops.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Naturally Dyed, Locally Grown Yarns
Crafts Highlighted: Natural Dyeing
What You’ll Find: Naturally Dyed Yarns
5. We are KAL
We are KAL is an Indo-German woman-founded brand that produces hand-spun yarn and hand-woven textiles made of silk and wool. Their yarns are naturally dyed and have a unique textural quality.
Country: India & Germany
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Supports Artisan Communities
What You’ll Find: Hand-spun Yarns, Handwoven Fabrics
6. Knit with Attitude
Knit with Attitude is an independent yarn shop based in London. They stock sustainable yarns from various brands and offer dyeing kits, patterns, and other tools for knitting projects.
Country: United Kingdom
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Sustainable Yarns
What You’ll Find: Yarns, Tools, Dyeing Kits, Patterns
7. The Knittery
The Knittery is a Lithuanian Etsy seller that offers sustainable yarns in unique color combinations. They have eco-friendly options like cotton, nettle, wool, silk, mohair, and cashmere.
Country: Lithuania
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Sustainable Yarns
What You’ll Find: Yarns, Tools
Sustainable fabrics by the yard:
8. Foxfibre Colorganic
Foxfibre Colorganic is a woman-owned business that breeds and grows naturally-colored cotton fiber. Their fibers come in shades of brown, green, tan, and beige, without relying on chemicals for dyeing.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Naturally Colored Cotton Yarns and Fabrics
What You’ll Find: Naturally Colored Cotton Yarns and Fabrics
9. Rawganique
Rawganique is a brand that creates clothes for chemically sensitive people and also sells fabrics. They offer a range of chemical-free fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, and linen.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics, Chemical-free
What You’ll Find: Sustainable Fabrics
10. Bulk Hemp Warehouse
Bulk Hemp Warehouse offers hemp-blended fabrics by the yard. Hemp is a sustainable fiber that’s great for various sewing projects.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Hemp Fabric, Fair Trade Practices, Pays Living Wages
What You’ll Find: Hemp-blend Fabrics
11. Core Fabrics
Core Fabrics is a female-founded business that offers sustainable fabrics, deadstock fabrics, and denim hardware. They focus on providing ethical and eco-friendly options for sewists.
Country: Canada
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Sustainably Certified Fabrics, Deadstock Fabrics, Carbon Offsetting Initiatives
What You’ll Find: Sustainable Fabrics, Tools, Trims, Patterns
12. Earth Indigo
Earth Indigo is a Canadian fabric store that offers organic and eco-friendly materials. They have a wide range of fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, tencel, linen, and recycled polyester.
Country: Canada
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Eco-friendly Fabrics
What You’ll Find: Eco-friendly Fabrics
13. Former + Latter Fabrics
Former + Latter Fabrics is a female-founded fabric shop in Canada that offers sustainable and deadstock materials. Their fabrics come with useful information and suggested patterns.
Country: Canada
Conscious Qualities: Woman-Owned, Sustainable Fabrics
What You’ll Find: Sustainable Fabrics, Tools, Trims, Patterns, Denim Hardware
14. Organic Cotton Plus
Organic Cotton Plus offers a wide range of GOTS-certified organic cotton fabrics. They also have fabrics like silk, linen, hemp, and wool.
Country: United States
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics, GOTS Certified Organic
What You’ll Find: Sustainable Fabrics, Tools, Trims, Patterns, Kits
15. Simplifi Fabric
Simplifi Fabric is a Canadian-based fabric store that offers a range of organic cotton, hemp, tencel, linen, and recycled polyester fabrics. They also provide thread-matching and large-scale pattern printing services.
Country: Canada
Conscious Qualities: Sustainable Fabrics
What You’ll Find: Sustainable Fabrics, Tools, Kits, Patterns