Favorite Yarns Made from Recycled Materials

Recycled and earth-conscious products are appearing more in our world all the time. From shoes made out of plastic bottles to recycled plastic toothbrushes to food products in post-use cardboard, there are so many options. The more we reuse waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill, the lesser our footprints become. Growing, using, and processing virgin materials puts a strain on so many environmental systems.

The yarn world has also embraced this changing mindset. There are increasingly more options for recycled yarns in the marketplace. If you’re a person who is mindful of the products they use, read on and learn about some of the yarns you’ll feel good about knitting and crocheting with.

Our Favorite Recycled Yarns

Recycled silk, lace-weight yarn from Darn Good Yarn is a beautiful option for warmer weather projects. This yarn is hand dyed in solids and multis, and has the most gorgeous sheen. The combination of the recycled materials and the hand dyeing gives a truly special look to projects made in this yarn, such as the Lavender Tank Top.

Some other options out there include Cascade Yarns ReVive (recycled wool) and ReFine (recycled superwash merino, nylon, and viscose), both affordable options. Scheepjes Terrazzo is another great yarn that won’t break the bank. It’s a blend of recycled mulesing free wool and recycled viscose, and is available in more colors than you could ask for! And if you just can’t choose which colors to work with, don’t worry—it’s available in a color pack, too!

Hikoo Popcycle is a really cool (literally!) option. This fingering-weight yarn is made up of 50% bamboo and 50% polyester from recycled plastic bottles. That’s right—recycled plastic. In yarn! Popcycle comes in pretty summer-friendly colors. It works up well in spring and summer garments and accessories, and the fabric in this yarn has excellent drape.

Hard-to-Get Recycled Yarns

Hedgehog Fibers‘ Tweedy is a pretty DK-weight yarn that’s a blend of Falkland merino, recycled wool, and thread waste. It’s the colorful thread waste that makes up the colorful tweedy bits in the yarn that truly make this yarn special. The base color for this yarn rotates, so if a new batch is released and you like the color, snatch up some skeins while you can! La Bien Aimee has a similar yarn in a worsted weight called Corrie Confetti. Like Tweedy, this yarn comes in rotating base colors that sell out quickly.

As you can see, being an environmentally conscious maker doesn’t have to be expensive or boring! There are so many yarns to try and feel good about, with more being dreamed up all the time.

Have you worked with any recycled yarns before? We’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Originally from Iowa, Amy Gunderson lives in sunny Reno, NV. She’s been the creative director for Universal Yarn, yarn director for Jimmy Beans Wool, and all-around yarn enthusiast for over a decade. Her knit and crochet designs have appeared in most major magazines including Interweave Knits. When she’s not dreaming up a crazy sweater idea, you can find her violining, knitting at the dog park or smashing balls on the tennis court. Follower her on Instagram as @amyyounggunderson or on Ravelry as @amygunderson.