Kay's Korner - A Knitters Notes

April 23, 2008

When Kermit said "it's not easy being green", Jim Henson penned what was to become a statement about our environment. As I work with Luke on building the Rare Purls website, news of all the trendy, eco-friendly yarns comes across my desk nearly every day. The words organic, renewable, sustainable, green and natural are used to describe yarns made from familiar materials, such as wool or cotton, to extruded fibers made from soy and milk. While doing my best to sort out the vernacular, I see irony in much of the merchandising. Of course, we should all be aware that certain chemicals and growing practices are harmful to the environment, but am I a bad person if I buy regular cotton yarn rather than organic cotton yarn? Will my baby be happier and healthier? What if my organic cotton is not certified organic? Does it make sense to buy wool only from organically grown sheep that is dyed with natural dyes if I have to drive 50 miles further each way to find it? Does using all of that gasoline negate the good of the organic yarn? I have heard so many discussions on this subject, my head may explode! For me, the bottom line is using common sense with an eco-conscience. I simply do the best I can without becoming obsessed over every tiny detail.

But there are products I always do my best to avoid, those labeled "Made in China". That WalMart has launched an advertising campaign asking every WalMart shopper to buy "just one" light bulb or box of detergent from them to help save the planet is ludicrous when so much of their wares are manufactured in China. China has no EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The top 10 most polluted cities in the world are all in China. They have no OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Those inexpensive leather jackets from China were probably tanned by stripped down men immersed in vats of chemicals, using their bodies to stir the hides. There is no FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in China. Both antibiotics and vitamins manufactured in mainland China and imported to the U.S. have been recalled as they were harmful.

WalMart came to be a giant corporation by ad campaigns touting that they sold goods "Made in the USA". Flags were flown and stars and stripes motifs were everywhere in the store. What a difference 20 years make. I am not a racist and I respect Chinese culture, but every piece of Chinese merchandise supports the country with the very worst policies on human rights. We are funding the atrocities in Tibet when we save a few bucks by purchasing Chinese goods. So many American jobs have been lost to cheap foreign labor, especially those in manufacturing everything from clothing to kitchen gadgets. Our GNP (Gross National Product, an indicator of economic strength) now relies on exporting technology and food, rather than the widely diverse exports of 50 years ago. In my lifetime, America has gone from banning goods from mainland China to becoming dependent on them.

The yarn industry is effected by the influx of inexpensive Chinese goods as well. Personally, I will not use any yarn labeled "Made in China". Although China does produce most of the world's silk and cashmere, most Chinese yarn I see are synthetics. The U.S. Produces many quality yarns, for example Brown Sheep Yarns are lovely. I have no problem buying yarns from Peru, France, Italy, New Zealand or any of the other nations who produce fine yarns, but I draw the line when I know the yarns are being manufactured without regard to human suffering and our environment. I sincerely hope all of you will give this matter some thought the next time you purchase supplies for your next project.

Happy knitting!

Copyright 2008 Karen Mather