conversations and

Planet Friendly Projects

ANN BUDD
paris recycled scarf

tree-hugger pullover
green grocery bag
table of contents
introduction
articles and essays
The Gray of Green by Clara Parkes
The Meaning of Organic by Pam Allen
A Shop Owner’s Dilemma by Lisa R. Myers
Too Much of a Good Thing? by Amy R. Singer
Ode To Sheep by Kristin Nicholas
It’s Not Easy Knitting Green by Sandi Wiseheart
It’s All About the Color by Darlene Hayes
Knitting Stone Age by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Touching the Sun by Carmen S. Hall
projects
Allegoro Lace Tunic Therese Chynoweth
Blue Cloud Afghan Ann Budd
Better Baby Rattle Katie Himmelberg
On-the-Go Bike Basket-Purse Kim Hamlin
Honor-the-Buffalo Socks and Mitts Ann Budd
Eco Vest Katie Himmelberg
Catarina Wrap Kristeen Griffin-Grimes
Cunene River Pullover JoLene Treace
Back-to-Nature Hat Michele Rose Orne
Green Grocery Bag Ann Budd
Commuter’s Knapsack Deborah Newton
Soy Silk Kimono Vicki Square
Paris Recycled Mags Kandis
Save-the-Streams Slippers Kim Hamlin
Soap Nut Vessels Kristin TenDyke
Sustainable Bamboo Scarf Ann Budd
Solstice Skirt Cecily Glowick-MacDonald
Organic Sprout Tank Pam Allen
All (North) American Hoodie Veronik Avery
Tree-Hugger Pullover Therese Chynoweth
Cotton Comfort Bear Michele Rose Orne
Videvik Estonian Shawl Nancy Bush

glossary
sources for supplies
contributing designers
index

knitting green 3

blue cloud
Finished Size
About 42" (106.5 cm) wide
and 54" (137 cm) long. note:
There is plenty of widthwise
and lengthwise stretch in this
fabric.
Yarn
Chunky weight (#5 Bulky).
Shown here: Araucanía Azapa
(45% merino, 30% alpaca,
15% silk, 10% Donegal; 197 yd
[180 m]/100 g): #804 sky, 9
skeins.
designer:
Ann Budd
afghan
Instead of turning up the thermostat when the temperature plunges,
Ann Budd likes to snuggle under an afghan. The yarn she chose for
this afghan is a luxurious handpainted mix of merino, alpaca, silk,
and Donegal produced by Araucanía Yarns, a group of artists and de-
signers dedicated to supporting local, sustainable job development
in Chile. The afghan begins and ends with a simple lace pattern; the
center is worked in mistake rib to produce a lofty texture that is ex-
tra insulating and has excellent drape.
Needles
Size U.S. 11 (8 mm): 24"
(60 cm) circular (cir). Adjust
needle size if necessary to ob-
tain the correct gauge.
Notions
Tapestry needle.
Gauge
14 stitches and 18 rows = 4"
(10 cm) in mistake rib pattern.
knitting green 5
Afghan Inc row: (WS) K1, purl to last st and at the
same time inc 6 sts evenly spaced, k1—153 sts.
Use the cable method (see Glossary) to CO 153
Rep Rows 1 and 2 of edging 3 times, then work
sts. Alternate 2 rows each from 2 skeins of yarn
Row 1 once more. With WS facing, BO all sts.
throughout (see Note). Work edging as foll:

Row 1: (RS) *K1, yo, k2, sl 2 sts tog kwise, k1,

p2sso, k2, yo; rep from * to last st, k1.
Finishing
Weave in loose ends. Block lightly, pulling out
Row 2: (WS) K1, purl to last st, k1.
scallops in edging.
Rep these 2 rows 2 more times, then work Row
1 once more—7 rows total.

Dec row: (WS) K1, purl to last st and at the

same time dec 6 sts evenly spaced, k1—147 sts
rem.

Set-up row: *K2, p2; rep from * to last 3 sts,

k2, p1.
Rep this row for both RS and WS rows until
piece measures about 52" (132 cm) from CO, or
2" (5 cm) less than desired total length, ending
with a WS row.

6
 Speaking of local yarn shops, I’ve noticed that a good
selection of organic yarns is often hard to come by. I like

it’s not easy to support my local community. But I’ve begun to realize
that buying local takes on a whole new meaning in this

knitting green age of Ravelry, blogs, podcasts, and Internet meet-ups.

Sandi Wiseheart
I’m as passionate about the planet as the next gal. I
choose nontoxic ant deterrents; my laundry soap is
bio-everything-it-should-be; I recycle, reuse, and com-
post. But how on earth does a planet-loving knitter
go green and simultaneously support a serious yarn
habit?
I use my friend Google to educate myself about knit-
ting green, but quickly get bogged down in regulations
that vary from one country to the next and from one part
of the process to the next—maybe the sheep were raised
I’ve begun to realize that
buying local takes on a whole
new meaning in this age of
Ravelry, blogs, podcasts ,
When I ask who my real knitting community is, it’s a
complicated matrix. I live 50 kilometers away from the
Toronto shop that I consider to be my “local” yarn shop. I
have close ties to a shop in Michigan, so it, too, is part of
my community. I chat daily with knitters and spinners all
over the world; if they sell yarn or fiber, I buy from their
online shops. That, too, is supporting my knitting family.
I buy local to support the village that supports me; it just
happens to be spread out over several thousand miles.
So put me on the spot. Do I buy organic? Do I knit
green? I support my knitting community by supporting
them. I avoid over-processed yarns whose origin and im-
pacts on the earth are suspect. I buy as many natural fi-
bers as I can. I bring my own shopping bag to the yarn
shop.
I don’t buy only certified organic yarns—the selection is
too limited for someone whose passion and profession is
knitting. I try to choose wisely, which is tough to do when
the issues are so tangled. We’re all going to have to fig-
ure this out together, because knitting green is a whole lot
more complicated than I thought it would be.

and internet meet-up s. Sandi Wiseheart lives near Toronto, Canada, with her
husband, rescue dog, and cats. It’s only a matter of time
before she adopts some sheep as well.
organically, but the mills pro-
cessed the yarn with Yucky Stuff, or the dyes might BE
Yucky Stuff. How’s a knitter to know?
The idea is that the label will tell me—it may say “certi-
fied organic,” for example. But exactly what has been cer-
tified organic—the sheep, the wool, the yarn label? Then
there is the yarn’s carbon footprint. How much oil and
gasoline was burned in processing and transporting it?
Was it packaged in dangerous-to-wildlife plastic bags?
Was the truck driver eating yellow arches hamburgers
along the way?
There’s a whole dyepot of dilemmas right there . . .
and the worst part is, there is no way to figure it all out
while standing at a display of luscious wool at your local
yarn shop.

knitting green 7
Knit for a greener planet
What does it mean to be an environmentally conscious knitter?
Knitting Green explores ways to integrate green perspectives
into knitting—and day-to-day life—with articles, essays, and
planet-friendly projects.
Learn ideas from knitting superstars who lend perspectives
on incorporating green principles into the craft, from using fiber
that would otherwise go to waste to seeking alternatives for
chemical detergents to keeping wearers warm or cool without
using energy.
Inside Knitting Green, readers will:
• G
 ain encouragement, information, and inspiration from
knitting industry leaders, including French Girl’s Kristeen
Griffin-Grimes, designer Kristin Nicholas, yarn company
creative director Pam Allen, and writers/editors Amy R.
Singer and Clara Parkes.
• U nderstand the issues behind “green” marketing.
• C reate planet-friendly wearables and accessories from some
of the best-known knitting designers, including Mags Kandis,
Deborah Newton, Michele Rose Orne, Vicki Square, Véronik
Avery, Nancy Bush, and more.
• C
 hoose from 20 fashionable designs, including a lace tunic,
fingerless mitts, a cabled vest, knapsack, grocery bag, and
hats, wraps, scarves, tanks, and more.

Knitting Green offers suggestions for making knitting sustain-

able, finding easy ways to add extra eco-awareness to the craft,
plus beautiful, fun projects with beautiful yarns for all skill levels.

Paperback, 81⁄2 x 9, 160 pages

75 photographs, 20 illustrations, and 10 charts
ISBN 978-1-59668-166-8
About the author
$24.95
Available May 2010 Ann Budd is the best-selling author of a
dozen knitting books, including Interweave
Presents Knitted Gifts and Simple Style. Formerly
the senior editor of Interweave Knits magazine,
she is now a book editor and knitwear
designer. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.