Sustainable wardrobe- Part 3- HEMP

A CASE FOR HEMP


Hemp is a fibre much like flax coming from the Cannabis family

Cannabis nowadays is mostly known for its element tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a narcotic substance found in about 10% Cannabis species .

Hemp was first cultivated around the Caspian Sea and can grow as far north as the Baltic Sea and it was used as a plant fiber for textiles and later  paper in China as early as 2700 B.C. Because of its connection to the narcotic element although not present in fiber hemp it is prohibited from cultivation in the USA and under severe restrictions in the EU.  Most hemp comes from China Fiber hemp, however, contains virtually no THC and usually comes from THC low strains of Cannabis sativa and not Cannabis indica plants. In 1883 US law banned all hemp production ostensibly because of its drug use but in truth cotton farmers lobbied against hemp farmers. Thinking of all the chemical elements present in cotton currently I see hemp as a viable alternative sustainable fabric for clothes.

Hemp is grown, harvested and processed much like flax. Hemp fabric is strong and durable though usually not as fine as linen. The word canvas derives from the Latin word cannapaceus (meaning:derived from hemp), and even in Roman times sails were made from hemp canvas.

Hemp is very environmental friendly since it requires almost no pesticides and no herbicides. It grows fast with a high yield. Hemp seed is used in food preparations, cosmetics and animal feeding. The straw is used as biodegradable animal bedding. Nowadays, hemp is mostly used for paper making and grows much faster than a tree as a sustainable resource.


A few facts about Hemp

• Used for ropes :The stalk grows over ten feet tall and has been used in the shipping industry for centuries.It provides a very strong, durable and rot resistant fiber..
• The short fibers of the stalk can be used in textiles as a replacement or blended with other fibers such as  cotton.
•  Hemp as similar fiber capacities as linen. It insulates the body against heat and keeps body
  warmth inside during colder spells. But it is more durable than linen or cotton.Hemp holds its shape and is very resistant to stretching.
• The more hemp fabric is used, worn, washed and ironed the better it wears the more
  comfortable it gets. Hemp wears in not out
•  It is resistant to mildew, mould and salt water.
•  It blocks UV-radiation effectively which means less fading of the fabric and effective protection of body in clothes against UV-radiation
•  Hemp-blends with silk, linen, wool and cotton prolong the life of the fabric while retaining its soft quality at the same time.
• The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemp canvas.

Hemp can be bought online in the UK here and there are a variety of products to choose from including hemp wool  and fiber to spin.( I can see I am getting carried away with possibilities).
Another source is The House of Hemp with more yarns and colours.

Making the summer top as my January project took a bit longer but time is not the issue here and it is still very cold.

How to deal with Stash

Having downsized to a 600ft square living space, my collection of yarn and fibres needs facing. I have been putting it off for years amassing 2 big boxes of sockyarn and yarns leftover from projects. Each time decluttering has happened I have bypassed these conveniently. Mea culpa.It is not until it took to filling an understairs cupboard and creating the sustainable wardrobe that I admitted that there are only so many sweaters a woman needs, so many socks we need and yes the time for facing the issue was here, procrastination over.

Why do I have so much yarn ?

• Partly because I miscalculated the amounts required for the projects
• did not follow the instructions properly
• impulse buy at yarn festivals
• just because I like that colourway
• Maybe a small fantasy of one day owning a yarn store.

Why is knitting important and valuable to me?

• I knit for relaxation, learning a new technique and gifting.

Any specific project in mind?

• About 20 which  would take me about 2 years to complete
• Some of which I do no longer want to make
• Enough for at least 10 socks

First step: What do I want to keep and why?

• Do I have a project in mind?
• Do I still need that finished object?

That leaves me with the 3 projects planned for and 6 sock yarns for a years supply.( GULP)
Plus an embargo on buying new fibers.

Second step - How do I recycle the rest?

I could put it on freecycle but I am finding it too valuable for that. (Still holding on)
Can I give it to a school where children are encouraged to learn to knit? ( sounds a better option)

Finally I have decided to :

• gift my stash to be used for charity knitting
• to seriously consider charity knitting as a way to create items that are needed for others
• to not buy yarns until I know what project is needed in my wardrobe

Do I feel a sense of loss or bereft?

Small tinge of sadness but a great relief that I will not knit items that are unwanted and made  of leftover stash.

And the bonus is I will be knitting for relaxation with a purpose. Gifting woollens is after all one of the things I cherish so why not give that gift to someone else without the burden.


For charity knitting see UK Handknitting Association

Diversifying clothing materials Part 2

The word' sustainable' is the new buzz word. we had green and organic now we have sustainable.

What sustainable materials are there for clothing and fashion and how easy are they to come by.

LINEN

Linen is available in several colours from beige to grey but white linen has invariably been bleached.

• It can be washed at high temperatures of 95 degrees enabling it to be washed clean
• It does not go in a tumble dryer but needs to be dried and then ironed while still damp.
• Linen gets stronger when it is wet
• Linen is a breathable material
• Linen is virtually lint free, non allergenic and gives UV protection.
• Linen is durable, strong and although a bit stiff at the beginning, washing improves it to get softer as it ages.
• Ideal fabric for summer clothing as it is cool
• According to some studies a person wearing linen perspires less than someone wearing cotton.

Sources of linen

Linen yarn is currently being produced as 100% linen yarn or 50% linen/50% cotton by a variety of companies such as Rowan or Patons  for knitting and crochet and many patterns are available to make tops. It is becoming a popular fibre choice for spring and summer.

Linen clothes can be bought direct from a few designers including Terry Macey and Anjelika Elsebach in Somerset but if you are looking to make your own clothes and learn the skills necessary to make your own clothes, then fabric is widely available.

Personally I now have the pattern for my linen trousers to make them in February 2013 and if succesful and they fit (?) I will add them to my sustainable wardrobe.

In part 3 we will explore Hemp.

Diversifying clothing materials Part 1

I don't know about you but when comparing the quality of an item I bought 5 years ago and a similar item from the same firm this year, I have noticed that clothes are getting thinner. From the manufacturers point of view this

• reduces the amount of resources
• increases profit per item
• the cloth wears out quicker
• the customer will purchase a new one quicker

The washing powders currently used and conditioners and our habit of washing, showering etc wear clothes out , creating holes, tears and generally wearing them out as quickly as possible.

If you look at the make up of the resources used for your clothing you will find that 100% cotton garments have a reduced amount of cotton now and jumpers for sale are in fact no longer made of 100% wool in general but contain either cotton or acrylic. That explains why when the temperature dips and we reach for a sweater we can still be cold.

Looking at the resources for clothes and material we can source their origins either from :

• plants
• animals
• handmade materials

We have grown from a perspective of choosing our clothes for durability, warmth and quality to other criteria such as fashion, ease of washing, colour etc. To effect a change the first change we can make is one of attitude and being more choosy in the way we look at garments.

Most people had the skills to either make, mend or amend their clothes thus fewer clothes were necessary in their working wardrobe and every inch of painstakingly produced fabric was used, repaired and reused. What however are the real costs associated with these items.

As an example I will take socks. You can buy 5 pairs of socks for lets say £10. You will lose a few in the wash so they no longer match and as soon as a hole appears you throw them out. In comparison making woollen socks by knitting them yourself ;

• requires you to have a skill
• costs about £15 per pair
• takes many many hours knitting time
• requires special washing so as not to shrink them
• can be darned and repaired
• wool keeps your feet warm and absorbs liquid
• wool is a breathable material
• wool is a renewable material

The result is that you will only go through a certain  number of handknitted socks per year compared to cotton/acrylic ones, will have fewer going through the wash, resulting in a greater appreciation of material and skill.

For years we have avoided clothes with a 'dry cleaning only' label. Not only because of the costs associated with this item of clothing and the savings that could be made but the idea of having them washed in silicone and the impact of residual chemicals that would interact with our skins and own body chemistry was unknown. You buy a suit that you have drycleaned every month at a cost of £20 each time and the suit ends up costing an additional £240 per year to maintain.

The sustainable wardrobe therefore contains no items that require dry cleaning only.


Questions to ponder:

• How many did you find.?
• What attracted you to this item of clothing?