Welcome to Post No.5 in the No Frills Knitting Yarn Showcase where we're looking at our Vegan Friendly Yarns.
We’re on to week 5 of The No Frills Knitting Yarn Showcase blog series and what a time it’s been. We’ve spent the last month rounding up almost all the yarns we have in store at No Frills Knitting and breaking them down for you section by section. This week, then, the spotlight is on our selection of vegan-friendly yarns.
A No Frills Yarn Showcase
In the Real Life No Frills Knitting shop, we have swatches or samples of almost every yarn we sell. You see, yarn behaves, looks and feels very differently in a skein to when it is knitted up, so having a series of swatches and knitted samples allows our customers in store to truly get a feel for each yarn. They can get an idea of how that particular yarn and knitted fabric might translate into a garment and in turn, determine whether it is the right yarn for their knitting project.
Some of our customers like to shop online, or are too far away to shop in person making those swatches a little redundant. This is where our Yarn Showcase comes to the rescue - we want to offer as much information about our yarns as we can and virtually show off our swatches so you can get a good idea of how they look and feel when knitted up to pick the best yarn for you.
Vegan Friendly Yarn At No Frills Knitting
What exactly is vegan friendly yarn? Well, essentially vegan friendly yarn is yarn which is made with the absence of animal fibres, so those made from plant fibres and synthetic materials, but at the same time, it’s not quite as straight-forward as that. There are a variety of reasons as to why people are vegan and as such, there is an ethical viewpoint to be taken into account whilst determining what is vegan friendly to you. An example is that some people avoid synthetic fibres like acrylic because of the plastic aspect, other people are more than happy with the stuff. It just so happens that 95% of all our yarns are made using 100% natural fibres. The only exception being the Stylecraft Recreate range which I will touch upon later.
We have a fantastic selection of vegan friendly yarns here at No Frills Knitting, so without further ado, let’s get to know them.
Anchor Creativa DK
The Anchor Creativa is a lovely vegan friendly yarn made from high quality 100% mercerized cotton. Knitted up on 4mm needles, this produces a fabric which has a beautiful silky sheen with that classic cotton soft feel. It's available in a variety of vibrant colours which lends itself well to home accessories, baby knits and summer crochet projects like a cotton bralette, or face scrubbies.
Anchor Creativa Fino 4-Ply
Much like it's DK brother, the Creativa Fino is a 4-ply yarn with the same silky sheen. Knit up on 3mm needles it has a a glorious stitch definition and soft cotton touch. As with the DK, it's a solid choice for spring/summer knits, baby projects (machine washable) and fun amigurumi creations.
Anchor Organic Cotton 4-Ply
Okay, so we're demonstrating with the Creativa Fino swatch, but to be honest, the Anchor Organic 4-Ply knits up in a pretty similar fashion. This baby, however, is a must have for you eco-conscious knitters. Made using 100% non-mercerised organic cotton, with Oeko Tex and GOTS certification for ultimate sustainability, this vegan friendly yarn is soft, smooth and beautiful. Let's not forget, it's also machine washable making it perfect for baby knits and crocheted toys.
King Cole Bamboo Cotton
Light, drapey and delightful. This vegan friendly yarn is IDEAL for all your summer garments, or items where excellent drape is required. Ultra smooth, ultra soft, ultra stitch definition; the King Cole Bamboo Cotton mix really is incredible to touch when knitted up. With such a generous meterage per ball, you really don't need very many balls to complete a full size garment either. We would recommend this plant based yarn for knitting patterns which really lean into the drape, such as the Colin You Flutter Me Tee by The Woolly Badger.
King Cole Cotton Soft DK
A stunner of a vegan friendly yarn from King Cole here. Funnily enough, the Cottonsoft is exactly that - lovely and cottony and very very soft. Knits up beautifully on 4mm needles with stitch definition that's top notch. It's a yarn that's easy to wash and super kind to your skin - a must have for both baby knits and summery cotton garments. 100% easy to wash cotton with a soft texture that is kind on skin, making it perfect for both baby knits and summery cotton garments.
Stylecraft ReCreate DK (and Chunky)
Look, it's not strictly free from animal products, but hear us out on this one. Stylecraft have made this cottony soft blend using 100% recycled materials, so yes, it does contain wool, but it's using fibres already in existance that are being saved from landfill instead. If that fits your definition of vegan friendly - great, we highly recommend knitting with this yarn. If it doesn't align with your values as a vegan, or yarn preferences, that's fine too. Whatever floats your boat.
If you're a fan of recycled yarn, though, this is a 11/10 solid choice. It's a blend of wool, acrylic and polyester (all of which are 100% recycled) and the resulting fabric is beautiful with lovely little flecks of colour which we think looks really really nice.
In general, then, the ReCreate is a very round yarn which results in excellent stitch definition when knitted up making it a solid choice for cables. The finished fabric has a durable, cotton-like feel which works fantastically well for projects like baby blankets and garments which stand a (very!) high chance of getting grubby.
That's A Wrap For Our Vegan Friendly Yarns
There we have it, our line-up of vegan friendly yarns. Do you have a favourite?
This vegan friendly guide is the fifth instalment in our yarn showcase blog series; keep your eyes peeled for the sixth, and final edition where we'll give you the lowdown on our lovely mohair options
In the meantime, read up on our other yarns here:
DK Yarns At No Frills Knitting
Sport Weight and 4-Ply Yarns at No Frills Knitting
Aran and Chunky Yarns at No Frills Knitting
Sock Yarns at No Frills Knitting