last time we talked about the characteristics that all yarns have in common - that’s whether they’re worsted or woolen spun, their weight, and how many plies they have. today we’re going to talk about what makes a yarn “natural” or not. this definition can get quite broad, but we’re going to focus on what is usually agreed-upon facts:

1. natural yarns are not superwash treated.

what’s superwash? it’s a treatment applied to wool with the goal of removing their ability to felt and makes wool feel “softer”, which in theory also reduces the chances that you’ll accidentally shrink your knitted item when you’re washing it. felting happens when the scales of a wool fibre attach to the scales of another wool fibre, creating a dense fabric that usually needs to be cut apart (think of those wool felt squares you find in craft stores). in reality, the way this is achieved is by either coating the wool in a polymer resin (basically coating it in a film of plastic, which leads to all sorts of fun microplastics entering the waterways over time) or by chemically stripping the scales using harsh chemicals (once again, not great for the waterways). while there are some newer technologies that claim to be more environmentally friendly popping up, the simple fact is that superwash is a completely unnecessary treatment. you can achieve soft-to-the-skin wool by understanding the differences between different wool breeds and opting for softer breeds and going with a worsted spun yarn rather than woolen spun. and if you’re worried about felting, opt for breeds that don’t felt easily and don’t toss your knitted items in the washing machine on a hot/cold cycle. soak them with wool wash in a sink or tub, squish out the excess water in a towel, and leave them to dry flat.

2. natural yarns go through minimal processing.

did you know that much of the “white” wool you purchase from larger yarn brands and also from indie dyers working with commercial yarn bases is actually bleached to achieve that whiteness? for the most part, even yarns spun at larger mills should be going through minimal processing to be considered “natural.” this means that at the various stages of spinning, there are no harsh or toxic chemicals used (which is also why you might find more veggie matter in your natural yarns!). you can learn more about these steps here.

3. natural yarns are made up of 100% natural fibres.

natural fibres mean they come from natural sources, whether animal or plant, and also have not gone through extensive processing to become yarn (no, that bamboo rayon does not constitute a “natural” fibre despite being sourced from bamboo because it had to be chemically reduced into mush and then chemically restructured into usable fibre). common actual natural fibre types include wool (we’ll go into breed differences shortly), alpaca, mohair, angora, silk, cotton, linen, hemp, and even dog fur! they can be a blend of natural fibres too - a 50/50 wool and cotton blend yarn can be just as natural as 100% wool!

4. yarn can even be breed-specific or fleece-specific!

did you know that there are hundreds of sheep breeds around the world? different breeds have different characteristics and qualities, so knowing what kind of project you want your yarn to become can be helpful in picking out the right wool breed. “breed-specific” means that the yarn uses only one type of breed without any blends. “fleece-specific” means that the yarn comes from a single animal and also means it’s either been spun by hand or on mini mill equipment, as larger mills can’t accommodate spinning a single fleece on its own. however, fleece-specific does not automatically equate breed-specific, because if the animal was a cross-breed (for example, a romney x merino sheep), then it loses its breed-specific status. there are plenty of reasons to love a good cross-breed yarn though, and the vast majority of sheep breeds currently recognized actually come from intentional cross-breeding over the centuries!

5. natural yarns can be undyed, dyed with natural dyes, or even dyed with synthetic dyes.

here’s where things get tricky - currently, natural yarns are considered natural regardless of whether they’re undyed, dyed with natural dyes, or dyed with synthetic dyes. true puritans will attest that an all-natural yarn needs to be undyed, or at the very most dyed with natural dyes. however, currently there is still allowance made for minimally processed natural fibre yarns that are dyed with synthetic dyes. to muddy the waters even further, some dyers claim to be using “natural dyes” or “organic dyes” when in reality they’re using synthetic dyes that have been sourced from organic compounds. you can decide for yourself where you draw the line, and learn more about natural dyeing with natural dyeing 101 as well as the natural dye care guide, found in the creative coven community.

so now that we’ve talked about what makes a natural yarn truly natural, what the hell do we do with them, and how do you substitute them into a knitting pattern written for a commercial or non-natural yarn? if knitting with natural yarns has felt intimidating to you up to this point, join me for the knitting with natural yarns masterclass! if you’re ready to start playing with natural yarns right now, you can always find stock in the shop, and then come hang out with us on our zoom knit/craft nights in the creative coven community to share and learn with like-minded fibre witches. not sure what kind of fibre witch you are? take the free fibre witch quiz to find out.

making - the abc’s of all-natural yarns, part 2