The yarns in this chart are greener than your average yarn. They're natural fiber yarns with at least one eco-friendly quality: organic fiber, small farm source, minimal processing, plant dyes, social mission, etc. My personal favorites are in bold (I've knit with them, liked them, and think they're super green!). I haven't knit with most of the yarns on this list yet, but I'll be updating it as I try them.

I also want to point out that knitting green doesn't have to be about buying more yarn. You can knit from your stash, recycle yarn, or spin your own yarn from local fiber (see Local Harvest and Alpaca Nation for fiber farms in your area). These options don't fit into this chart, but keep them in mind, too!

 

Green Yarns by Fiber
Cotton . Bast Fibers . Wool . Silk . Other Animals

 

-- Cotton --

Company Yarn Description Fiber Content
(* = organic)
Organic 100%
Organic Blend
Small Farm
No
Dyes
Plant Dyes
Chemical Dyes
Vegan
Social
Mission
A Verb for Keeping Warm Organic Cotton Boucle cotton*
X
X
Depends on dyes
Bernat Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Be Sweet Bambino cotton*, bamboo  
X
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Organic cotton*
X
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Skinny Dyed cotton*
X
X
X
Ceallach Dyes Solar-dyed Cotton cotton          
X
    
Debbie Bliss Eco cotton*
X
        
X
    
Fibra Natura Cottonwood cotton*
X
?
X
Depends on dyes
Fibra Natura Links cotton*
X
?
?
?
Fiddlesticks Ecoknit Cotton cotton*
X
X
Foxfibre Cotton Yarn cotton*
X
X
X
Foxfibre Cotton Boucle cotton*
X
X
X
Foxfibre Cotton Chenille cotton*
X
X
Green Mountain Spinnery Cotton Comfort wool, cotton*
X
X
X
Henry's Attic Inca Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Knit One, Crochet Too 2nd Time Cotton recycled cotton, acrylic
X
X
Knitpicks Simply Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Kusikuy Eco-Tinte Cotton cotton*
X
X
Depends on dyes
X
Lion Brand Nature's Choice cotton*
X
X
X
Lion Brand Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Malabrigo Organic Cotton cotton*
X
    
X
X
Depends on dyes
  
Midnightsky Fibers Vegan Yarns various (cotton, recycled cotton, soy)            
X
  
Mirasol Project Samp'a cotton*
X
X
X
X
Miss Hawklet Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
X
Nashua Ecologie Cotton cotton
X
X
Peru Naturtex Pakucho cotton*
X
X
X
X
Rowan Purelife 4Ply & DK cotton*
X
X
X
Depends on dyes
Sarah's Yarns Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
Sublime Organic Cotton cotton*
X
X
X
SWTC Craft cotton*, milk
X
X
The Fibre Co. Savannah wool, cotton*, linen, soy
X
X
Vermont Organic Fiber Company O-Wool Balance cotton*, wool*
X
X

 

-- Bast Fibers (Linen, Hemp, Banana) --

Company Yarn Description Fiber Content
(* = organic)
Organic 100%
Organic Blend
Small Farm
No
Dyes
Plant Dyes
Chemical Dyes
Vegan
Social
Mission
Louet Euroflax linen
X
X
X
Habu A-17, XS-21, XS-4 linen
X
X
Aurora Silk Hemp Yarns hemp
X
X
Depends on dyes
Enviro Textiles Hemp Wool Blend hemp, wool
X
X
Enviro Textiles Hemp Cotton Blend hemp, cotton
X
X
X
Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy cotton, hemp, modal
X
X
Habu NIS-3 and AOS-6 hemp
X
X
Hemp for Knitting Allhemp 3 & 6 hemp
X
X
Hemp for Knitting Hempnatural hemp
X
X
Hemp for Knitting Hempwol wool, hemp
X
Hemp for Knitting Hempton hemp, modal, cotton
X
X
House of Hemp Hemp Yarn hemp
X
X
X
Mango Moon Bali Sky recyled viscose
X
X
X
Mango Moon Nirvana, Mantra, Gayatri & Chakra cotton, recycled viscose, spandex
X
X
X
Wool Peddler Banana Silk Yarn banana fiber
X
X
X

 

-- Wool --

Company Yarn Description Fiber Content
(* = organic)
Organic 100%
Organic Blend
Small Farm
No
Dyes
Plant Dyes
Chemical Dyes
Vegan
Social
Mission
1855 Wool Alpaca Merino wool, alpaca
X
X
X
1855 Wool Handspun Merino wool
X
X
A Verb for Keeping Warm Hand-Dyed Yarns wool or other animal fibers
X
Beaverslide Organic Worsted wool*
X
X
X
Blonde Chicken Boutique various (each one handmade) wool, alpaca, banana
X
X
X
X
Botanical Shades various wool, alpaca, mohair    
X
  
X
      
Ceallach Solar-dyed Merino Laceweight wool          
X
    
Cornish Organic Wool Organic Wool wool*
X
X
X
X
Ever Green Yarns

Organic Merino

wool*
X
    
X
   
Farm Yarn Organic Sheep wool*, alpaca
X
X
X
Fleece Artist

Lanica

 wool*
X
    
X
   
Full Belly Farm Organic Wool wool*
X
X
X
Garthenor many varieties wool*
X
X
Green Mountain Spinnery ME, NM, and VT Organic wool*
X
X
Henry's Attic Gaia wool*
X
X
Hope Spinnery

Yarn from their wind-powered mill

wool      
X
X
   
Indigo Moon Nature's Harvest wool
X
Lorna's Laces Green Line wool*
X
        
X
    
Marr Haven Farm Wool Yarn wool
X
X
X
Midnight Sky Sock Yarn wool
X
X
Miss Hawklet Animal Friendly Handspun wool (from an animal rescue)
X
X
Nashua Ecologie Wool wool
X
Natural Dye Studio Lace, Sock, DK, Aran, Chunky Yarn wool      
X
X
   
Nature's Palette Organic Worsted wool*
X
X
Nature's Palette Merino Fingering wool
X
New Lanark Donegal Silk Tweed wool*, silk
X
X
New Lanark Heather Mixtures wool*
X
X
New Lanark Natural Blend wool*
X
X
Nomad Yarns Handspun Camel camel
X
X
Peace Fleece DK & Worsted wool, mohair
X
X
Posh Yarns Helena wool*
X
X
Riihivilla Finnsheep Yarn wool
X
X
X
Rowan

Purelife Wool

wool*
X
    
X
X
   
Seacolors Solar-dyed Yarn wool
X
X
X
Sublime

Organic Merino

 wool*
X
    
X
    
Tactile Fiber Arts

Organic Merino

wool*
X
    
X
X
   
The Fibre Co. Organik wool*, silk, alpaca
X
X
Thirteen Mile Lamb & Sheep Wool yarns wool*
X
X
X
X
Thirteen Mile Lamb & Sheep Alpaca-Wool Blend alpaca, wool*
X
X
X
Tierra Wools Organic Churro wool*
X
X
X
Treliske Merino Yarn wool*
X
X
Vermont Organic Fiber Co. O-Wool Classic &
Classic 2-ply 		wool*
X
X
Vermont Organic Fiber Co. O-Wool Legacy DK & Legacy Bulky wool*
X
X
WOOLganic

Organic Merino

wool*
X
    
X
X
    
Zen Sheep Farm Wool yarn wool*
X
X
X

 

-- Silk --

Company Yarn Description Fiber Content
(* = organic)
Organic 100%
Organic Blend
Small Farm
No
Dyes
Plant Dyes
Chemical Dyes
Vegan
Social
Mission
Aurora Silk Handspun Tussah tussah silk
X
Aurora Silk Tussah Silk tussah silk
X
Henry's Attic Rapunzel tussah silk
X
Indigo Moon Nature's Harvest muga silk
X
Treenway Silks (various) bombyx, tussah, and muga silks and blends
X
X
Mango Moon Recycled Sari Silk recycled silk
X
X
Wool Peddler Recycled Silk Yarns recycled silk
X

 

-- Other Animals (Camelids, Goats, Oxen) --

Company Yarn Description Fiber Content
(* = organic)
Organic 100%
Organic Blend
Small Farm
No
Dyes
Plant Dyes
Chemical Dyes
Vegan
Social
Mission
Buckwheat Bridge Angoras Yarn spun with solar-powered mill mohair and/or cormo wool
X
X
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Sportweight Alpaca alpaca
X
X
Blue Sky Alpacas Bulky Naturals alpaca, wool
X
Farm Yarn Baby Alpaca alpaca
X
X
Frog Tree Yarns Alpaca Yarns alpaca
X
X
X
Misti Alpaca Alpaca Yarns alpaca
X
X
Natural Dye Studio Yarns in various fibers & weights alpaca or mohair, mixed w/ silk or wool      
X
X
   
American Buffalo Products Buffalo Yarn American bison
X
Buffalo Gold Buffalo Yarn American bison
X
Wooly Warren Buffalo Yarn American bison
X
Snow Leopard Trust Camel Wool Yarn camel
X
X
Oomingmak Cooperative Qiviut Yarn qiviut
X
X
University of Alaska Quiviut Yarn qiviut
X
X
Windy Valley Pure Qiviut qiviut
X
X
Windy Valley Qiviut Luxury Blend qiviut, merino, silk
X
X
Windy Valley Qiviut Royal Blend qiviut, silk
X
X
Dancing Goats Cashmere Yarn cashmere
X
X
Roka Farm Cashmere Yarn cashmere
X
X
Bijou Basin Ranch Yak Yarns yak and blends (silk, wool)
X
X
Karabella Super Yak yak, merino
X
Pack River Yaks Handpun Yak Yarn yak
X
X
School Products Yak Merino Worsted yak, merino
X
X
Shokay Shambala yak
X
X
X
Skaska Designs Silk & Yak silk, yak
Turkey Hill Yaks Yak Yarn yak, alpaca, merino
X
X
TGI Yak Yak Roving yak
X
X

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Images and Text Copyright 2008 Hanna Breetz