• 0 items$0.00
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

  • BLOG
    • Knitting
    • Crochet
    • Latch Hook
    • Macramé
  • ABOUT
  • Shop
  • Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Meet Yarnthology & Win Some Yarn!

May 11, 2016 7 Comments

Get to know Yarnthology, a company that does things differently by carefully selecting yarn brands based on how they treat people, animals, and the environment.

I’ve always loved all kinds of yarn. Affordable yarn, colorful yarn, handmade yarn, specialty yarn – you name it. But as a designer and someone whose interest in ethical consumerism has only grown with age, I started to realize that there are some questions to think about when you consume yarn, just like anything else.

Where does your yarn come from? If you’re knitting in a certain country, it might be a priority for you to reduce your carbon footprint by working with domestically made or sourced yarn.

What sheep used to wear your wool? There’s such a thing as being a vegan knitter – some knitters avoid working with animal fiber altogether.

Did you know that it takes a heck of a lot of water to make and dye yarn? Some yarn companies strive to be more eco-friendly by being thoughtful about their water consumption and disposal methods.

Now, I’m by far no expert on any of these issues, and the above questions are by far not an exhaustive list of questions about how to ethically consume yarn. While I’m vegetarian, I’m not vegan, and I do work with animal fibers. My workplace doesn’t recycle (but I’m working on them). My apartment does not have a rain barrel. Nobody’s perfect, but if everyone is a little more aware of how they consume, it can have a big impact.

That’s why I partnered with Yarnthology this week. I think their site says best why these issues matter:

Yarn is a vehicle for expression and always has a story to tell.

Sadly, many fibers tell a story about a textile industry woven together with human rights abuses, child labor, unfair trade practices, animal cruelty, and environmental damage.

At yarnthology we do things differently by carefully selecting yarn brands based on how they treat people, animals, and the environment.

The Sixth Degree Shawl by Heidi Gustad is a free pattern designed with American made, ethically-sourced yarn!

The Sixth Degree Shawl was designed with Cestari Monticello, a yarnthology yarn.

Carrying brands like Blue Sky Alpacas, Cestari and Malabrigo (just to name a few), Yarnthology does things differently. You can shop the site with ethics-based filters. You can search for yarn by whether it’s eco friendly, vegan, cruelty free, American made, or ethically traded. It shouldn’t be totally innovative and mind-blowing that they do this, but it totally is! Of course I’m going to keep shopping a site that takes the important (but sometimes-confusing and/or time consuming) work out of ethical yarn shopping.

Get to know Yarnthology, a company that does things differently by carefully selecting yarn brands based on how they treat people, animals, and the environment.

Yarnthology is the site that sponsored Monday’s free pattern, the Sixth Degree Shawl. As with all partnerships that involve a new design, the first step was getting yarn from them. I was so excited to see that even their packaging is eco friendly! Yarnthology uses sustainable and biodegradable packaging, keeping even logistical aspects of their business in eco-check.

Cestari’s Monticello Collection yarn was so great to work with for the new design. If you take a look at the Yarnthology page for the yarn, you’ll see how easy it is to identify that the yarn is cruelty free, ethically traded, eco-friendly and vegan. And they’re completely transparent about the fact that the yarn’s 25% flax content is sourced from outside the U.S. With Yarnthology, you’re completely aware of all of the major ethics points as you decide whether or not to buy the yarn – no additional research required!

Get to know Yarnthology, a company that does things differently by carefully selecting yarn brands based on how they treat people, animals, and the environment.

Cestari’s Monticello Collection yarn in partridge blue

Enter to win a Yarnthology prize!

At this point, I feel pretty confident that you’re at least curious to try Yarnthology for yourself. Enter in the box below for your chance to win 2 skeins of Cestari Monticello yarn (a.k.a. enough yarn to make the Sixth Degree Shawl) in your choice of color.

If you’re too excited to wait for the giveaway to end, Yarnthology is offering 20% off Cestari, 15% off the entire store, and free shipping with code HANDSOCCUPIED.

PS: If you’re not reading this on handsoccupied.com, you’ll need to visit the site to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post & giveaway are sponsored by yarnthology. All opinions are my own. I am not an expert in sustainable and ethical consumerism, so please be kind in the comments if my lifestyle or perspectives do not align with your own. 

Yarnthology - beautifully ethical fibers. Visit yarnthology.com, where they select brands and let you sort our yarn by the people who are making positive changes ranging from cruelty free to American made.

Filed Under: Crochet, Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, Knitting, Knitting & Crochet Tagged With: cestari, cruelty free yarn, eco-friendly, ethical consumerism, giveaway, vegan knitting, vegan yarn, yarnthology

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

Previous Post: « Sixth Degree Shawl
Next Post: Picks of the Week »

Reader Interactions

DID YOU LIKE THIS POST?
Visit similar articles...

  • Meet the Sixth Degree Shawl. Cast on this gorgeous, free pattern designed with American made, ethically-sourced yarn!Sixth Degree Shawl
  • Brown Sheep Stratosphere Yarn Review & GiveawayBrown Sheep Stratosphere Yarn Review & Giveaway
  • Manos del Uruguay Alma Review & GiveawayManos del Uruguay Alma Review & Giveaway
  • Boca Chica Yarn Review & GiveawayBoca Chica Yarn Review & Giveaway

DON’T MISS ANOTHER UPDATE

Comments

  1. Kristie

    May 11, 2016 at 12:57 pm

    I didn’t know this! This is wonderful. Thanks for letting us know.

    Reply
  2. Elizabeth

    May 11, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    I had no idea that animal cruelty could be a part of the making of yarn! I love to knit. I am self taught and feel so proud when I make something . Now I will look more into the yarn making not just the knitting . Thank you.

    Reply
  3. Sally

    May 11, 2016 at 8:29 pm

    Thank you!!

    Reply
  4. MaryEllen

    May 14, 2016 at 3:53 pm

    What pretty yarn!! And I love that it’s a yarn I can feel good about using. (ethical vegan of 40 years!!)

    Reply
  5. Deborah

    May 14, 2016 at 5:13 pm

    This is exciting! The yarn is beautiful!

    Reply
  6. Jody Hall

    May 14, 2016 at 5:22 pm

    Such pretty yarn! Thanks for the Giveaway!

    Reply
  7. Erika

    July 13, 2016 at 12:01 am

    That’s all well and good but how many knitters can afford a $13 hank of 100g of yarn? Or better yet a $24.40 hank, or a (gasp!) $70 hank! All this succeeds in doing is making people feel guilty for buying their more reasonably priced yarns, which may not even HAVE practices that are unfair or unethical. I love animals and people and want both to be treated fairly, but there’s got to be a better way.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Deborah Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

work with heidi

UPDATES BY EMAIL

Get a free pattern + biweekly updates sent to your inbox.

Let’s be friends!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Latch Hook by Heidi Gustad

Footer

INSTAGRAM

handsoccupied

Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
.
knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
.
.
A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
.
.
See you in a couple weeks! ✌🏻#handsoccupied #knitdesign #craftdesign #sofadedsweater
Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
.
.
Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
.
.
rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
.
.
Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
.
Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 / Foodie Pro Theme On Genesis Framework / Branding by Ink + Mortar
All Site & Shop Policies / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy