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Being Vegan is a learning process.

Over the past few years I have become somewhat of an avid knitter.  I love that I now have something to keep my hands busy while I chill out and watch a movie and feel all good and productive and creative when the results of a relaxing afternoon is something cosy you can wrap around your neck to keep you warm.

The problem I have though as a vegan knitter is that begin vegan means no more wool. No more lovely soft merino or big chunky fluffy yarns.  All my old criteria for finding that perfect yarn for my next knitting project has been thrown out the window. I figured it wouldn't be too much of a problem as I had plenty in stock to use up before I had to tackle the proble of finding a good substitute but that time is creeping up on me in the form of an empty yarn bag. 

So I've started by doing some reading on sites like Ravely (which I love!) and finding out how other vegan knitters cope, following the numerous links and finally checking out what's on offer at a few of the yarn shops around here which narrowed my options down to acrylic, cotton or hemp yarns.  Thing is, once you start researching vegan yarns it all becomes incredibly complex.  There is sooooo much to consider besides whether the yarn comes from an animal or not.

From the little bit of reading I have done so far ( I feel like I am only at the tip of the iceberg), the environmental impacts of acrylic yarns can be disastrous, most cotton yarns are grown in Australia, which, if you have any idea about the climate there is a crazy, totally impractical and unsustainable idea, and hemp? Hemp is all itchy and scratchy.

So in desperation yesterday, I decided to compromise and hunt down some second-hand woollen clothes that I could unravel and use instead. I figured my conscience could handle that much for now until I can find something else.  So I shopped and shopped and shopped some more - I really don't like shopping but it was for at least three hours - and although I found quite a few suitable jumpers, the prices were insane ($65 for a second hand jumper? Seriously?).

With sore feet and getting more tired, grumpy and hungry by the minute I was pretty all I wanted to do was trudge home and sit my sorry butt on the couch and sulk, but I was determined not to come home empty handed.

So I bought buttons.