'Tis the season for overconsumption

From a new dress for this year’s Christmas party, to splurging in the Boxing Day sales, to reinventing yourself with a new wardrobe to celebrate a ‘new year, new you.’

Overconsumption at Christmas is a massive issue with so much going to waste, including unwanted presents, wrapping and packaging, and Christmas outfits never to be worn again.

This article by Lois Beasley gives some really interesting insight into the world of renting clothes as a sustainable practice (as well as some really scary statistics). But I wanted to discuss the role craft plays in reducing your carbon footprint and helping reduce unnecessary overconsumption.

From darning a sock to making an outfit from scratch, crafting can help promote slow fashion, making, repairing and upcycling garments ourselves rather than contributing to the fast fashion industry.

The Scrunchie Bag by Loupy Studio

But we still need to be mindful about how we craft, taking the time to produce garments we know we’ll wear and love, and resisting the temptation to buy all the pretty yarn we see at the craft store.

Anyone who knits or crochets will know about the amount of scrap yarn that accumulates over time. But the good news is, you can start a project without needing to buy any supplies, using these leftovers. This month I made the Scrunchie Bag by Loupy Studio to use up some scrap yarn.

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Here’s some other patterns that I’m saving for future scrap yarn:

• Emma Cardi by Le Pull Studio

• Kingsland Sweater by Le Pull Studio

• Kaleido Cardigan by Rows Knitwear

• Bernardini Cardigan by Deima Knitwear

And one for gauge swatches:

• Swatch Bag by Skaberglaede

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Works in progress

When I say slow fashion, I mean slow fashion. Next month will mark a year since I first cast-on the Prima Pullover by Starcrossed Knits, and it’s still far from being completed. The 2x2 ribbing is a laborious process and the fact I chose a black yarn hasn’t helped - I’ve had to undo more stitches than I’d like to admit because I couldn’t see whether they were supposed to be knitted or purled. This is also the first time I’ve used double-pointed needles, another process which I’m finding pretty time consuming.

The Prima Pullover by Starcrossed Knits

But I still love this design just as much as when I first bought the pattern nearly a year ago. When choosing patterns, I try to be mindful in picking something that I know I’m going to love for years, as I don’t want to invest so much time into a piece that I’m not going to wear. This is why I think crafting plays such an important role in making sustainable choices - it’s a much more intentional process than impulsively buying an item of clothing.

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That’s all for this month’s issue of Knitwise! Make sure to subscribe for more tips on how to be sustainable in your crafting, and to keep up with what I’ve been making each month.

Happy crafting!