Although i’ve been vegan for many years it’s taken a long time to phase out the purchasing of items containing wool, and, like you Emily, I pretty much buy all my clothes, and shoes (and so much else!) from charity shops and thrift stores. My concern here though is that by wearing animal-derived items, like leather boots etc, do we inadvertently reinforce the idea that this type of exploitation is OK? I no longer buy second-hand leather or wool products (or at least I try my damnedest not to but sometimes something has tassling I didn’t notice!). I feel conspicuous as a vegan wearing leather boots, but common sense tells me not to simply discard those I’ve bought previously as this is akin to thrwoing the baby out with thte bathwater! Certainly contributing directly to the economies of wool or leather production is out I think for any vegan who has made a lifestyle choice rather than a simple dietary one. Yes, give yourself time to transition, and work out how far you cna push your boundaries, but don’t throw in the (cotton) towel because it seems like the restriction is never-ending.

I appreciate that the argument is rather more complex when you factor in the environmental issues surrounding bamboo and non-organic cotton and other fibres. I’ll confess that this was a secondary issue to me when I decided to stop using wool but now that I have made that choice I am actively seeking craft materials that are ethical both in terms of animal and human rights and the environment. It is only by having debates such as on this site that we can comprehend the complexity and the repercussions of the argument and our individual actions.

If you’ll permit me one more comment… The issue of shearing sheep in summer seems a catch 22 situation really. The sheep that are generally farmed in current agricultural practice are surely bred to have more skin folds and, therefore, a larger wool yield. This means that they are more likely to get skin infections and so the practice of mulesing has come about (which is horrific); I wrote a post on it a few weeks ago. It simply won’t do to say that sheep should or shouldn’t be sheared, the issue is in the repetitive cycle of breeding the poor animals in such a fashion that we back them into an evolutionary corner. Farmers ahve created an animal that would not have survived or thrived in the wild, so it is not a black and white issue regarding their treatment now. All we can do is look to animal sanctuaries and companies such as Homestead Wool to behave appropriately whilst steps are taken to end cruelty to animals once and for all.

I need to do more research on synthetic fibres, but in the meantime will continue to use recycled wool as suggested and second-hand materials from thrift stores.

Thanks again for a great post and the lively and considerate discussion; it makes me feel very positive about being vegan!

Cheers,
Leigh (aka theTastyVegan)

Thanks for the informed article and the great comment discussion. Pleasure to meet you all~

One thing that is very clear to me: most sheep DO need to be sheared and, like all domesticated animals, do rely on people for key aspects of their care (their hooves, their food, and their wool coats).

I understand there are concerns about animal welfare and fiber/yarn, however, I hope you will stop at our website and visit our sheep.

We do not eat, breed, adopt out or sell our sheep. Once they find their way to us, they are here to safely graze their lives away- their comfort and happiness our utmost concern. We use all the latest pain meds, supplements for our older crew, etc.

I have written about a lot of the questions/thoughts mentioned here on our site and blog. I hope you will stop in, meet the sheep- and please email me ANY questions, I am always happy to talk sheep!!!

Thanks for your comment! I hear how frustrating it can be to hear criticisms about how you aren’t doing enough from people who aren’t even doing as much as you are.

Please stay strong and remember that just because there are certain items that aren’t as great environmentally as you’d like, such as bamboo, that doesn’t mean you have to scrap the whole thing. If you have an environmental objection to bamboo yarn, don’t use it – there are many many other fibers out there. Or just buy it used.

i’m also a vegan, who tries to avoid animal-sourced yarn and i deal with the same comments. like you, i live as environmentally sustainably as possible. we gave away our car last year and i’m wearing three sweaters right now instead of putting on the heating on a dreich scottish day.

however, i have been contemplating rescinding on my no-animal-fibre policy due to the issues surrounding bamboo yarn production, and the eternal debate i find myself getting into with people who prefer to criticise my efforts at living a lower-impact life, rather than praise the intentions and investment of time and emotion behind them. your article and comments are encouraging to me – i’ll keep on fighting the good fight, then!