this is why slow fashion may NOT be SUSTAINABLE‼️🌋🌎

while i was scouring through pages & pages of 🧶 yarn listings carousell, i first came to the realisation that most of the yarn being sold online were the same brand (cow brand 🐄🐮) of milk cotton. this urged me to ponder about the realities of slow fashion, especially in the context of the fibre art scene in Singapore.📍

with the insanely cheap prices of yarn being sold online 🧑‍💻 on platforms like shopee, 🤑💵 the price point no longer becomes a barrier to entry for fibre crafts. coupled with crochet as a (micro?) trend on social media platforms, everyone seems to want to dip their toes into fibre crafts. 🐑

i’m not saying that it’s a bad thing that people are picking crochet up as a hobby (in fact, i support it wholeheartedly, & have experienced firsthand the benefits of having hobbies 🌱 to stimulate one’s mind + relax 🍵☁️), but ‼️ it appears that overbuying yarn is a prevalent issue in the yarn community.

i have to admit too that i’ve been tempted too many a time to buy yarn that i did not actually need, but only bought because i was inspired by the colors 🎨 or simply loved the texture of it. given the low prices of yarn, it’s hard not to resist buying yarns online 😭😰

it is possible that hobbyists may give up fibre crafts after awhile, because it did not fit their romanticised view of what crocheting is like, or simply because it is not a right fit for them. ☹️

BUT!!!! there are ways to avoid falling into the trap of overbuying. here’s a few tips i have to do so:

1) plan your projects before starting out 🍃

always always ALWAYS plan your projects. consider the wearability of it (especially in sg’s humid & hot climate 🥵), the size of your project & types of yarn you’re planning to use. this helps to ensure that what you create is the way you envision, & fits your needs exactly.

🌸 i like sketching out my projects before purchasing yarn, & i try to mimic the colors as accurately as i can to see if i will actually wear them or not. i’ve planned out a few projects for may-june 🔖, but did not start working on them because i knew that i would not actually wear them repeatedly.

2) consider second-hand yarn on carousell 🧶

purchasing second hand yarns is one of the best ways to minimise overconsumption. 🛍️🛒 shopping on carousell has been a pleasant experience for me, and sellers often list down specifications (such as type of materials🐑🌾, whether or not it is used etc) of their yarn. most of the yarn sellers ive interacted with are extremely friendly, so don’t be afraid to ask them questions + interact with them!

3) buy less is better than buying more 🛟

yes, it might be a hassle to go to yarn stores physically once you have finished using your yarn/ lost a game of yarn chicken 🐣🐓. but!!!! you’ll be better able to estimate how much yarn you actually need when you’re working on your projects, and be able to make more informed choices when stocking up on more yarn!

4) yarn ban ❗️⛔️

my friend and i are currently on a 2 month long yarn ban, and we’ve challenged ourselves to only work on pieces with yarn we currently have. we’re 1.5 weeks into the ban, and have not caved so far 😎. having a friend 👯‍♀️ going on a yarn ban with you is enough peer pressure and motivation to curb your yarn buying addiction, & i highly recommend doing this with a close friend!

5) enjoy & focus on the process 🍃🎐

I’ve found myself feverishly knitting for days, just to churn out a post online for the validation. 😰 the notion of knitting for likes completely defeats the meaning behind slow fashion😔, and it is something that I’m working towards improving. while im trying to start a small side business of selling my yarn products, I’ve been actively reminding myself that knitting is a hobby 🌱, and all monetary benefits are secondary!!

i hope that the fibre arts community (me included 😭😢) makes better choices in yarn purchasing, and look to more sustainable ways to support their hobby. i’m definitely looking into ways i can make my hobby sustainable; if you have any tips, feel free to share them! 🌸

#Lemon8Lifestyle #lemon8review #Lemon8SG #sustainablefashion #sustainability #yarn #fibreartist #crafting