Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Hemp

At Linwood we are always trying to find and use sustainable, natural materials. After a recent trip to a yarn store I came home with a Hemp/Cotton blend that had me wondering about the pros and cons of hemp. A little google searching led to a lot of good news about hemp. 

Hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax using the same amount of land. Not only does it yield more, but instead of stripping the soil of nutrients, it actually helps to revitalize the soil and prevent erosion. It grows very quickly as well which reduces the use of pesticides & fertilizers.

Hemp is also more durable (up to 3 times stronger than cotton) and doesn't lose its color as quickly. It is very absorbent and gets softer with each washing. This Huffington Post article explains how hemp is being used for much more than just yarn.

As I explore with this new yarn a bit more I hope to offer several new items in our etsy shop incorporating this sustainable material, so check back often!


Linwood Journals

Our current project list here at Linwood includes a lot of journal-making. We are experimenting with some decorative binding techniques and finding fun ways to incorporate natural materials into our work. Some of the materials we've been working with include hand-cut wooden buttons, leather, locally sourced walnut wood, paper made from sustainable palm fibers and cotton thread. We are also exploring the possibility of using a hand-felted cover. Check out our etsy to see the finished work.


Monday, March 4, 2013

Etsy Photos

This photo didn't quite make the cut for our etsy site, but we still like it anyway