Sustainable Crafting and Fashion | May Edition

Written by Kate Curry

April showers have definitely brought out the May flowers! This month, because of you and the rest of the DGY community, we have been able to save 10,679 pounds of textiles, fiber, paper, plastic, and wood from landfills all around the world!

To put all of that saved recycled material into perspective, here are some things that weigh 10,679 pounds so you can gauge just how much we’ve reclaimed from landfills!

2 ½ giraffes
15,000 cans of soup
19 pigs
150 dalmatians (NOT a Disney trademark…yet!)
2,000,000 US pennies

Totals for 2022

No. of trees planted: 3,889
Pounds of waste material saved: 53,444

Two Indian artisans are smiling at the camera. They're holding a basket of caked sparkle blue yarn and a few unwound-skeins of sparkly blue yarn around their arms.

Trees.Org x Darn Good Yarn

Every purchase from our Be Darn Good Collection, gives back to the global community. For each purchase from this collection, a tree is planted by our friends over at trees.org! For 2022 we hope to plant 30,000 trees this year all around the world to help our global siblings. With each tree planted there is hope for the future -more food, more farms, more wildlife, and more jobs!

Thanks to our community, last month we were able to plant 606 trees!! One step closer to our 2022 goal!

May's Most Popular Yarn

For the first time - we have a TIE!

The reigning champion Darn Good Twist Sport Weight Silk Yarn in Twisting Rainbows has been challenged by the stunning Lace Weight Silk Yarn in Color Surge! Thanks to these two yarns, over 30 pounds of fiber has been saved from rotting away in the landfill.

Three artisans, pretty Indian ladies are smiling and showing off the orange and red lace weight silk yarn that they created! — The artisans who created the Color Surge Lace Weight Yarn

Lookin’ Good & Doin’ Good!

A woman with pig-tail buns is wearing a bright pink and blue tunic and jean capris. She's dancing, with both arms and one leg kicked up in the air. Behind her is a bright pink ice cream truck and a wooden picnic table.

A two time champion, the most popular clothing item for this month AGAIN was our outstanding Aanya Adjustable Short Tunic! These tunics have saved 63 pounds of reclaimed sari fabric and they are stunning!

Yarn Of The Month® Club

In May, our fabulous Yarn of the Month community helped us save 374 pounds of fiber thanks to their subscription! With each person that subscribes, we are able to protect the employment of our incredible artisans that you can meet HERE!! For every 1,000 subscribers, our club can support one artisan for an entire year!

A hand with painted yellow nails is holding a cake of handmade worsted weight recycled silk yarn. The yarn is a mix of yellow, white, and an ocean teal blue. — May's Yarn! Worsted Weight Silk Yarn in Ocean Light

Yarn of the Month Club

Skirt Of The Month® Club

If you’ve never heard of the Skirt of the Month club, you’re missing out on a ton of fashion fun! Every month, you’ll receive a skirt of your size and length preference in the colors of that month’s theme! May’s theme was Florals and for June, you’ll be getting some gorgeous Sunshine-themed skirts for summer time!

By joining our Skirt of the Month subscription, you’re supporting hundreds of artisans in India. Whether they’re tearing and cutting fabric, sewing, or packaging skirts - your monthly subscription keeps them safe with sustainable, fair, and dignified employment. For May, our astounding SOTM community helped save 257 pounds of reclaimed sari fabric!

Skirt of the Month Club

Made This Month

We look forward to seeing what people create with our yarn every month! We’re so excited to share some of those amazing pieces of art with you! These pictures come from our Instagram, but as well as our private Facebook groups. If you want to join our groups, scroll down!!

A woman with brown hair and glasses is wearing a two-toned blue recycled silk yarn top that she has made herself. — Amanda's gorgeous shirt made out of Sparkle Worsted Weight Silk Yarn

A blue and purple pastel yarn is still attached to the wooden crochet hook. The work in progress is resting on a wooden table. At the top of the image is a wooden yarn bowl filled with blue yarn and sparkle blue-pink-yellow lace weight yarn. To the right of the yarn bowl are two crystals, one clear and one amethyst. — Kate's amazing Caribbean Current and Pastel Dreams creation

A closeup image of a handmade clutch. The clutch is made out of multicolored recycled silk yarn. At the center of the pouch is a yellow butterfly handmade button. — We are in love with Azaria's butterfly creation!

A blue, purple, and pink striped bag made out of reclaimed sari silk ribbon is hung up on a white wooden diamond-shaped fence. — Sarah made this super stylish bag out of Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn

Join Our Private Facebook Groups

A purple button with a QR code that if clicked or scanned will bring you to the DGY- Sari Wrap Skirt Facebook Group

A teal button with a QR code that if clicked or scanned will bring you to the DGY- Official Darn Good Yarn of the Month Club Facebook Group

A pink button with a QR code that if clicked or scanned will bring you to the DGY- Crafting Enthusiasts Facebook Group

Meet the Author

Kate has been on the Darn Good Yarn team since 2018.

They have their degree in Creative Art Therapy & Psychology - and like crafting and animals a little too much.