Knitting on a Budget: Polyester

I was brought up in a home where both parents were conservationists. My mother, ironically, loved the new miracle fibers of the 1950s and 60s, probably not aware that there were some sticky issues involving chemical manufacturing and the environment. She had washed clothes in tubs and then in wringer washers, so the automatic washer relieved her of a lot of hard labor, and polyester clothes took away the burdensome task of ironing. By the time she discovered double-knits, however, I had come to the opinion that natural fibers were, well, natural, so we had a few disagreements on the subject of natural fibers versus synthetics.

For many years I was a natural fiber purist. I wore one-hundred percent cotton and searched the stores for wool socks. I discovered wool knitting yarn and then learned to spin it myself. In the meantime, polyester was biding its time, hiding out in discount stores and crafts shops in the form of cheap acrylic yarn.

This yarn is what most people in North America have used to make sweaters, hats, baby clothes, and of course, afghans. I see women all the time making afghans, on the bus, in the doctor's waiting room -- lacy afghans, subtly variegated afghans, afghans made of crocheted squares. As I gaze admiringly at the skill of these crocheters and knitters, the natural fiber purist in me winces a little. I envision these beautiful afghans in two years, pilled and dull, thrown in a closet somewhere or stacked on a shelf in a thrift shop. I once worked with a woman who made several sweaters a month for her grandchildren out of cheap acrylic yarn. I was in awe of her prolific ways! I've always felt that knitting took so long that I should use the little knitting time I have to make garments that last, if not heirlooms, but she just wanted to make something cute and warm for her grandchildren.

And she had a point. It makes sense to use machine washable and dryable yarn in a sweater for the child of a busy mother in a modern home, where a wool sweater might well end up nicely felted (and several sizes smaller) if it's tossed in the washer and dryer. And natural fibers are usually more expensive. I've started using a little of it, too, for baby clothes and charity knitting.

Polyester, of course, has re-emerged in fashion -- my daughter has double-knit pants, which I don't much like, but they sure do wash up nice! When I visited Paris two years ago, I looked at a blouse in a dressmaker's shop made of microfiber -- it felt like a cross between cotton and silk. And you will see synthetic fibers in the most expensive yarn stores, in knitting ribbon and novelty yarns. If you're knitting on a budget, though, you'll want to look at the wide variety of acrylics and blends in the less-expensive stores.

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