Texas hobbyists have a growing affinity for hemp, particularly in the world of textile design.
Suzanne Middlebrooks, owner of Hill Country Weavers in Austin, said hemp is an ideal material for weaving in particular.
“I always think of it as more of a weaving yarn just because it’s so strong, and it doesn’t tend to go limp,” she said.
Middlebrooks said if she closes her eyes, it’s hard for her to feel the difference between a ball of linen and a ball of hemp. However, she noted that the longer fibers in hemp yarn make it a little sturdier. While Middlebrooks sees hemp used more in interior applications (like placemats, table runners, totes and bags), it can also be a favorable option when it comes to making clothing.
“With linen and hemp both, the more you wear it, the more moisture it collects, the softer and drapier it gets,” Middlebrooks said. “Hemp just slightly has a little more ‘tooth’ to it than linen.”
While hemp is known for its durability, its growing popularity among weavers and knitters has much to do with the fact that it is plant-based (unlike wool or silk), making it a hit in the growing vegan community. However, plant-based does not always equal eco-friendly, Middlebrooks said.
“Bamboo, for example, is not a clean fiber to create,” she said. “It’s very toxic. So even though we think, ‘because it’s natural and it’s replenishable and there’s so much of it and it grows fast,’ to break it down into a useful fiber, it uses a lot of chemicals.
“Bamboo yarn has that wonderful drape (like silk) that you want in a natural fiber, but with what you have to do to it, it’s really not natural anymore in my opinion. In fact, most of the bamboo yarn is produced in China, and they won’t even let you into the factories that make it because it’s so toxic.”
Organic hemp, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the most sustainable fibers in the world according to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) website.
The Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres compares the environmental impact of the 28 most commonly used fibers in the garment industry. Judging on six criteria — greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, eco toxicity, energy, water and land — it gives organic hemp an “A” rating (the highest possible). Non-organic hemp gets a “C” rating because it can cause harmful environmental impacts from chemical retting, bleaching and other processes.
So, for eco-conscious crafters, “it is important to really vet your supplier,” the CFDA states.
According to treehugger.com, hemp is a densely growing plant that chokes out competing weeds and reduces the need for pesticides. It also requires half as much water as cotton to grow and only ¼ as much to process.
Often in the textile industry, hemp is mixed with another fiber like cotton to create a hybrid product. Levi’s is one of the major clothing brands that is using cottonized hemp to create a more durable and sustainable product.
Hill Country Weavers sells the Lang Canapa brand of hemp yarn that is made in Italy. Another popular brand is Hempathy, which was created by Swedish knitwear designer Elsebeth Lavold. It’s possible a broader variety of hemp-based textile products will emerge in Texas since the state legislature legalized hemp farming in June 2019.
“It’s perfect for Texas,” Middlebrooks said. “I really think for Texas specifically, hemp is a product that I would put in the same category as linen. You wear it all year-round — it’s not seasonal.”