Cotton Yarn

I did not realize that cotton yarn has been a source of many wars and conflict over the years. It's an amazing fiber, but I don't think it's worth fighting over or a reason to destroy the planet.

Thankfully, there are more and more organic cotton farmers each year. We now have the fair trade label, and there are even varieties of natural colored cotton available to reduce the amount of chemicals used.

Care

Items made from cotton yarn can go through the regular machine wash cycle. There is a large initial shrinking and continued slight shrinking over time. Lay knit and crochet items flat to dry.

You can use the dryer, but I wouldn't want to for any piece of clothing that might shrink too much. It's one thing to do a pair of jeans, but we're talking about something handmade here! My work is special, so I give it extra love and care.

You might see some terms used for special types of cotton yarn:

• Egyptian cotton is more durable and softer than American pima cotton.
• Mercerized cotton is not as absorbent, but it retains color better, does not shrink as much, and is slightly shiny.
• Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic chemical pesticides.

Cotton can develop mold or mildew in high humidity. A good washing and drying can stop the damage, but stains might remain.

Silverfish can cause insect damage. I've had them around the house but never noticed any actual holes in items like you see with moths on wool, so I believe they nibble and generally weaken rather than leaving a clean cut hole for you to see.

History

Cotton has been found in Egypt dating back to 12000 BC. It was popular in India and is also native to Mexico and South America. The moors brought cotton cultivation to Europe when they controlled Spain in 9th century.

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1793 to separate the seeds and fibers by sawing them apart. Cotton became a major crop for southern United States where it was tended by slaves. During the Civil War, the Confederacy used cotton as a key part of the economy but the Union blockaded ports. Cotton was still hand harvested by sharecroppers until harvesting machinery was developed in the 1950s.

The British laws in India in the late 19th century were similar to what they did to the American colonies. The poor people were forced to grow raw fiber, send it to England for processing, and then buy it back as expensive cloth. Gandhi spoke out against and encouraged handspun cloth making.

Cotton is the most heavily pesticided crop. It has been genetically modified in an attempt to increase pest-resistance and is causing horrible problems with copyright issues and poisoning livestock. Studies show that after a couple of years farmers actually end up using more pesticides than with the non-GM crop anyway.

Read the GM cotton horror stories from India where there are now high rates of suicide. This story is being repressed and kept out of the media.

Cotton is still an important commodity involved in international fair trade disputes over issues like farmer compensation, child labor, and working conditions.