I love tofu. I love knitting. Imagine my surprise when during one of my yarn gathering expeditions, I discovered that my stir-fry and stitches had more in common than just my affection.

Companies such as the South West Trading Company have re-introduced the concept of soy as a wearable, useable fibre. The first person in America to laud the silky strength of the material was none other than Henry Ford. A photo of the legendary businessman and corporate strategist wearing a suit made entirely of soy can be found on South West’s website.

From an environmental perspective, soy has many benefits. It is an abundant crop in Asia, and the by-products from the production of tofu can be easily spun into beautiful silky strands for sweaters, scarves and mittens. Soy protein is isolated from the tofu remnants, then liquefied into long flat strands.

The fibre, once knit, is soft like silk, but warm like cashmere, and retails for a significantly lower cost than either other material.

Using soy products instead of chemically produced fibres like rayon or dubiously grown fibres like cotton is also a positive step for knitters inclined towards doing the earth a favour. The production of rayon, nylon and other synthetic yarns leech chemicals into the earth, employ labourers for low wages and create unbiodegrable materials. Who wants to clothe their wee infant in booties made from the backs of workers…or at the expense of the ozone layer? Cotton growing practices may be just as disturbing to ethical knitters. Gallons of pesticide accompany bulk production of the fibre, with workers suffering the effects on their health and general environment.

As knitters begin to shy away from the evils of rayon and cotton, yarn manufacturers are getting involved in fibre alternatives such as corn, seaweed, bamboo and even milk proteins. Though knitters often pay slightly more for yarn spun from the by-products of agriculture or aquaculture, the more people who make the choice, the less expensive alternative yarns will become. Even traditionalists who choose wool above all things can make ethical decisions by supporting small companies like Briggs and Little in Nova Scotia, who raise, shear and spin wool from sheep who live on their own small farm. Overall, alternative and ethical fibres seem to be the way of the future for knitters.

So. Eat your tofu, then spin the protein. Using soy has no downside in terms of environmental ethics. On an aesthetic notes, the rich colours and silky texture of the yarn is sure to turn heads. And what better way to get your knitting noticed than to broadcast the fact that it was made from a once edible substance?