What is Raffia Yarn Made From? Is It Truly Sustainable?
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Raffia yarn is a fibre that feels a lot like straw but have you ever wondered how it’s made? Let’s find out together what raffia is made from and discover whether it is a sustainable yarn to add to our list or not.
Raffia the Tree
There are about 20 different species of raffia palm tree which belong to the genus Raphia. The one that produces the leaves that we use to make raffia yarn is called Raphia Farinifera.
Where is Raphia Farinifera Grown?
This specific tree is endemic to mainland Africa and naturally grows in areas that are moist, for example in ground water forests or in villages at the edge of a river or stream.
However, the cultivation of Raphia Farinifera is mainly in Nigeria, Madagascar and India with the best quality coming from Madagascar.
These trees are quite big. The trunk can grow to around 10 meters in height and produce giant leaves (about 12 in the crown of the tree) that are roughly 20 meters long. Each giant leaf then has about 150 leaflets/blades on each side of the stem that are each around 1.5m long. So what is raffia made from? It’s these leaflets that are used to make raffia yarn.
The Benefits of Raphia Farinifera
Raffia palms provide great benefits to the local people and the environment. So supporting the cultivation of these trees by buying the yarn is super important. Some of the benefits are:
Creating jobs for local people.
Conserving the soil and preventing soil erosion by planting raffia palms along riverbanks where the soil is prone to movement from the water. The roots of the raffia palm tree help to keep the soil together.
These trees also create habitats for many plants and animals thus helping with biodiversity.
The Yarn - What is Raffia Made From?
So great! We know what raffia is made from; a tree. Also that this tree is beneficial but how does it become yarn? Before we go into the details, there’s just one thing that needs to be made clear. There are three different types of raffia yarn.
The Three Types of Raffia Yarn
Yup! That’s correct. Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as ‘raffia is made from a tree’. There are three different types. There is true raffia, paper raffia and synthetic raffia. They each have different qualities and are not all sustainable, as you may have guessed.
True Raffia Yarn
This is the most natural form of raffia and it’s not that easy to find. It is the least processed of all three raffia yarns. What is true raffia yarn made from? Literally, the leaflets of the Raphia Farinifera tree.
The fibre used to make raffia are taken from the 150 blades that are on each side of the stem. These blades are split vertically to retrieve the fibres. then dried out in the sun turning them from green to golden in colour.
Once they are dried, they then go through a grading system and separated into different qualities based on their length, width, colour and texture.
This whole process is done by hand and provides jobs and independence for local people.
Paper Raffia
Paper raffia is a cellulose / viscose fibre made from wood pulp. It is a man made yarn and thus requires more processing than true raffia. It is still a natural fibre but it is not necessarily made from the raffia palm tree.
Natural fibres are turned into pulp through either chemical or mechanical processes. The pulp is then bleached to make it a uniform colour ready to dyeing. Then it is formed into strips to resemble true raffia yarn in width and texture.
Synthetic Raffia
Synthetic raffia, unfortunately, is exactly that, synthetic. It is made from polypropylene. Polypropylene is the second most widely produced plastic made from petroleum. This type of raffia yarn is the furthest thing from sustainable. Thankfully, it is not that widely available.
How Can We Tell the Difference?
When we’re looking for raffia yarn to buy online or in the shops, how can we tell what the raffia is made from?
Once you know what you’re looking for, spotting which yarns are true raffia and which are not is easy. True raffia has shorter strands, roughly around 1.5 meters long, as this is the length of the actual leaflet. The strands usually have uneven widths and come in just a few colours. They are wrapped in bundles rather than on a spool because of the shorter lengths.
Being able to tell the difference between paper raffia and synthetic raffia is a little harder. The strands of yarn from paper and synthetic raffia are both longer than true raffia. They are created as a continuous length in order for it to be easier to wrap around a spool and be transported. The longer length also makes it more appealing to crafters as it’s a bit easier to use. They both come in a vast range of colours.
But how do we know if it’s synthetic or not? Paper raffia is the most popular type of raffia available. If you buy raffia from a local shop it is probably this one however, the best way to make sure is to check the labels. Paper raffia will usually say 100% paper, viscose, rayon or cellulose.
Synthetic raffia also has an extra feature that makes it stand out. Since it is made of plastic, it is usually very very shiny but always make sure to check the labels and check for certificates like FSC or Reach. Read more about which certificates to look out for in my blog post about sustainable yarns.
Where to Buy Sustainable Raffia Yarn?
I’ve searched for the best sustainable true raffia yarns and paper raffia yarns available to make it super easy for all of use. Make sure your bookmark this page or save it to your Pinterest board for reference later on.
True Raffia Yarns
One Fun Day (US)
Lots of Knots Canada (Canada)
Mekugi Natural Goods (Ireland)
Mr and Mrs Munro (Australia)
Paper Raffia Yarns
The best paper yarn I’ve found is Ra-Ra Raffia. At the time of writing this post, it is the only one I found that is certified by FSC and Reach. It is available from a few places listed below.
Ra-Ra Raffia by Wool & the Gang (US & UK warehouses, Worldwide shipping)
Ra-Ra Raffia on LoveCrafts (UK)
Ra-Ra Raffia from Camellia Yarns (Latvia)
Ready to start your next project? Check out some raffia yarn crochet patterns.
Sources
[1] - Palmpedia
[2] - Raffia Connection
[3] - Made in Mada
