I have to chime in here and say that I agree that there are some perfectly acceptable manmade fibers.
For cold-weather camping, I wouldn't give up my polar fleece under ANY circumstances. I do also wear wool, of course, but I don't think that wool sweatpants would quite serve the purpose that my fleece sweats do! ;-) Nor do I think that I could find a natural-fiber alternative for my nylon windbreaker; yes, wool can be wind resistant, but only if it's knitted/woven VERY tightly, and there are times when I want the wind resistance and NOT that much additional warmth. In terms of knitting, spinning, or weaving - well, again, I'm in agreement with Robin/Binnielula (sorry, but you signed yourself with the latter, but your name comes through as Robin on the message header!): there are times I want to add a little glitter, for a fancy shawl or something, and there are times when I really LIKE microfiber or tencel. I've spun microfiber, and it's a lot like spinning silk, IMHO. Meanwhile, haven't there been some happy discussions about spinning and knitting with soy silk? Yes, soy is a natural product, but I don't much think that soy silk occurs without a little human intervention! (In fact, they take the residue from making tofu, liquefy it, and then extrude it to make the fiber... rough explanation based on a quick Google search, but there you are; sounds pretty manmade to me.) So I would agree: let's not get too carried away with the idea that only natural fibers need apply. There's plenty of room for lots of variation, and that, after all, is what makes us all unique! Grace www.svahaconcepts.com To stop mail temporarily mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: set nomail To restore send: set mail
