T-bag

You should know by now that I'm all for recycling and reusing stuff. I try to buy less, cut down on my household waste and give unwanted objects new life. Plus the things you can craft can be really funky! Like that amazing shopping bag made out of and old T-shirt. All you need is a pair of scissors and a simple tutorial from Lee Meredith @ leethal.net.

Happy snapping!

 

Worton

Last weekend I visited Worton Organic Garden in rural Oxfordshire. It's a small farm, run by couple of people who feel very strongly about the ethics of the food production process. They grow fruits, vegetables and keep some chickens. All their produce is free from artificial fertilizers and pesticides, and most of it is hand picked. The owner is a very knowledgeable and inspiring man, believing that you can live hand in hand with nature rather than just exploit it. It was a heartening experience that makes you think of how sustainable farming could be as opposed to how greedy and industrial most of it really is nowadays.
Here's where you can find your nearest farmers' market so you can buy better quality food and support those who are really passionate about producing it.

Wake Up, Freak Out - then Get a Grip

I love that video. It was produced couple of years ago but I came across it just yesterday. In a simple and non-patronizing manner it explains the physics and dangers of climate change. And the animation is good.

World Environment Day 2011

It looks like everything and everyone have their day on which we suppose to celebrate their greatness/bravery/achievements. And whereas some of them seem less exciting, like World Cabbage Day (17th of February, apparently) and some of them are just plain silly - National Watermelon Seeds Spitting Day (3rd of August), there is quite a few important ones. One of them - UN World Environment Day- we celebrate today.

This year the focus is on forests, their importance in fighting climate change and on continuous global deforestation. The least you can do is to think of how you cut down your paper usage even further. Simple changes can have great impact, like using dishcloth rather than disposable paper towels.

Knitting the knots, knotting the knits

I got another beautiful gift. My mum-in-law gave me a knitted blouse, made of 100% unbleached linen, with wooden buttons. It's simply gorgeous.

New piece of garment made me think again of sustainable fibre, something I have already briefly mentioned here. I researched the topic, learned few things, disagreed with few opinions and decided what my top 3 'green fibres' are:

• Linen/Hemp: those two are quite similar when it comes to cultivation and harvesting, with linen being a bit softer, both amazingly versatile
• Cotton: if organically grown and dyed with biodegradable dyes
• Wool: but only when sourced from local farmers to ensure that animals are treated fairly, and spun locally without the use of harsh chemicals

Biggest disappointment - Bamboo! Even though regarded the most sustainable plant on the planet (it grows unbelievably fast and the same plant can be harvested again and again), that peculiar grass needs lots of chemicals in order to be transformed into yarn, and therefore loses its sustainable edge.

For those who want to learn more about sustainable yarn I recommend Greencraft and Alternative Yarn groups on the Ravelry website.