There's A Lot of Gray in Being Green - Part One

What types of questions do you ask yourself when perusing the yarns at your LYS, big box or online store?


One of my goals for my crocheting business is to be ecofriendly, from start to finish.  After all, I decided to start this journey because I thought I could use my skills to make a difference selling reusable, locally created market bags at my weekly farmer's market to cut down on the use of plastic bags. 
 
Well, I'm finding that there are many gray areas along the way, as I ask myself more and more questions!

My First Question:  What is the yarn I'm using made from?
Fortunately, over the last few years, many larger yarn producers are jumping on the recycled and renewable source bandwagon.  I'm finding acrylic yarns made with up to 30% post-consumer recycled material and cottons made with up to 75% recycled cotton at my local big-box craft store, for example.  Organic cottons and yarns made with renewable fibers, such as bamboo, milk byproducts, and soy, are also becoming more generally available.  Unfortunately, organic yarns and yarns made from recycled and renewable materials tend to be notably more expensive than the more mass-produced yarns, and are stocked in relatively small quantities and limited colors.  I am able to find some local sources of wonderful alpaca and wool fiber in my area, however these are luxury yarns due to their cost, and none of them are organically grown or processed.  Of course, online sources increase the types of yarns and color variety available to us crocheters and knitters at multiple price points, but then I must consider...

Second Question:  How far must it travel to get to me?
How much jet fuel, gasoline, diesel fuel and electricity does it take to transport the yarn to my location?  I've made the decision, for the most part, to limit my purchases to yarns produced in the eastern United States and Canada.  Occasionally,  I will order yarn from further away in the U.S. or Canada if it has been repurposed or is made from a majority of recycled or ecofriendly materials.  This really limits me quite a lot, because an overwhelming majority of the yarn in any craft store has either been totally produced, or the raw material has been imported from, far distant lands (Turkey and Peru come to mind, but there are many others).

To be continued...

Crochet Aspirations is now The Crafty Nature Lady!

I have finally decided to make my blog consistent with my business name, and so have changed my blogspot URL to http://thecraftynaturelady.blogspot.com/!  With this comes a renewed determination to write here more often, with an eye to exchange crochet and jewelry-making stories, tips, techniques and progress on projects.  I hope you will check here often for new posts and updates!

What Will Sell My Market Bags?

I sold a total of one reusable, durable, handmade, cotton market bag this summer.  I thought they'd go like hotcakes at the local farmer's market.  No vendors use reusable bags and no one else offers them.  Go figure.  I supposed that people had gotten frustrated having spent money on reusable bags in the past, but continually forgetting them when they go shopping.  I do this myself fairly often, and I spend a good deal of time making them!  Plus, every other store carries those cheap ones at the checkout that only cost a couple of dollars.  In comparison, my bag is a downright luxury item.

Maybe better signage boasting their lead-free benefits?  I could offer some kind of incentive to customers who reuse my bags next summer at our local farmer's market.  Something like, use your bag next week and stop by for a 20% off coupon to my booth or online shop.  Another thought I've had is to wholesale my bags to vendors directly.  Or I could drop my price and not make any money on them in honor of the principle...
Any other suggestions, readers?  I'd love your thoughts!

Summer Into Fall

A couple of weeks ago, as we returned home from soccer game, I looked up and out to an amazingly colorful sunset over Lake Ontario, and noticed that the clouds had that autumn 'look.'  You know the one.  It's hard to describe, but I know it when I see it.  The purples in the clouds are a little darker, grayer, defined than earlier in the week.  And there was just that slight touch of 'nip' in the air.

Each time a new season begins to edge itself in, I swear that the new one is my favorite.  But, truly, fall holds a special place in my heart.  I think it's the richness of the forest scents that emerge, the deeper shades of summer colors, and definitely the crazy quilt colors of autumn trees in my area of the country.  Fall means putting those cozy sweaters and sweatshirts on when the sun goes down, campfires that are actually needed for some warmth, and a return to a familiar school/work routine.  The coming of fall means the savoring of every last vestige of summer, too.

What does fall mean for my crochet work?  Moving from small summer purses and totes to more serious bookbags, from skinny cotton scarves to fluffy cowls, from lightweight jewelry to mittens and fingerless gloves. Fall means deeper colors, thicker, warmer fibers, more intricate textures, and a wonderful new feeling of discovery as I turn to new ideas and materials.  I'm looking forward to making some projects with alpaca, for instance.  The yarn I purchased this summer hasn't quite begun to speak to me yet, but I can hear it starting to whisper as fall approaches.  And I love working with the huge range of hues available in soft acrylics, thicker organic cottons, and heavier, repurposed yarns.  Yes, the change of seasons is upon us, and it inspires, thrills, and entices!

My Most Cherished Handmade Possession

My most cherished handmade possessions have always been clothes that my mother sewed for me as a little girl.  Although I no longer have them at hand, I remember them fondly, and love looking at childhood pictures of myself and my siblings wearing Mom's hard work.  I remember her painstakingly bending on the floor upstairs, smoothing fabric, pinning the pattern pieces, cutting them all out, and finally sewing it all together.  Usually in the summer.  Usually on hot days.  Everything she made was perfectly styled for each of us - favorite colors, items, patterns, etc.  We got much harder to please as we became teenagers, so Mom stopped sewing clothing much for us.  But she had taught us how to sew for ourselves by then, and had prepared us well to satisfy our own trendy whims.

There was also an old quilt that I used on my bed that was made by my grandmother (I'm pretty sure).  It kept me so warm in winter!  As squares wore out one by one, we would use scraps from the clothes my mother had sewn for us as replacement squares.  So in one quilt, I had all this family history and love rolled up into one piece.  I'll have to look for that quilt next time I'm at my mother's house and maybe start a new round of appreciation with my boys!

Thanks to the CreateCrochet Team for this question of the week, and the trip down memory lane!

Etsy CreateCrochet Team Question of the Week: What Inspires You?

Thankful that the CreateCrochet Team at Etsy is helping me begin to blog more regularly, here goes! 
What Inspires Me?  Where do I find my muse?  Hmmm.

People I know are inspirational to me.  I find it easiest to create the most unique things when I know a person well, because I can incorporate their likes, dislikes and personality into the item.  I began crocheting again several years ago primarily to make gifts for friends and family.  I still have my clearest ideas when I know the person who will be receiving my handmade piece.

Otherwise, inspiration usually surprises me.  Shapes, colors, color combinations, textures, sounds and scents  - all these things are what draw my attention and form ideas in my head for crochet designs.  Being outdoors is almost guaranteed to lend me inspiration in some way.  I will see an interesting cloud shape, explore the various blues, grays and browns in a bed of pebbles, admire the texture of high grass waving in a field, revel in the scent of blooming garden phlox, or marvel at the aerodynamics of dragonflies, and then begin to think about how I might present those qualities in crochet form.

If stalled, I'll watch a home design show on television and/or go look at design magazines at the bookstore.  The colors and uses of materials will always get my mind humming again with new ideas.  Sometimes inspiration is found by having to meet a real need for warmth or comfort, or by the necessity of having something that performs a certain function.

And I find overwhelming amounts of inspiration by taking a look at other crocheters' work.  There is always something new to learn, or a different application for a common stitch, found in a team member's creation.  I think this is what is so wonderful about crocheting.  The art of crochet is so flexible that each crocheter can do something totally unique using the same stitches in their own way.  From a small washcloth, to a parabolic coral reef creation, the possibilities are endless.

Our Visit with Alpacas

Two weekends ago, my family went on an expedition to Home Again Farm in Theresa, NY (http://www.hafalpacas.com/HAFhome.htm) , to learn about alpacas.  The farm is owned and operated by Gail and Daryl Marsh.  Home Again Farm is a family-run farm, originally established in 1831 as a dairy farm.   After 30 years away in New Jersey, Gail and Daryl returned to the north country as the sixth generation to farm the land Gail grew up on.  They have been raising alpacas since 2005. The 50-acre farm is currently home to 20 alpacas and Red, the cat.  Gail and Daryl also have begun growing grapes for wine-making to supply local wineries.

I had called ahead to make sure our visit would work with their schedule, and they fit us right in on Sunday afternoon.  We received a 2-hour personal tour!  Gail and Darrel were very welcoming, and put us all immediately at ease.  It was apparent that they had given many tours for families, school groups and other audiences. 

Gail told us that we would first visit the "ladies" in a small corral next to the main barn, and that they would be most comfortable with us if we kept our arms and hands down, walked slowly and just sat down on the rock or bench provided.  We followed her instructions, and it wasn't long before we were nose-to-nose with these curious, expressive animals!  Bailey, the brown alpaca most comfortable with human company, laid down at our feet and let us stroke her amazingly deep, soft fleece.  We watched as Peaches, the head female, squealed a warning to the herd when a cat appeared across the road, and all 9-12 alpacas stood alert and focused.  Alpacas are most comfortable in a herd for protection, and we could see why.  Their most dangerous predator in our parts are not cats or coyotes, but domestic dogs.

We had a shorter visit with seven "fellas" in a separate pasture.  Only one decided to come to the fence and sniff us.  They were very spirited young men, too!  Daryl had sheared two of the boys recently, and it was amazing to see how much bulk the fur adds to their physiques.  One alpaca yielded 10 pounds of fiber!  Daryl demonstrated the operation of their shearing table in the barn, and showed us the variety of clippers needed to humanely remove the fur.  With summer coming early here, I'm sure the shearing would provide much relief for the animals.  By fall, their thick regrown coats will keep them warm outside in temperatures well below zero.

I also was able to spend quite a bit of  time browsing Gail's lovely shop.  I was most interested in the yarn from her animals, and she pulled out a healthy stock of yarns for me to peruse.  While I took to drooling and moaning as I petted the yarns, she told me which animals had contributed which fiber.  I chose three skeins - two a gorgeous warm brown, and one a dark chocolate and cream blend.   Each skein came with a tag telling all about the individual that grew that particular yarn.  Her shop was also filled with items from a Peruvian coop crafted with alpaca yarn, and I certainly plan to return for holiday gifts - oh the double-layer alpaca gloves and the slippers lined with luxurious alpaca fur!

Other interesting things I learned about alpacas:
Alpacas hum!
Fur color is not determined by genetics necessarily.
Alpacas' feet are not hooved - they have two toes with nails, and their feet are soft.
All individuals in the herd go pee and poop in one chosen spot, not all over the pasture - easy to clean up the mess!
Alpaca babies are usually born in the very early morning so that they can move with the herd later.  If not ready, the mother will leave the baby behind in favor of staying with the herd.