The month of May is coming to a close, but green will continue to be a way of life around my house.  In recent years, we have made conscious decisions to live as lightly as possible on this earth… but of course, there is always room for improvement, and I am striving to live a greener and more sustainable life.

Such crafting groups as the Summer of Stash, the Stashalong, Use What You Have, and various others may not be an overtly green group, but their mission and theme falls into the category.  Sustain your hobby and passions with the things you already own!  Creativity does not hinge upon new supplies and items!  In my opinion, the most creative projects are ones that are repurposed from an older discarded item! 

Thankfully, there are also some other great resources out there to help live greener in all facets of life.  I came across the online magazine/blog Treehugger a few months ago, and I am completely addicted!  Their writing/blogging staff covers so many issues from renewable energy to fashion; food to interior design, and there is always something new to learn in this forum.  Their approach is also very welcomed: not doomsday or militant – simply stating the facts and alternatives, and what you can do to make a difference, no matter where you are in the world.  Very similar to TH, is Grist, another online magazine. Their stories and posts are often more of a political-bent and they also have some satirical humor. 

Many thanks to Nonnahs for her post on green living last week – in it, I found out about a new source.  The Ideal Bite is a website with a blog, and a newsletter with simple tips (that can be emailed to you everyday!) on how to live a more sustainable and responsible life. Today’s tip is very timely – perfect for summer!

What’s in your picnic basket?

The Bite
The sun shines, flowers bloom, and Biters everywhere start to wander outside, picnic baskets in hand. Unfortunately, disposable plastic sporks and their ilk are crowding landfills faster than you can say “splendor in the grass.” So, here are some tips to minimize picnic-related garbage.

The Benefits

Cut down on trash while saving cash by avoiding prepackaged foods and switching to reusable utensils.

Reusable cloth tablecloths last longer than plastic or paper ones, and score some serious style points.

We have it on good authority that worms enjoy picnics as much as the rest of us – your picnic leftovers make great compost, so pack out what you bring in.

We bring these issues “home” with each purchase we make, each mile we drive in the car, and each activity I do throughout the day. Do you have some tips on how you live green?  I would love to hear them!

My green kitchen – in more ways than one.

Making conscious decisions is key.  Think about the future!

Waking up without an alarm.  Cooking and eating a yummy breakfast with your loved one.  Getting your day started with a yoga class, and some laps in the swimming pool.  Going to the farmer's market.  Curling up on the couch with your knitting.  Sitting in the sun.  Talking to your neighbors at the community cookout.  Organizing the craft room.  Gardening.  Buying a new bicycle and taking it out for a spin.  Dinner with the family.

Such a beautiful weekend… and we still have an afternoon to go! 

Lilies – about to bloom!  I look forward to this every year!

Click on picture for the description of what is planted in each pot.

Turned the heel on my second anklet – is there any way I can finish this anklet in the green month of May? (Mind you, I have big feet!)

Arranged my knitting needles – including the circular ones.

My new bike!  The perfect purchase to enjoy the beautiful day.  Kris and I went on a 14-mile ride around Columbia and Savage. 

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A cool thing I just have to share:  I got an email from my friend, KnittingNurse, who shared information about Make the Connection, a cancer awareness and prevention group.  Right now, they are offering free bead bracelet/anklet kits on their website.  For every kit that is mailed out, $1 will be donated to cervical cancer research.  Go order your kit now – we can all have matching bracelets!

I hope you have a wonderful week – only a few green days left, and then it is all about blue, baby!

Making a positive change – decluttering my life - cleaning my craft room.  These factors lead me to accept that it is really time I do something about my addiction.  Of course, this comes two weeks after I came home with a lot of skeins from the Sheep and Wool festival… but the point, my friends, is that it is time for me to focus on “busting the stash”. 

Luckily, some others felt the need for it too, and started at Summer of Stash group.  The yarn shopping stops this Monday (Memorial Day) and continues through the first weekend in September (Labor Day).  Honestly, I think I will be able to handle it just fine - I have so many projects planned with this yarn…

Shelf one – the IKEA cube bookshelf.  Sixteen cubbies filled with yarn.  And the bags on the floor?  Those are more yarns that will not even fit on the shelf.  So, priority one is clearing some more room on the shelves to get that yarn out of the bags.  See that polka-dot box on top of this shelf?  That is where my sock yarn lives…

I started knitting socks less than a year ago, and now I have all of this!  Trekking, Lorna’s Laces, GGH, Tess Designer Yarns, Regia, Schachenmayr, KnitPicks, Rowan, Reynolds, and of course all of the lovely artisan handpainted and handdyed yarns… see why the Summer of Socks can go hand-in-hand with the Summer of Stash? 

But wait, there is more…

Okay, that is it (except for a few random skeins in knitting bags)… so, it is pretty clear that it is time to do some work, right?  I have so many projects planned – beautiful garments, socks, accessories, and home decorations – there is really no need for me to visit an yarn shop for several years.  However, yarn shopping does warm a special place in this knitter’s heart, so I will adhere to the restrictions of this new group. Thankfully, needles, notions, and patterns are allowed (however, I have a large collection of those as well…).

The guidelines will fit in nicely with my remaining Project Spectrum crafts: I have some great things in mind for June, July, and August.  Just to give you (and me) a picture of how much yarn this actually is, I did a little math.  I was inspired by Angela, who has been keeping a running monthly tally on her blog of the yardage used, and number of skeins “busted”.  So my official numbers (although approximated for the missing tags, leftover skeins, etc).

Total yardage in stash (as of 05.27.06):  76954 yards
Total miles of yarn in stash : 43.72 miles of yarn

And, more speficially for the Summer of Socks knitalong (sock yarn is included in the above total):

Total *sock* yarn yardage in stash:  11077 yards
Total miles of sock yarn in stash: 6.29 miles of yarn

I will keep this tally running, and update it with each finished object, and pair of socks. If you are interested in joining me as I work through my stash, sign up for the Stashalong, or for the Summer of Stash group – you can pull out your calculator, and make the length conversions too… it is amazing how quickly this yarn accumulates.  I can only hope to bust it quickly too!  There may only be one exception (which is allowed, according to the rules on the site), and that is a trip to the shore next month.  I am quite fond of one of the yarn shops in Delaware… and I always like a special souvenir yarn…

 Now, I am off to go finish something  

My first pair of socks were knit in Trekking XXL, colorway 101.  For the record, I did not fall in love with knitting socks right away.  The small yarn and needle gauge and my lack of experience with double pointed needles were probably the reason for this… it took a little time to grow on me.  Yet, by the time I completed my second pair of socks, the mismatched Opal socks, I quickly became obsessed. 

I am still a new sock knitter; I often opt for a simple ribbed or stockinette pattern because I know I can handle it.  Just recently, I began to look into new heel and toe patterns for my socks.  My first short row heel, my first German heel, and now, my first French (three-point) Toe, and a (different) German heel. 

I love this heel, every stitch of it!  Even down to the little purl column!  So, sock one is complete, and now I get to do it all over again with sock two.  The anklets are very nice to work on, and the yarn has created a sturdy fabric with the size 1 needles. 

When the green anklets are finished, I am going to cast on for a new pair of Trekking socks – just in time for the Trek With Me knitalong, and the Summer of Socks. 

These are the #107 and #108 colorways.  The prominent color in the #108 is blue, perfect for June’s Project Spectrum! Trekking is my favorite sock yarn – I love the variegations, and the element of surprise in the striping.  It is nearly impossible to match the stripes in this yarn, but that is really the beauty of it, in my opinion.

School is on break, for a few another week and a half.  Everything was set for me to finish my Library Science masters degree this August, until there was a last-minute schedule change by my university.  The only class I needed to graduate was moved to a (very) far away location – nearly a two hour drive from my house – on a weeknight (with work the next morning!).  The administration was not willing to budge, so I had to change my schedule. I will now complete my Library Science degree in December, and hopefully complete my History masters next December (2007).  I am feeling very “disenchanted” with this whole graduate school process, and this change is not helping the situation.  I need to reinvigorate the interest and passion that I once had for this field of study… I need to do it in order to get through this next year and a half of books, papers, and comprehensive examinations… 

However, there is a silver lining in all of this:  I am only taking one course this summer, and that means more crafting time!  I got an early start this week with thrift shopping for some supplies, and even got some inspiration for future repurposing projects.  Yesterday, my sister and her friend, Jami, came along for the fun!

I have been visiting the thrift store quite a bit lately, mainly to find cheap “in-between” clothes as I continue to lose weight.  Luckily, I found 5 pair of pants, and also some tops, books, jewelry, and some craft projects.  Among them:

My new necklace:  pink and gaudy.  I love it!

Two pillowcases for $0.49.  I think these can easily be repurposed into a tote bag, or even a tank top (if I can figure that out!) 

Thank you for reading!  I am hoping to get some good quality knitting time in over the next few days, pressing towards one more May finished knit… we’ll see what happens! 

…Now I am off to go check out the discussion on the LOST season finale (but only for a little while!) … what a show last night!    We’ll see if he answers my questions. [update:] He didn’t answer my questions! 

Many thanks for your kind words of support and encouragement about Project Spectrum, and the postcard swap.  The signup for the JUNE postcard swap is open through June 10th, so you have plenty of time to plan your card before getting your pal’s name.  You can still sign up with this form!

I am taking a deep breath after my busy weekend.  We had a great time enjoying the sunny days here in Maryland.  On Saturday, we took the dogs over to the lake for a walk/jog, and then headed to Wine in the Woods for the afternoon.  This was the fourth year that Kris and I attended the festival (we started going right after we turned 21), which highlights Maryland wineries and also hosts local artisans/vendors.  We met up with some friends there too!

Coleen enjoying the fresh Sangria, and Laura and Andrew deciding what to taste next.

We had a great time tasting many different wines, and came home with several bottles for future consumption.  It was a lovely way to spend the afternoon.  In the evening, my youngest sister, Sarah, came over to spend the night.  She and our cousin just returned from a 10-day trip visiting our middle sister, Mimi, in Hawaii.  Sarah brought back some jewelry for me, from a favorite boutique I discovered when I was in Oahu last fall (Global Village in Kailua, for my Aloha Knitter friends.)  She also brought back this for me…  fresh from the Honolulu Swap Meet. 

Everyone needs a little kitsch in their kitchen!

We celebrated some great news this weekend as well :  My brother-in-law, Daniel, has returned safely from active duty in Afghanistan!  He and Mimi are planning to take a cruise of the other Hawaiian islands for their first wedding anniversary. (Yes, it has already been a year since their beautiful wedding!)  I am so happy for them!  They have some busy times ahead:  in August, they will be moving to North Carolina.  It will be great to have them so much closer (although I was looking forward to another Hawaiian get-away!)

Sarah and I stayed up late on Saturday, catching up, and watching silly TV shows.  We had such a good time.  It never ceases to amaze me that I have known her all of her life, and I learn so much about her every time we talk.  I think it is a beautiful thing to see both of my sisters as adults, and as friends.  We always have such wonderful times together!

On Sunday, I headed over to Heather’s house for awhile, and we also had a very nice time catching up, and knitting on our projects.  She is working on a lovely red cardigan with Oasis Soy Silk.  After feeling the knit fabric, I see this yarn in my future.  It is so soft, and has a wonderful texture against the skin.  It will make a lovely addition to your wardrobe, H!  Unfortunately, we were so busy laughing it up and feeling each other’s knits, that we did not take any pictures.  I worked on my green anklet there, and actually ended up ripping a lot of it out – I started my toe decreases too early, and it  turned out to be an inch too small for my foot.  So, I am reknitting it now. 

I also started a new project.  I saw Gleek’s lovely summer shawl, and I thought I needed one too.  This pattern is from the Knitting to Go deck by Kris Percival, and really caught my eye.  It is so simple, yet so elegant.  I am using some stash yarn: a wonderful sage-colored acrylic, TLC Lustre, and it is working up very nicely.  This yarn was in the clearance bin last fall – I think it was being discontinued – and I got 3 skeins for $1.50.  The yarn was so soft, and seemed to be one of the “nicer” acrylics.  So far so good.  The yarn has a nice drape, perfect for a shawl.  I hope to steam it, and stretch it enough to show the eyelets when I am done. 

May is fading so quickly, and I still have so many green projects still on the needles!  I guess it does not help when I get these bouts of startitis… I hope to have one more finished knit before the end of the month.

Best wishes to you, and have a great week!