A Cleaner, Greener Me

The re-emergence of toilet paper onto our supermarket shelves has coincided with the first tulips flowering in my Aberdeenshire garden.  Whilst seemingly unrelated, a single tulip bulb in 17th century Netherlands was once worth more than an unskilled worker earned in a year.  Eight rolls of Andrex recently accrued bids on Ebay in excess of £65,000 before the listing was taken down for profiteering!  One of these is greener and the other is about being cleaner but that's not what I'm on about today.

While we are living through the global corona virus pandemic, and currently experiencing lock-down, we're all being urged to shop as infrequently as possible, and then only for the basics.  Loo roll is a basic - a single use item that most of us can't imagine living without.  However, it was viewing Sir David Attenborough's Blue Planet II series, first aired by the BBC in 2017, which made many of us really think seriously about our impact on the world's oceans and resolve to reduce the amount of plastic we use.  Perhaps even stop consuming single use items altogether.

With that in mind, I'm reviewing my own changes in shopping behaviour since Blue Planet pricked my green conscience. This is my personal quest to reduce land-fill in some small way, not by telling you what you should do, but rather to show you alternative products and how I've adapted to using them.  Let's start with make-up.  Or rather, its removal.

I like make-up.  Even home alone at this time, when I'm not seeing anyone other than the dog, I'm still applying a little slap, perhaps because without it my natural Scots pallor makes me look ill!  Each night I ritualistically remove it.  Where previously I had used two cotton wool pads and plastic bottles of eye-make-up remover, cleanser and toner, I now use only warm water and one of these fleecy wee pads from Danielle Creations.  Purchased two years ago at a nearby gift shop, they are still going strong as you can see from the photo on the right taken yesterday.  I've also got a turquoise facecloth from the rather disconcertingly named Erase Your Face range for my morning facial ablutions, this time purchased at a local chemist.

Learning of my desire for less plastic in the bathroom, my daughter Eilidh bought me a Ditsy Cloth.  Like the Erase Your Face range, the Ditsy Cloth is machine washable and has also survived over two years of regular use.

I was delighted to find more re-usable make-up remover pads at a recently opened plastic-free shop near my home.  Bare is a zero waste store based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire which offers a wide range of refillable whole foods, household goods and ethically sourced products.  Right up my street!  On my first visit I was able to buy basmati rice cheaper than the supermarket, delicious peanut butter churned  directly from their fun vending machine as well as these pads to augment the four I rotate regularly.

At the same time as I ditched the cotton wool pads, I chose to swap plastic bottles of shower gel for a good old bar of soap.   Whilst at Bare, I also purchased a loofah.  Younger me would have run a mile rather than use this scratchy beast but now I rather like the prickly cleansing sensation it creates, whilst of course being vigilant to let it dry out between uses so no nasties build up!

Avoiding excess moisture when not in use is also key to longevity for shampoo bars, another favourite must-have in my plastic-free cleansing armoury.  I started again about two years ago at high street chain Lush where the helpful assistant recommended lovely pink Jason and the Argan Oil.  Smells gorgeous!

I've since purchased Seanik and Soak and Float, both following discussion with knowledgeable assistants about suitability for my sensitive scalp and fine hair.  The bars are dearer than a bottle of shampoo but they last for ages, especially if treated right.  Never let them sit soggily in a shower puddle!  I also bought a cute tin from Lush which is great for storage and transporting shampoo bars on holiday where, incidentally, they don't need to be declared with other liquid toiletries.  A win for your carry-on suitcase!  I also cut mine in half as recommended.  You don't need to use the whole bar at one time and this extends its life too.  My Lush shampoo bars last for months and months.

I have short hair so, naturally, don't use as much product as someone blessed with long, flowing tresses.  However, I do wash my hair every day so give my shampoo bars a run for their money.  Whilst it may not be deemed desirable to wash one's hair so often, the result of not doing so leaves me looking, first thing in the morning, like the unhappy love child of The Joker and Grandpa from The Munsters - so everyday hair-washing it is!

My daughter Maddy gave me these delicious bars of shampoo and conditioner from Ethnique.  Again, I cut the shampoo bar in half and I've been using the section pictured in the dish for over six months now.  I don't usually care for fruity scents but that Heali Kiwi is lovely!

As solid shampoo becomes more popular, it also becomes more readily available.  Aberdeen maker Surya Luna supplies natural skin and hair care products to independent shops as well as attending local craft markets.  I bought  a top-to-toe bar from Geek Bothy in Kemnay, along with a cute soap dish to help keep it dry between uses.  I loved the fragrance of the Bliss scented bar and the convenience of using one product for both my hair and body.

So - I've dispensed with products in plastic bottles for the shower and in my facial cleansing routine.  The cotton pads are gone and my soap dishes are enjoying a renaissance.  The latest realm of reusable products I'm trying is feminine hygiene and I recently sent away to Eco Dreams for these pantie liners.  I've had them for over a month now and feel happy that another single use regular from my shopping basket is a thing of the past.  Goodbye disposable liners!  Eco Dreams kindly included a couple of cute re-usable facial pads with my order and I love them too.

It wouldn't be a blog post from me without a hand made item, so here's some re-usable pads I've made myself from this free pattern by one of may favourite crochet designers, Helda Panagary.  Such a handy pick-up-and-go project too using only small amounts of cotton yarn.

For all of us, daily TV and radio bulletins bring news of worldwide illness and huge loss from this terrible virus.  Like many people it has made me anxious and unsettled but I'm fortunate that crafts I enjoy like knitting and crochet soothe my restless soul.  The knowledge that I've switched to certain re-usable everyday products helps me too as I know I won't run out and cause myself extra stress whilst shopping.  I hope I've inspired you to try some out as well.

And the fact that there's now toilet roll back on the shelves?  Well, that's one less stress for all of us!

Happy Bunny Project

Time spent alone without a craft project is my idea of a total nightmare.  Since the Coronavirus pandemic took hold, many folks (who don't routinely have an emergency crochet project in the glove compartment) find themselves facing weeks of isolation and unexpected free time.

Being alone with little to do is not going to make anyone a happy bunny.

I'd recently knitted this little rabbit so the pupils at my school Knitting Club could see how easy it is to make.  It's like crafting magic because this wee fellow is created from a simple garter stitch square.  There's plenty of instructions online but this one by Studio Knit is really clear.  An ideal project for beginner knitters.

I'd just watched this sobering video in which Italians share messages warning others of the impact of Coronavirus.  It emphasises the seriousness of our situation and the importance of having stuff to do when faced with isolation.  I smiled too, though, at the guy advocating new hobbies.  "Play guitar" he says, "Actually... learn how to play guitar.  Cause right now you suck at it."  

And I thought - what if I could enable someone, who's home alone with time on their hands, to learn to knit?

And that's how the Happy Bunny Project came about!

Amid a shortage of some groceries and a dearth of toilet roll, it's a bit of a standing joke just now amongst crafters on social media that those who knit, crochet, sew or indulge in any textile craft are never going to run out of supplies.  As a magnet for rejected knitter's paraphernalia, see this earlier blog post about a bag of unwanted yarn. I readily put my hands on wool and needles.

I also located my huge bag of toy filling, needles for sewing up and some wool in other colours to embroider bunny's face.  The local bank is generous with its change bags so I filled unused ones with enough stuffing for at least one bunny.

I found a few big-eyed needles in the craft room but procured some more from Poundland (along with a treat or two to include as well).

Those unused paper lunch sacks from last year's church outreach initiative proved perfect for keeping everything together.  Finally, I compiled an instruction sheet with links to online resources and popped one in each bag.  I'd enlisted the help of  my daughter, Eilidh, to create the bunny illustration (which I love) and printed it onto stickers for the outside of the lunch sacks.

I was able to make ten kits.  With school closure imminent, I took them into work yesterday and left them with this note for staff and pupils to uplift.

There's a hashtag to use for anyone wishing to share finished projects #happybunnyproject and I'll be delighted if bunnies start appearing over the coming weeks.

If you'd like to make a kit to share with anyone currently isolated, I'm happy to send you the graphic and my instruction sheet for you to personalise.  Reach out to me neveratalooseend@gmail.com or through Instagram @neveratalooseend

Note : I am currently in good health and washed my hands lots while I was making these kits!

#happybunnyproject

All wrapped up

I made my own beeswax wraps this week.

It was such a simple process, I don't know why I didn't make some as soon as I bought this kit from Mimi Hamill last May.

Maybe it was the glorious half metre plus of fabric included in the kit.  Created by Mimi, an Aberdeen based surface pattern designer whose scarves are fabulously colourful, I knew I needed to make something else to show off this joyous material.  But first, the wraps -

I've been using beeswax wraps for over a year now in an effort to reduce my reliance on single use clingfilm.  I've bought some (and been gifted them too - thanks Steph) from Good To Bee and Joanne de Pace so I just cut some squares of the fabric into the sizes I find most handy using my pinking shears.

Then there's some not too arduous grating, baking and wafting.  Mimi's comprehensive instruction sheet is laugh-out-loud funny!  And I'm done.  It's a wrap.  Or several.

Meanwhile, back at the craft shop, these balls of Rico Ricorumi fell into my shopping bag in the way that sweeties placed near the counter are designed to entice children and hopeless chocoholics like me.  A classic impulse purchase!  These wee balls of cotton yarn make me so happy, just to look at them together.  When I got home I realised they reminded me of Mimi's fabric and, if I just went back for another couple of colours, I'd be able to make myself something lovely.

Putting the skills I learned at Fiona Meade's mosaic crochet workshop at  Baa wool shop in Stonehaven last spring, I decided to crochet another purse from this pattern by Icelandic mosaic crochet queen Tinna Þórudóttir Þorvaldar.

This clever design starts with some chain stitch around the zip.  The back side of my chain stitch is not a thing of beauty so lining the bag would be the ideal way to hide my embroidery embarrassment and use my beautiful Mimi fabric.

Two easy side seams on the machine and some gentle hand sewing later, ta-dah, I have a new lined crochet purse.

So, not only are my half-lemons and onions and itty bitties of cheese stored thoughtfully in the fridge now in their beautiful beeswax wrappers, my make-up has a new portable purse with a lovely lining. 

All wrapped up.

Mum's Birthday Blanket

When Mum moved from SW Scotland to Aberdeenshire to live near me four years ago, I made her this shawl as a moving in gift. It's the Half Hansel Hap by Gudrun Johnston, knitted in light, but snuggly, alpaca.

Looks like Mum and I are in a contest to see who's wearing most of my knitting! She's winning with both a neck warmer and cardy made by me, as well as the hap.  I'm merely sporting one of my favourite shawls.  After Mum broke her hip in March, I came in one spring day to find her with the shawl over her knees for extra warmth - but a triangle, which is perfect around your shoulders, is a poor shape to wrap your legs in!  The seed for a lap blanket was sown - and I'd complete it in time for her Boxing Day birthday. 

I'd recently attended a mosaic crochet class taught by lovely, patient Fiona Meade at  Baa wool shop in Stonehaven and made this pencil case.  I even sewed in a lining (gasp!)

Pattern is Mosaic Purse by Tinna Thorudottir Thorvaldsdottir

So I was hopeful that the pattern for the Stained Glass Lantern by Tatsiana Kupryianchyk wasn't beyond my capabilities.  First I'd a practise with scrap yarn to master the stitches with help from the  pattern's clear photos.  I discovered that black was too dominant an edging for me, preferring to outline the colours with Stormy Grey from West Yorkshire Spinners instead.

The crocheted square really does resemble a stained glass window!  Stained glass also gave me inspiration for my colour choices.  I'd remembered taking a photo of this lovely panel at Blairs College Museum on a visit with Mum in 2018.

And I see this beautiful window at Meldrum Church each Sunday sitting beside Mum.  

Vivid emerald greens, rich royal blues, purplish pinks and vibrant lime and gold outlined in a dark neutral were in my mind.  Now to source those colours.

I had some treasured single skeins of double knit merino purchased at various yarn shows and pop-up events.  This golden lime from Nic of  Cheshire based Yarns From The Plain is right up my street as you can probably tell by my outfit!  So are the greens from Claire at Cookston Crafts and Naomi of Knit Me Sane, both skilled Scottish hand dyers whose yarns I know and love.

Previous blog posts feature my friend Helen of Ripples Crafts.  I'd leftover yarn of Helen's from a wine coloured cardigan I made in 2016 and the blue Channa sweater I made last spring, probably my favourite knitted jumper.

The pink lace is also yarn dyed by Helen which I made into this cowl, together with some luscious variegated Hedgehog Fibres I bought at Knit With Attitude on a trip to London a while back.  But the cowl wasn't really me, I never wore it so I ripped it out and freed up two more beautiful skeins to use in Mum's blanket.

Armed with the seven colours I needed for the different rounds, I started to crochet in July last year.  Recognising my crafting strengths (and weaknesses!) was going to be key to the squares becoming a finished blanket by Mum's birthday or an ignored pile of reproachful pieces.  I admire crocheters and knitters who complete gargantuan afghans where the pattern states after square one 'now complete 127 more' or suchlike.  I know this isn't me.  I'd make a few and lose interest at the distance I'd feel away from the finished blanket, no matter how much I loved it in the first place.  I needed to set myself an achievable goal - and that was to make two squares every month.  

So I stuck with my plan and crocheted two squares each month in July, August and September.  I even managed three the following month.  I varied the order in which I used the colours making each square different from its neighbour.  This progress shot, featuring my matchy-matchy slippers, is from the end of October by which time I'd just three squares to go, feeling a 3 x 4 blanket would be large enough to cover Mum's knees without being too heavy.

To maintain my crochet motivation, I also joined a CAL.  What?  A CAL.  Short for Crochet A-Long.  The wider world of crochet, and making of all kinds, accessible through social media, is largely a welcoming, sharing space.  Marta, of the Martushka Knits Podcast, established a make-a-long for crocheted blankets last April.  In her words 'Crocheting a blanket can be a long, lonely journey but it doesn’t need to be' so she established Crochet From Your Heart online through Instagram and Ravelry (a web based community for those of us who enjoy fibre crafts).  I enjoyed sharing my progress and seeing everyone else's blankets, cheering others on and being cheered on myself.  I was even lucky enough to win this prize in a 'Crochet From Your Heart 'giveaway!

By mid December, all the squares were complete and I was crocheting them together and finishing off the border.  I added a few more rounds than the pattern stated as I liked the effect the edge stitch created, especially in the multicoloured Hedgehog Fibres Dragonfly yarn.

And it was all wrapped and ready, in good time for Boxing Day.

Makes me so happy to see the blanket in use, along with the shawl, keeping Mum cosy, wrapped up in my hand made presents.

It's Better To Give...

The saying goes that you're more blessed by giving than receiving, so I was left feeling very content this festive season.  It's really rewarding to be able to make gifts for those you care about and witness their reaction when the wrapping is removed.

Here's a round-up of the presents I made in 2019 and gifted around Christmas time.

There's two lovely Carol's in my life who are both knit-worthy (meaning I know they appreciate the time it takes to knit stuff) and both have birthdays just before Christmas.  December birthdays are frequently overlooked so I decided earlier in the year to make them both a shawl.  I knitted Carol F's shawl from a great pattern called Therapy by designer Laura Aylor in three different merino yarns.  'Summer Skies' is the light blue from Ripples Crafts, the salmon pink was dyed by The Border Tart and the variegated colourway which ties these two together is the minty/blue/pink/dark-speckled combo 'Curiouser' by Twisted Fintch.

I already blogged about Carol B's hand knit shawl here and was pleased when she sent me a photo of herself swathed cosily in it.

When Mum broke a wee bone china mug she was fond of, I collected the bits and determined to make something else with it for her.  Over the summer, Ann at Blue Sky Mosaics ran regular Tuesday sessions which I dipped into.  Ann's partner, Will, has DIY super-powers and was able to cut the mug cleanly in half so I could mount it onto slate and use the forget-me-not design pieces for decoration.  To be honest, it looked a bit plain on its own so I delved into Ann's trove of broken china and availed myself of lots of pretty floral treasure.  I love the way the china fragments are exploding out of the mug!

 

Grouted to be suitable for outdoor use, the broken mug is now a planter which can be wall mounted so Mum can enjoy it hanging in her tiny garden in sheltered housing.

Edible presents also featured heavily in my gift repertoire this season.

I've been making a Christmas cake for my Father-in-law for many years.  The one pictured with him in 2016 is Katy Stewart's recipe for Golden Christmas Cake from the battered copy of The Times Cookery Book I've owned since the 1980's but we now all favour Delia Smith's Creole Christmas Cake which is this year's holly sprigged offering.

Our garden produced a bumper crop of blackcurrants this summer and, after making the berries into all our favourites - jam, puree for fool and Fantasy Cake - I made cassis, a liqueur that tastes rather like an alcoholic Ribena!  I gave a bottle to my neighbour, Donna, who sent me this picture of the Kir Royale she and her husband were enjoying at their child-free hotel getaway on Hogmanay.

I included a needle felted robin brooch I'd made in the package I sent to Susan in Oregon as part of a Christmas decoration swap organised by Louise of the Caithness Craft Collective Podcast.  I love putting together a parcel for someone I've been matched with, hoping they'll enjoy opening it as much as I've enjoyed assembling the contents.  I chose to send a small wooden tree hanging made locally by Gabrielle Reith of Small Stories Scotland - it looks like the boy is wearing woolly mittens!  There's also a selection of Scottish sweeties as well as a lip balm produced here in Aberdeenshire.

Each year I take a tin of home baked shortbread to the aforementioned Carol F's Christmas Eve party - and each year she gives me back last year's empty tin to refill!  My contribution is a very small part of the delicious spread Carol herself produces and the occasion has come to mark a happy start to our family's festive celebrations.

Finally, for gifts I made this year, I crocheted something for my Mum's Boxing Day birthday... 

...but that requires a blog post all of its own so keep a look out!