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Just For Fun is my way of sharing all the little things I like to do... from crafty things to thoughtful things!

Monday, April 16, 2012

Earth Day... from a distance

From a distance, the world looks blue and green... as the song goes.

April 22 is Earth Day... a day to think about and learn about how the way we live affects earth.  If you haven't really thought about it, spend a moment calculating your carbon footprint.  It's a generalization of course, but it does give us ideas on what we can do to lessen our impact.

For example, while Steve and I do great on energy, recycling and transportation, not so much with food.  While there is a seasonal local farmers market for some items, there aren't many local resources for us.  That means we need a supermarket and all the things that entails (like trucks to haul the food to our neighborhood).

Reusable shopping bags are one small way we can make a change.  In honor of Earth Day, I've crafted some totes I will give away by random drawing to anyone who leaves a comment here or on my facebook link. 
This tote is made of 100% wool that has been crocheted and felted into a solid fabric. 

It's 12 inches high/20 inches wide.  The yarn is called "forest" with varied greens and browns.


 

The set is made from 100% acrylic yarn. Using one green strand and one blue strand creates a random pattern but is still similar to a globe.  They are fluffy and fuzzy, but very strong.

It includes a large tote, 12 inches high/20 inches wide, a medium tote 8x14 inches, and a small pocket purse 5x6 inches with a button that says "go green".

So... give it a thought this week. See if there's something you can change for Mother Earth, every little bit counts.



4/22/12 - Happy Earth Day everyone... and the winner is.... DANA!  Congratulations!

11 comments:

  1. Oh these are gorgeous Jen! While we always have our reusable bags with us, we don't always remember to take them into the store *sheepish grins* We do however recycle our plastic bags.

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  2. It took me a while to get in the habit!

    I finally had to admit I needed enough to always have some in the car even when I leave a handful in the kitchen from last time. lol

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  3. I've been meaning to leave a comment to say thanks for your crochet video tutorials - those have been helpful to me as I re-visit crochet. Sometimes you say just one little thing in the video that 'clicks' for me - I can't remember specific examples at the moment, but there have been a few little aha! moments. So thanks :)

    I love your bags, and love the idea of making some for Earth Day. We have started buying more at our food co-op but I always forget to bring a bag, and then I feel guilty taking one of their bags, so I carry it all home by the arm-ful Good thing I don't buy too much at one time. I have a ton of Peaches and Cream I bought when Dollar Tree had it a few months ago. I think some market bags would be just the thing to do with (at least some of) it. And a good way to practice my new-found crochet skills :)

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  4. Those bags are awesome Jen! The winner will be very lucky. I'm fortunate that the Library I work for was given hundreds of nice large (and really sturdy) bags with our library's name on them from a vendor. I snagged a dozen that I use for my groceries and hauling books back and forth to the Library. They are wonderful. I just need to get into the habit of bringing them into stores besides the grocery store!

    Alissa
    (aka- aalauzon on Ravelry)

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    1. You ARE lucky!

      I haven't run into a store yet that won't let me use my own bag... I tend to leave them on the floor of the back seat in my car, so I can grab one and go from the drivers seat.

      A couple of the nylon totes I made last month were for my Mom to haul library books!

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  5. That is great to hear about the tutorials. Sometimes it's just so much easier to show it than to describe it. Crochet is not rocket science... but all those loops *can* get confusing. lol

    The Peaches and Cream is PERFECT for market bags -I have a pile of them myself. I also like cotton for my every day purse. It wears well and washes up great.

    If you want pattern suggestions let me know. :oP

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    1. Sure! I'd live pattern suggestions - I think it's time to branch out from the single crochet spiral amigurumi

      I'm really embarrassed to say that I still can't do a granny square for some reason - its probably psychological ;)

      But yes, pattern suggestions, please. I really love all the bags you make both here in this post and the ones you submit on HaR

      Thanks, Jen!

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    2. Robyn - these bags are single crochet in the round! lol My favorite for unlined bags. My pattern "Gift Bags That Keep on Giving" explain the base and handles if you want to give it a try.

      I'd also suggest:
      V Stitch Tote
      Block Stitch Tote
      Lacy V Stitch Tote

      Which you can find in my Ravelry projects under the "bags" tab. All four patterns are free! Let me know if you get stuck on anything, I'm happy to help.

      (Shh don't tell our grannies, but I'm not really fond of squares either!)

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  6. I love your tutorials because I'm a visual learner. Thank you again Jen!

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  7. YAY! Although, I did struggle a few times with the camera in between me and what I was doing, it really is the best way to see how it looks.

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  8. ... I had Steve draw a name from a hat, and the winner is Dana! YAY!

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