I'll admit it: I like stuff. I love pouring through sweaters on the rack at local thrift stores, trying to guess what they're made of. I love richly-colored natural fibers, old wood, and handmade pottery. I love a $1 basket from a yard sale that I can give new life toting vegetables. Every time I… Continue reading A different kind of materialism
This year I am phasing out my stash of acrylic yarn, and here's why: our oceans are becoming polluted with tiny synthetic microfibers, and it's bad news for marine life. I don't enjoy being a Debbie Downer, so I promise you that I will end this on a positive note. Here's the gist of the problem,… Continue reading What can knitters and crocheters do about synthetic fiber pollution?
Making your own home goods, clothing, and accessories can be even more satisfying when you know it's reducing your footprint on the Earth. What makes a something "eco-friendly"? It's a rather broad term, and is probably applied in places where it shouldn't be. There's no universal definition. I tend to think of eco-friendly crochet patterns as ones that… Continue reading 7 eco-friendly crochet patterns
I'm a sucker for holidays. I don't necessarily enjoy the taint of modern consumerism, but I do love food, making things, and celebrating seasons. I enjoy the connection that many of our Western, Christian-ish holidays have to the pagan traditions of Europe, the marking of the passing of time, and the opportunity to break out of… Continue reading Valentine’s Day reimagined: compassion, kindness, and non-complementary behavior
I recently had a conversation with a friend about the minimalism lifestyle as it exists in popular culture today. Minimalism as a way of living has been around in many forms, under many names, for a pretty long time. Though I didn't always have a name for it, minimalism has always been attractive to me in some way.… Continue reading Minimalism for well-being and the greater good, not perfection
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