recycling

The Reclaimed Wool Project

Years ago, when I was interested in learning to knit (and yarn was a LOT cheaper), I picked up a lot of knitting needles and a quilted holder for all of them, but none of it hs seen much use in recent days, and I don't seem to have either the time or the patience to knit anything  as complicated as a sweater. I do, however, have a desire to have warm throws to use in cooler weather, and still remember the toasty knitted afghan that my grandmother used for years. Real wool yarn is rather expensive, and the synthetic yarns don't have the warmth of wool, so I've actively started reclaiming the wool from old sweaters that have outlived their usefulness as clothing. The first one to tackle was an old Irish wool cardigan.

Finding the seams in the old sweater was the most challenging part as the sweater pieces were held together with the same yarn as the body of the sweater, but eventually I got the whole thing de-knitted and rolled into balls. Those balls, in turn were wrapped into skeins and gently washed in the bathroom sink and hung to dry over the bath. Once dry, they will be rolled back into the balls of yarn I prefer to use and stashed in a bag to keep them clean.

Tags: 
knitting
recycling

Thoughts on Composting

For all but the first few years that I have lived in my house, I have had a composting bin in the back yard. Some years, it's done better than others, usually based on how careful I am to balance the mix of brown and green materials properly. Just for a reminder for myself and my readers, here's a breakdown of materials:

Green/Wet:

  • Veggie and fruit scraps
  • Tea - bags and loose
  • Grass clippings (fresh)
  • Weeds
  • Egg shells
  • Table scraps - no meat, dairy or bones

Brown/Dry:

  • Dried leaves or grass
  • Wood Shavings and sawdust
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Twigs
  • Pine Needles
  • Wood ash (cold only)
  • Nut and shells
  • Shredded paper
  • Hay
  • Dryer lint and fabric scraps
Tags: 
compost
recycling