Wearable crocheted sculpture in organic cotton
I have been using a lot of wool lately and sometimes it’s a weeny bit itchy to wear. So I mix it with acrylic to soften it.
Though, both buying the new wool and acrylic doesn’t make me feel as reducey, reusey and recycley as I’d like. And I’m not sure how well our shorn sheep are treated (have to look into that one).
I want to practise being more sustainable at every opportunity (see my article on shredding old sheets and upcycling them into beautiful, wearable creations) and had been feeling guilty about buying new materials when I saw some organic cotton at my local craft supplier. I bought some and made this crcohet scarf with flowers and leaves. It’s made from 23 leaves and 5 flowers and it’s my own design. It looks pretty on and is available for purchase on my etsy site.
And do you know what? When I finished the scarf I looked at the label and felt bad all over again. This series of cotton had been shipped from America (I’m in Australia) so now I’ve added a large carbon distribution cost to our poor planet. So, I need to get back on ’my values’ horse and try a little harder.
While I’m navel gazing, if you’re able to give me some feedback about what you were looking for when you stumbled across my blog, I’ll take the feedback into account in my next article if I can.
For example, you might’ve been after a pattern, or a video showing you how to crochet or an explanation of how the names for American crochet stitches differ from those in Australia. Or were you just browsing categories you’re interested in, and do you suffer the same types of conundrums as I do (e.g. my American cotton purchase, or buying new materials)?
A breakthrough in recycled knitting
In the last few weeks I found, felt thoughtfully, then tore up and knitted a soft white doona cover with pale olive green flowers on it, into a really interesting and engaging scarf. I added some olive green sequined wool and a knitted flower in a variation of the sequined wool, and am delighted with the results.
So delighted, I made a second. (Note for potential doona cover ripperupperers – you can get about 2.5 average-length scarves out of one doona cover 
)
I feel great about this project:
a) because I don’t think the doona cover would’ve made it onto a shelf in an op shop: it was past its use-by date; and
b) because I feel like the most virutous & artsy person in the world because of it, which makes me feel like painting!!
So, hurrah to creative pursuits that support reducing, reusing and recycling, and from turning non-desirable items back into items d’art and of desire.
I hope you get a brainwave soon that makes you feel as good as this project made me feel!
P.S. I just bought another sheet from an oppy shop in Warrandyte. It is white with pinky tulips on it. Who knows what she’ll be combined with and what she’ll look like when I’m through. One thing I know for sure, though, is . she’s going down the same track as doona cover number 1!!
