Glorious Waste

Last night I lay awake. Even after 2 children who won't sleep through the night, this is a very rare occurrence. My head full of worries, worries for my children's future and if they'll have to bear the brunt of our and the past generations' mistakes.

Meanwhile the world just parties on as if nothing was at odds.

I don't think I've felt as alienated as I did last night ever before. The feeling that people, when sharing my worries, will label me as a nutcase, dismiss my concerns. Of course it didn't come out of the blue, even if it felt like it. I had a conversation by Skype with a very open dismissiveness about my resolve to avoid air travel at all costs. It must have stuck. And let the images of my girls having to deal with a world going to pieces keep me awake.

I know that my personal choice to avoid air travel is a drop in the ocean as long as businesses require their employees to travel. It's a drop as long as air travel doesn't carry its actual cost. It's the only thing I can do though.

Ever since I read this feature, my positive outlook as been tweaked to one of impatience at this world that won't change its way. The way we saw off the branch we are sitting on, like a slapstick joke courtesy of Laurel and Hardie (and they always come out alright at the end, don't they?).

Last night I had visions of the end of the world. I had them before, but this time they seem around the corner. There is a sense of urgency and not knowing how to deal with a wider world that is ignoring the signs and refusing to act on them. So the ice sheets keep melting, the rain keeps pouring, migrations and food shortages, and yes, the end of the world as we know it may descend upon my beautiful and innocent girls who had nothing to do with this situation we're in. The world is out of sync and we all pretend we'll come up with a solution in time.

Enters National Zero Waste Week and a bunch of inspirational folk. Just what the doctor ordered in times of doom and gloom.
I remember three years ago when I first heard of Zero Waste how I thought, surely that's a euphemism for something. Ahem, no it isn't. There are families out there who manage to produce just 100g of rubbish a week.

I don't pretend I'm one of them - far from it. But it has made me think that maybe, just maybe, half a bin of rubbish per fortnight isn't needed (and I know that's little compared to others, considering we're a family of 4). It has also made me think about the bigger picture. While consumer action is nice, political action is better. What use is it that I compost my banana skins when the compostable bin at Hampden Park is filled with plastic cups? Wouldn't it be easier if there were no plastic cups? How about the big supermarkets offering package free food and launching an advertising campaign to bring your own tub?

20 years ago I was introduced to the problem. The problem is bigger now than it was there. With all my efforts to live more sustainably, even I use up far too many resources of this planet. If everyone lived like me, we'd need 3 planets, and it's no consolation whatsoever that the UK average is something like 4.2. It's not good enough.

I may not have the answers or my answers may be wrong, yet considering that all anyone can do is change their own behaviour, this is my own plan of action for Zero Waste Week - one more thing:

1. revamp my food storage system so that bulk buying and package free buying becomes easier
2. buy at the only shop where you can fill your own tubs (Whole Foods Glasgow) or at market
3. take on to recycle all that can be recycled at work

You can be part of Zero Waste Week too. You don't have to go totally zero waste - it takes years to get there but the beauty is that once you start with one little thing, it leads to a chain reaction and before you know it, you'll have halved your waste and buy with more awareness. It's easy to start with taking your own bags or trying to avoid packaging whenever possible. You may even ditch that shampoo and shower gel (but worry not, you don't have to if that's just one step to far!) Zero Waste Week is for everyone. So why not sign up and do one more thing, just a little one, and together it will make a difference and go from drop in the ocean to a tidal wave. You'll make my day too!

WEB – Leave a comment on the My Zero Waste website pledge page


FACEBOOK – Join the zero waste facebook page and check out the events page where almot 300 people are already signed up and sharing their advice!

TWITTER – Use the twitter hashtags #onemorething and #nzww and follow My Zero Waste.
f you run your own website, feel free to grab the code to proudly display your own banner in support of the week.

Rag Rugs all around

The better half of my evenings last week were made making t-shirt yarn. And what better to make out of all that loveliness than a rag rug! But wait, this is not the only way to make a rag rug. In fact, there are a few approaches to brightening your home up with handmade rugs.

Thankfully, all three ways of making a rag rug were trialled at the latest StitchUP. I had my mind set on a crochet one, with all that colourful t-shirt yarn and my still rudimentary crochet skills, I knew I needed a helping hand to get me started. By now it measures 3/4 of a metre in diameter and it's growing quickly. It's an ideal starter project, and quite satisfying because it's so super quick, while giving the beginner plenty of single crochet  practice. Result: I no longer feel I'm holding the yarn in the wrong hand AND I can crochet while holding a baby toddler.

Tutorial:
Make a chain of 6 stitches. Close to a round. single crochet into the hole as often as you can- I aimed for 10 but only managed 8. It's important you know that number.
Round 1: In the first round after this, increase the same number of stitches; i.e. single crochet into one stitch, then make a chain, single crochet into next stitch, make a chain etc.
Round 2: single crochet into next 2 stitches, make a chain, single crochet into next 2 stitches, make a chain until end.
Round 3: single crochet into next 3 stitches, make a chain repeat until end

To put it differently: you increase your number of stitches from the base round in every subsequent round. So in round 5 you single crochet 5 times, then make a chain; in round 10 you single crochet into 10 stitches then make one chain etc.
As to crochet hook: well, it depends on your t-shirt yarn. I used size 9 but that was on the tight side of things.

So this is an image of my work in progress, and considering I've only just learned how to crochet and this is my first proper project, I'm pretty pleased with it.

Next up is the one that I will be doing another time because it's been on my mind for a while. It's made from hessian (a type of rough linen/jute, the kind that used to be used for potato and coffee sacks). You will also need fabric scaps, approximate 2 inch long and 1/4 inch wide and a tool for threading (there are professional tools for this but a crochet hook will do failing all else). For a detailed tutorial, and more images, visit The Patchwork Heart:

Finally there's the no sew woven rag rug, also made from t-shirt yarn. It's pretty straight forward too, and as there is an existing tutorial I will spare my breath here and just point you to it.

All three methods are super simple - and yet you'll end up with a beautiful addition to your home, while recycling/upcycling fabric that is no longer useable.

You may end up not wanting to actually step on your rag rug, though.
Pray tell me, which one's your favourite?