One of these is not like the others.
Happy Halloween!!
Month: October 2015
Slow Fashion Week 5: Known
favorite sustainable resources / “local” / traceable fabric and yarn origins / traceable garment origins / reference books, films, videos
This is where my eyes glaze over.
My favorite sustainable resource is Alabama Chanin. It's the only one I actually know about first-hand, and I know it by accident — because it's a big part of who they are, and because they told me — not because I looked it up.
- Sustainable
- Local
- Traceable
- Origins
Of course I care, but I don't always have the time or inclination to do the research, find a comparable alternative that meets all the "requirements."
We could be talking about food.
Sometimes I have the time and budget to shop, compare, and prepare a wonderful meal with locally grown, pastured, grass-fed whatever, and sometimes a Big Mac will do.
Sometimes I have the time and budget to shop, compare, and sew or knit a beautiful garment with organic cotton or wool, and sometimes a trip to Target will do.
I have become much more aware of all of this in recent years and I know that I'm better. I haven't had a Big Mac in years. And I'm much more particular about what I buy at Target (in all departments).
Because of the many Slow Fashion October conversations, my awareness continues to grow and I will continue to learn. I'm interested. Karen has a great round-up post today with lots of links that I am making my way through.
* * * * *
But here's the bottom line for me and what I love about making things.
Junah is wearing a Wonderful Wallaby that I originally knit for my nephew Mack in 2007 and that was also worn by Addison. It certainly has enough "life" for many more! Nothing beats quality materials (Mission Falls 1824 Cotton… I miss you!) and love!
See you Sunday for NaBloPoMo kick off! Are you ready??
Day Off: My To-Do List
I loved Mary's suggestion for the "mundane" and have also seen "lists" as a suggestion for blog posts. Well, here we have my mundane day-off to-do list!! Let's call it a NaBloPoMo warm up.
- Chiropractor – 9:30 a.m.
- Boots
- Books
- Oil change – 11:30 a.m.
- Sales tax
- End of month (start)
- Quarterly reports
- Call the IRS
- Pack up and mail the Traveling Scarf
- Kelly – wedding photography info
- Take measurements
- Make kombucha
- And a bunch of other stuff
I hated taking my boots back to the cobbler shop! The new pull-tab on the left boot broke again the second time I pulled it on… I never even tried the right boot (and that's the one that I really need it for). They're going to sink the pulls deeper, stitch them more, and also stretch the instep of the boot a bit. Finger's crossed! I pick them up again in a week.
I loaded up several boxes of books and sent them to Half-Price Books with Kate today. They're mostly my mom's books and it's only the beginning…
The IRS. I wish I didn't ever have to call them, and I put it off this time for a couple of weeks already… It all has to do with Ali changing her business from a Sole Proprietorship to an LLC and a snafu of paperwork complicated by her also getting married and changing her name, and all within a month in May-June 2013 but not realized until the end of the year. Yes, 2013. I do believe (as I am fervently knocking on wood) that this is the last little piece and that nothing having to do with that changeover is left unresolved. That said, I have had nothing but pleasantness and helpfulness (special training?) from everyone I've spoken with at the IRS. I'm thinking that it's four or five or six different people, now, and *I* wasn't always as cool and collected. Ahem. Anyway, it's probably a much better experience when I call them than if it were the other way around.
The Traveling Scarf arrived in my mailbox in July and I knit quite fervently for a while and then I stalled. Well, I knit a few more rows this morning while I bought postage online and arranged for package pick up, and it'll be in the hands of USPS tomorrow morning! There's one more stop before it heads home to Kim.
I came across the Options KAL the other day and that striped version reminded me that I really want to knit another Fib — longer, with shaping, and V-neck. Also, I've yet to use CustomFit to make a sweater! So, measuring.
Kombucha making starts tonight!
Ten on Tuesday: Blog Blog Blog
Ten on Tuesday: 10 Tips/Ideas/Topics for Daily Blogging in November
aka National Blog Posting Month, or NaBloPoMo!
I can't not do it, having done it every year since 2009. I am not and have never been much of a planner when it comes to blogging… I almost always blog by the seat of my pants! That said, I usually keep some ideas in mind for NaBloPoMo!
1. Daylight Savings Time! DST ends on November 1st this year… maybe there are some thoughts to share about that.
2. Photos! A good photo is sometimes all that's needed (though I am certainly guilty of posting a not-so-good photo at crunch time). "Saturday Sky" and NaBloPoMo are a match made in heaven.
3. My Birthday! Lucky for me, my birthday is in November and that's always good for a post or two.
4. Weekending! A few photos along with some words on a Monday morning to share weekend doings — there are five Mondays in November.
5. Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving — planning, prep, cooking, decorating, celebrating — can be good for a few (or more) posts.
6. Holidays! Fast on the heels of Thanksgiving, there's planning, prep & decorating to do!
7. Knitting! Most of us are knitters, so there may be a recent FO to share, some holiday knitting, a WIP that's seeing some action.
8. Ten on Tuesday! Also perfect for NaBloPoMo! 4 Tuesdays + 5 Mondays + 4 Saturdays = 13 fairly stress-free days of blogging.
9. Throwback Thursday! Add 4 Thursdays and over half the month is taken care of!
10. Don't Stress. I try not to agonize over NaBloPoMo. Not every post is going to be stellar (guaranteed). I don't have to write a daily dissertation (I don't even have to write). And I try to be flexible (which is easy to do when the planning is loose to begin with) and open to whatever comes along!
So, are you ready? Are you in??
Weekending
Wish we were still there.