Knitting is B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Especially when you knit with yarn MADE from banana fibers, like this beautiful skein from blondechicken...


"This unusual yarn is handspun from recycled banana fibers. The fibers are collected by women in Nepal from the remnants from the sari weaving looms. They sort it by color and handspin the fibers and sell it through fair trade co-ops that provide educational opportunities. Banana fiber was extracted from banana trees (bananière , in French)-mostly their stems and leaves. When it comes to my home, I dye it in soft shades that aren't offered by the co-op. Bananiere is an incredibly strong yarn and will knit into beautiful (and unique) bags and shawls."

I'M SORRY THIS WEEK WAS SO POST-LITE!

It's been bugging me that I haven't had time for Eco Craftiness this week, but I've been busy working on projects, and ESPECIALLY getting ready for the Handmade Faire in Medford, NJ which I will be selling at tomorrow!

This is my first ever craft show, so I'm a bit overwhelmed, especially because I'm the type that needs to think of everything that is necessary in order to be prepared in advance. Yet I know I'll still forget some things, especially because this is my first time.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Shutterkate.etsy.com

Wish me luck and I hope to see you there if you're close by! Check out just some of the stuff I'll be selling at this show above.

~Kate

Oooh Random Taggage!

Rikkianne over at ChakraPennyWhistle tagged me. Here it goes...

Let's start with the rules:
Link to your tagger and list the rules
List 7 random facts about yourself
Tag 7 people
If you're tagged, play along and pass it on!

Ready? Here's my random seven:

1. Anything less than 8 hours of sleep and I'm exhausted for the day.
2. I take entirely too much pride in the music I like even though a lot of people don't know of or think it's anywhere near as great as I do.
3. I passed by Matt Berry walking down a street in London and my knees got weak.
4. I love Jane Austin books but hate Jane Austin hype, even though I probably add to it.
5. My immediate family all moved to Florida and I remain n NJ because I am not at all fond of the Florida's climate or the planning/development that's gone into most of it.
6. Every few months I seem to switch to a new type of caffeinated beverage that I become obsessed with.
7. My mind and body keep telling me they're ready for kids, but my living space and wallet keep reminding the former two that it's just not practical right now.

Okay you are up....

Steph
Foochuck
Kim
John
Jackie
Kara
Courtney

~Kate

EcoEtsy's Auction for a Cause!

You need to get all up on EcoEtsy's auction for a Cause.

EcoEtsy is a group of artists and crafters that sell on Etsy.com. Members from the group have donated handmade, eco-friendly goodies that add up to a worth of over $300 retail. These goodies are being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The highest bid will be donated to the Nature Conservancy.

All the info on the auction is here, along with details on how to bid!

You can check on the status of the auction by looking for updates on EcoEtsy's blog.

If you'd like details on what was donated, check out the forum post on the auction here.


I personally donated a set of dish cloths like the ones above, but in light blue, dark blue, and cream.

Get your bid in soon, as this auction ends on October 30th! This could be a fabulous way to help the environment and get a basket full of eco-friendly goodies that you can keep for yourself or turn into fabulous holiday gifts!

So get bidding!!!

Away

{Photo by ME!}

I'll be away until Tuesday, October 21st. Dunno if I'll find the time or a computer while I'm vising family in Florida to post. I DO know that I'll be snapping away a ton of photos while I'm down there because my awesome husband surprised me with a digital SLR for my b-day! Perhaps I'll have a few shots worthy of sharing here even! We'll see.

~Kate

Portals

Another eco-artist whose work I greatly admire is lizplummer. This small mounted wall art piece, a part of her Portals series, is entrancing to the eye...


~EcoKate

Green {Goody} Giveaway!

Hey all!

I just wanted to let you know that you can enter to win a set of my dish cloths over at Green {Goody}'s weekly giveaway here.



Spread the word!
~EcoKate

Deliciously Upcycled

There's this cool shop called trixiedelicious on Etsy, and I...am...loving what they make.


For instance, this old bowl that was probably sitting in some antique shop, waiting for someone to reunite it with its long lost set (which by the way, don't tell this bowl I told you, but the chances of that actually happening were probably WAY unlikely), was taken in by trixiedelicious and, with a bit of TLC and text fusing skills, was turned into a bowl after my own heart.

Speaking of hearts, this Geek tea cup and saucer, also for sale in trixiedelicious' shop, is most likely after my husband's own (heart, that is):


See kids, aren't old, unmatched pieces of china cool!?!

~EcoKate

John Would Love: Recycled Bike Clock

A clock made of a recycled bicycle chain ring!?! I am thinking my John would love something like this hanging up in his future office, that is when we get a place large enough that the "office" doesn't consist of a half room crammed with 2 desks, a hamster, and a buttload of my knitting paraphernalia, among other odds and ends.

And so this awesomely upcycled clock by TrilliumArtisans concludes the week of eco-friendly things my husband would love.

~EcoKate

John Would Love: Organic Messenger Bag

Being a commuter, teacher, and all around good guy, I think John would love this sustainable messenger bag, made of organic cotton.

Created by infusion.

~EcoKate

John Would Love: Eco-Friendly Frame!

Being the minimalist that he is, I think my John would dig this simplistic frame, made from sustainable wood sources...


Frame by buckscountyframes.

~EcoKate

John Would Love: Steampunk Cufflinks!

cufflinks by dustDesignCo

Going along with this week's theme, which is eco-friendly arts and crafts that I think my husband would love, I found this rad pair of steampunk cufflinks. John can dress like the best of them, and I think these upcycled cufflinks would just add extra John-ness to his current style.

~EcoKate

Happy Birthday to John!

card by ilikeapplejuice

It's my husband's birthday today! To celebrate, I'm going to look for eco-friendly items that I think he'd love, and post them here every day this week.

~EcoKate


P.S. Check out the cake I made him.

Eco Art!

LeeGainer makes beautiful pieces of upcycled art. I've admired them for quite some time, and would personally LOVE this piece for my wall.

Original and unique 8" x 8" x 1.5" design on a cradled board painted white. This piece contains a variety of recycled materials; fabric, paper, felt, clear plastic, and cardboard, that have been hand-rolled into circles and swirls and placed perfectly using Golden Soft Gel.

~EcoKate