Gloves Made Out Of Socks!

The other day I was sitting working at the computer feeling quite miserable, because my hands were so cold. Wearing gloves was no good, because I have a lovely Apple magic mouse which is brilliant, but which requires the warmth of bare skin to make the scrolling and navigation functions work.

The solution? Make some gloves that can roll or fold down at the top.

Criteria? They would have to be quick (I had to get back to work), and would have to be made from something I already had on hand.

So... I raided my husband's sock drawer (hooray for people who give socks as gifts year after year!) and found a lovely pair of socks perfect for my plans. A few snips later, and my hands and arms (these were mid calf socks) were toasty warm. Bliss!

Here are some instructions I put together in a spare moment; hope you can make sense of them.



I've made at least 6 or 7 pairs by now, each better than the rest. I encourage you to experiment until you find a thumb shape that works well for you. Maybe when cutting the slit for your thumb you might like to cut out a few millimetres at the sides, making it a very skinny elongated oval rather than just a slit.

Take note of the warning to ONLY use a ball point needle when sewing stretch fabrics like socks. The seam will run and look very ugly in a short time if you don't. If you really don't have access to a ball point needle and just have to make some of these wonderful gloves (glovvoks? sokkovs?) right now, then use a loose back stitch and sew the thumb in by hand.

Op shops are great places to find cheap socks to experiment on; our local thrift store sells socks for 20 cents a pair.

Good luck, and let me know in the comments how you go!

Reusables, the un-old way

This is a drawing I did yesterday showing some of the things I've been making recently, to show some friends who have let me reap the benefit of their hard work and who I want to thank by making them something they can put to practical use.

Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

What do you use to pack lunch for yourself or for your children? I used to be like the thousands of people (millions?) who would answer that question with - plastic wrap, press seal bags, greaseproof paper, and foil.

Since an awareness for the impact I am making on the environment and my habits as a consumer in general has been growing upon me, I'm finding that using those disposable wrappings just doesn't feel right any more.

So I did some research, made many prototypes, and finally came up with a reusable sandwich wrap that I am happy with. No complaints from the children, unless it's that one of their siblings has already grabbed the wrap they were hoping to use that day!



Plastic bags have been around for 30 years now. It is estimated world wide that 1 trillion bags are used and discarded every year.
Australians use 3.92 billion plastic bags a year, that’s over 10 million new bags being used every day. An estimated 3.76 billion bags or 20,700 tonnes of plastic are disposed of in landfill sites throughout Australia every year. Australians dump 7,150 recyclable plastic bags into landfills every minute or 429,000 bags every hour.
Did you know that:
• plastics are made from non-renewable natural resources such as crude oil, gas and coal.
• just 8.7 plastic checkout bags contain enough embodied petroleum energy to drive a car 1 kilometre.
[Information above is from the Clean Up Australia website]

What can I do?
Recycle, repurpose and re-use.
Plastic bags, plastic wrap, foil, press seal bags, all add to land fill and thereby harm the environment. Press seal bags can be washed and reused, but it can be difficult to get them really clean and dry.

One alternative is the reusable sandwich wrap. It is easy to clean, just open out and wipe after each use. If the fabric backing becomes soiled, wash it in the sink with the dishes and leave to dry overnight or hang on the line - easy and hygenic.
Food stays nice and fresh all wrapped up in a neat little package, and the sandwich wrap also serves as a placemat while eating.


FAQ
What kind of plastic should be used for sandwich wraps?
Only reuse plastic that is classed as food grade. Look for strong thick plastic that previously held food. The best plastic I have found is from the bags used to hold the food I buy in bulk from Honest To Goodness, through a local co-op.

What if I don’t want to use plastic to wrap my food?
Sandwich wraps are easy to make. Try making your own from two layers of octagonal shaped fabric, with water resistant interfacing sandwiched between them.

What kind of fabric should I choose?
Natural fibres are best, cotton is recommended. Always pre-wash your fabric, and try to choose a fabric that does not wrinkle easily - once the plastic is sewn on, ironing is not an option.

Where can I get a pattern for these wraps?
Make it yourself! Experiment with different shapes to see what works best for you. Try elongating the basic octogon to fit longer sandwiches like pitta bread wraps or subs.

What if I don't have any velcro?
Put a vertical buttonhole into the tab, and sew three buttons onto the wrap where the velcro would have been, to allow for different sized food.

Another school year begins

Tomorrow it starts....the beginning of a brand new school year. The last one that this century will be less than a decade old. Three children at school, one beginning university.

I aim to be more organised this year with school lunches. I have cake and slices in the freezer, fresh fruit waiting to be packed, and home made plastic lined fabric wraps to put the food in. Trying to avoid plastic as much as possible, but I'm not ready to make the break just yet. Inspired by Julie at Towards Sustainability I have made little drawstring bags and those lovely plastic lined sandwich wraps which J (year 5) calls 'nappies'. Ahem...can I ever look at them the same way again?!
Hopefully there will be some photos of these baggies to show you when a) I get organised enough to take some, and b) I find out which of the styles I have made actually turn out to be practically useful in every day real life situations.

Ordinary days are the best kind.

Bread rolls made from 100% freshly ground biodynamic organic wheat. They were delicious, and as light and fluffy as wholewheat has a right to be. How I wish they would turn out like this every time! Garlic butter goes beautifully with these, nice and warm from the oven.



Book covers: a great gift idea, and really good for protecting the book you're reading while it's being jostled around from place to place. These covers were padded with an old woolen blanket (except the middle one, that one uses ordinary synthetic wadding)





My new rag bag. The inspiration for this came from Jewells, at Eyes of Wonder, based on her clothes peg bag. I'd like to do another one with proper set in sleeves, with a more prairie dress look to it.





Some ocean scenes from Port Elliot in South Australia. I love SA; it has a character all its own that I miss. Different in so many subtle ways from NSW, though each has its own charm. SA has the distinction of being the place that nurtured me from birth to maturity, so there are memories woven into the very fabric of the place which are a comfort somehow.



A scene I love that is within walking distance from where I live.