Saw this on Bean Sprouts. It's too funny not to share:
In other green news, there is an abyssmal dearth of fuel-efficient cars available in the US, especially if you're looking for a used (reused), older (cheap), 6+ seat (3 kids) vehicle like I am. Anyone want to hook me up with an EV-1?
Monday, May 5, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
MagKnits & The Way Back Machine
Jennie hooked us up with a couple of links via The Wayback Machine, so Injeanius and The Saturday Market Bag links are now up to date. Thanks, Jennie!
Monday, April 21, 2008
We Need MagKnits Patterns!
With the untimely demise of the MagKnits site, a couple of our knitted bag patterns are no longer available. However, the rights to these patterns reverted to the original designers, so we're looking for them so we can relink to these patterns. We need new links for:
Injeanius from November 2005
Saturday Market Bag (two sizes) - June 2006
Can you help?
Injeanius from November 2005
Saturday Market Bag (two sizes) - June 2006
Can you help?
You Say It's Your Blogiversary...
Friday was my first blogiversary on my other blog, Tinky McFrog.
In the knitting blogosphere, this calls for a contest!
RandomLast-Minute Belated Blogiversary/Earth Day Contest - Visit Tinky McFrog, and leave a comment on this linked post including...
1. One change you have made in the past year to tread a little lighter on the Earth
2. Your favorite color(s)
by April 30 to win an "Organic Nettie Kit" (enough organic cotton yarn to make a Nettie bag). Open to US and Canadian residents. (I just don't trust the mails any farther than that!) Winner will be chosen at random on May 1.
***
Some simple changes we've made in the past year:
1. Stopped buying juice boxes
2. Switched from buying pre-mixed juice (mostly water) in a big semi-recyclable plastic jug to buying juice concentrate in a very-recyclable aluminum can
3. Made a stronger effort to reuse plastic shopping bags for groceries
4. Started saving toilet paper tubes to use as seed starter pots (I'll let you know how it goes)
5. Started this blog! I hope it has helped you live a little greener!
In the knitting blogosphere, this calls for a contest!
Random
1. One change you have made in the past year to tread a little lighter on the Earth
2. Your favorite color(s)
by April 30 to win an "Organic Nettie Kit" (enough organic cotton yarn to make a Nettie bag). Open to US and Canadian residents. (I just don't trust the mails any farther than that!) Winner will be chosen at random on May 1.
***
Some simple changes we've made in the past year:
1. Stopped buying juice boxes
2. Switched from buying pre-mixed juice (mostly water) in a big semi-recyclable plastic jug to buying juice concentrate in a very-recyclable aluminum can
3. Made a stronger effort to reuse plastic shopping bags for groceries
4. Started saving toilet paper tubes to use as seed starter pots (I'll let you know how it goes)
5. Started this blog! I hope it has helped you live a little greener!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Meeting Resistance From Store Clerks
Because I am lazy (besides the two jobs and three children), I tend to reuse my existing plastic bags vs. trying out all these neato patterns listed here. (That's what you guys are for - give me feedback!) However, last week I was flabbergasted when the Meijer clerk refused to reuse my plastic bags! Here's how the conversation went:
H (me) - Oh, I brought my own bags to reuse.
Clerk - We don't reuse plastic bags.
H - What?! (This has never, ever been a problem for me before.)
C - We'll use those new reusable bags we're selling.
H - (fuming) Funny, this was never a problem before you started selling those bags.
C - Well, it's just that reusing plastic bags is unsanitary.
At this point, I pulled out my two hand-knit Nettie bags and a Target bag - yes, I whipped out a reusable Target bag at Meijer! So there!
H - They're not any less sanitary than reusing the other bags. I'm sorry, but whoever is telling you this is lying to you.
I was still mad as heck, but trying to be nice. Clerk continues to bag items, using my non-plastic reusable bags and fresh new plastic bags.
H - So, is this a store-level decision or a corporate decision? I need to know who to talk to about this new policy.
C - (looking sheepish) Well, uh, actually, I think it depends on the cashier. I mean, this is something they told me years ago. It's just one of those things that stuck with me.
H - (mentally) AH-HA!!!!
Oddly, the conversation took a friendlier turn as I told her that I would be making more Nettie bags and that I would add a buttonhole to the top edge to make them eaiser for cashiers to use at the turnstiles.
Now, I am not the best at the quick verbal comeback. Here are some points I wish I had made:
1. I have never, ever, had a Meijer cashier, or any other store cashier, question reusing plastic bags before.
2. Up until Meijer started selling their own branded reusable bags, they would refund shoppers 5 cents for each bag they brought in to reuse, thereby encouraging shoppers to reuse plastic bags.
3. Every single item I purchased was already packaged and well-protected from any "uncleaness" lurking inside a reused plastic bag. Not one thing was going to be pulled out and put directly in my mouth without unwrapping it first. Not even the apples. (I am a little ashamed of this, but it's a valid point regardless.)
4. Do most shoppers who use the canvas/whatever reusable bags wash them out after every use? I doubt it.
5. Shoppers who use the U-Scan lanes may reuse plastic bags if they choose.
I hope the cashier will think about our conversation and realize the above points. She has worked at that store for a while, so I'm sure she is familiar with the former bag refund policy. In the meantime, since it appears this is a one-cashier situation and not a store-level or corporate-level decision, I don't feel I need to write a letter or anything.
I will still shop at Meijer because they are Michigan-based (local to me), have great prices, buy at least some of their produce from local farmers, and have an amazingly diverse line of store-brand organic food that is fairly competitive price-wise with the regular stuff. And, hopefully, next time I meet a resistant cashier, I'll be better prepared to educate her about reusing plastic bags.
H (me) - Oh, I brought my own bags to reuse.
Clerk - We don't reuse plastic bags.
H - What?! (This has never, ever been a problem for me before.)
C - We'll use those new reusable bags we're selling.
H - (fuming) Funny, this was never a problem before you started selling those bags.
C - Well, it's just that reusing plastic bags is unsanitary.
At this point, I pulled out my two hand-knit Nettie bags and a Target bag - yes, I whipped out a reusable Target bag at Meijer! So there!
H - They're not any less sanitary than reusing the other bags. I'm sorry, but whoever is telling you this is lying to you.
I was still mad as heck, but trying to be nice. Clerk continues to bag items, using my non-plastic reusable bags and fresh new plastic bags.
H - So, is this a store-level decision or a corporate decision? I need to know who to talk to about this new policy.
C - (looking sheepish) Well, uh, actually, I think it depends on the cashier. I mean, this is something they told me years ago. It's just one of those things that stuck with me.
H - (mentally) AH-HA!!!!
Oddly, the conversation took a friendlier turn as I told her that I would be making more Nettie bags and that I would add a buttonhole to the top edge to make them eaiser for cashiers to use at the turnstiles.
Now, I am not the best at the quick verbal comeback. Here are some points I wish I had made:
1. I have never, ever, had a Meijer cashier, or any other store cashier, question reusing plastic bags before.
2. Up until Meijer started selling their own branded reusable bags, they would refund shoppers 5 cents for each bag they brought in to reuse, thereby encouraging shoppers to reuse plastic bags.
3. Every single item I purchased was already packaged and well-protected from any "uncleaness" lurking inside a reused plastic bag. Not one thing was going to be pulled out and put directly in my mouth without unwrapping it first. Not even the apples. (I am a little ashamed of this, but it's a valid point regardless.)
4. Do most shoppers who use the canvas/whatever reusable bags wash them out after every use? I doubt it.
5. Shoppers who use the U-Scan lanes may reuse plastic bags if they choose.
I hope the cashier will think about our conversation and realize the above points. She has worked at that store for a while, so I'm sure she is familiar with the former bag refund policy. In the meantime, since it appears this is a one-cashier situation and not a store-level or corporate-level decision, I don't feel I need to write a letter or anything.
I will still shop at Meijer because they are Michigan-based (local to me), have great prices, buy at least some of their produce from local farmers, and have an amazingly diverse line of store-brand organic food that is fairly competitive price-wise with the regular stuff. And, hopefully, next time I meet a resistant cashier, I'll be better prepared to educate her about reusing plastic bags.
Greetings From Signer #363
Beth at Fake Plastic Fish is helping lead a campaign to get Chlorox to take back Brita water filters. One of their tools is an online petition. Beth has an appointment with a Chlorox representative tomorrow morning, and would like to have 500 signatures by meeting time (8:30 a.m. Pacific Time).
To read about the initiative, click here.
To skip the background and go straight to signing the petition, click here.
To read about the initiative, click here.
To skip the background and go straight to signing the petition, click here.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Fade to Black
Tonight is Earth Hour, where millions of people around the world (hopefully) will be switching off their lights and other electrical appliances from 8pm - 9pm, whatever their local time.
The kids should be in bed by then, so I'll be curling up with a soy candle and some knitting.
Also posted at Tinky McFrog.
The kids should be in bed by then, so I'll be curling up with a soy candle and some knitting.
Also posted at Tinky McFrog.
Monday, February 4, 2008
"Does exactly what it says on the tin."
That's Melanie Rimmer's comment about this site. Thanks so much for the mention, Melanie!
If you're coming over here from Melanie's blog, Bean Sprouts, thanks for stopping by. Please take a look around for a few minutes and leave a comment. I'm very open to positive suggestions to make this a better resource for hand-made alternatives to single-use plastic bags.
If you are a crafter, I'd love to know what you think of the format. Is it easy to find patterns in your chosen craft? Have you seen anything you might like to try? Have you tried any of the patterns here? What did you think of it? Can we see your finished project? Do you have a pattern you'd like showcased here? I'd love to help you out with that.
And the macrame thing? I kinda put that in as a joke and because it rhymed with crochet (I am a geek). Yet, there are crafters out there googling high and low for macrame bag patterns! So if you have a nifty macrame shopping tote pattern, BRING IT ON.
If you're not a crafter, did you see anything that might spur you on to picking up a skill or at least switching to reusable bags. Maybe you'd like to be a guest writer on an environmental topic?
If you're coming over here from Melanie's blog, Bean Sprouts, thanks for stopping by. Please take a look around for a few minutes and leave a comment. I'm very open to positive suggestions to make this a better resource for hand-made alternatives to single-use plastic bags.
If you are a crafter, I'd love to know what you think of the format. Is it easy to find patterns in your chosen craft? Have you seen anything you might like to try? Have you tried any of the patterns here? What did you think of it? Can we see your finished project? Do you have a pattern you'd like showcased here? I'd love to help you out with that.
And the macrame thing? I kinda put that in as a joke and because it rhymed with crochet (I am a geek). Yet, there are crafters out there googling high and low for macrame bag patterns! So if you have a nifty macrame shopping tote pattern, BRING IT ON.
If you're not a crafter, did you see anything that might spur you on to picking up a skill or at least switching to reusable bags. Maybe you'd like to be a guest writer on an environmental topic?
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
New Bags from Interweave Knits
Here are links to two intermediate-level knitting patterns from Knitting Daily:
Hemp Market Bag is knit from 100% hemp on size 10 straight and circular needles.
Vicki Square's Market Bag is knit from flax on size 6 and size 11 needles.
Needles sizes are US.
***
If you have made any of the patterns found via Make-A-Bag, I'd love to see a photo and get your thoughts on the pattern!
Hemp Market Bag is knit from 100% hemp on size 10 straight and circular needles.
Vicki Square's Market Bag is knit from flax on size 6 and size 11 needles.
Needles sizes are US.
***
If you have made any of the patterns found via Make-A-Bag, I'd love to see a photo and get your thoughts on the pattern!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
New Project - Gusseted Grocery Bag w/stuff sack
The Sew, Mama, Sew blog is featuring 30 days of handmade gift ideas during November. Guess what showed up on Day 5? You guessed it; handmade tote bags.
One of the featured projects is a gusseted grocery bag tutorial from U-Handbag, complete with downloadable PDF for those inclined. This pattern includes instructions for a stuff sack with clip so you don't lose (or forget to take) the bag. This link shows how much stuff she fit in the bag - impressive!
That's another point that is rarely mentioned with reusable bags - less bags to carry. As long as the bag is not too heavy to lift, a lot more can be put in it than in a plastic bag because the plastic bags rip so easily.
I've added U-Handbag's Gusseted Grocery Bag to the sewing links sidebar.
One of the featured projects is a gusseted grocery bag tutorial from U-Handbag, complete with downloadable PDF for those inclined. This pattern includes instructions for a stuff sack with clip so you don't lose (or forget to take) the bag. This link shows how much stuff she fit in the bag - impressive!
That's another point that is rarely mentioned with reusable bags - less bags to carry. As long as the bag is not too heavy to lift, a lot more can be put in it than in a plastic bag because the plastic bags rip so easily.
I've added U-Handbag's Gusseted Grocery Bag to the sewing links sidebar.
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