Ideas from the Knitting Green Challenge (Plus a Blog Tour!)

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June 4, 2010

Ideas from the Knitting Green Challenge (Plus a Blog Tour!) Malkala turns old sweaters into kids' legwarmers.    Rosebrass makes stuffed animals out of old sweaters. We started the Knitting Green Challenge to celebrate the release of Ann Budd's new book Knitting Green, and as  always, I was blown away by you Knitting Daily members—there are so many wonderful contributions to the challenge! From bags to necklaces to rugs, you reused all kinds of materials (including pop can tops!) to create amazing pieces of art. Even more impressive is the incredible usability of the items you created; any of these pieces could be instantly integrated into your everyday lives, which is an important component to the repurposing concept: if the item isn't useful, it might end up in the trash bin, which is what we want to avoid, right? Even though this wasn't really a contest, I do have a couple of favorites. I absolutely love the legwarmers Malkala makes, and Rosebrass's little fox is so darling (photos at right). It's true that a picture says a thousand words, so here are some more items from the challenge! Jemima Spare's felted sweater bag Andrea L.'s thermal t-shirt scarf BeardedBiker's telephone wire bag   Chris A.'s recycled sheet cabled bathmat   Hazel S. made this shawl out of old Levis! Craft Evolve's fabulous necklace. Janer's grocery sack handbag LisaFred's felt knitting needle basket Daylilies' t-shirt draft-stopper doggie   Donna's crocheted pop top purse   Miss Muffin's t-shirt and bedsheet rug     DominantHands' chair slipcover basket with yarn recycled from a gift   Maggie Kruser's plastic grocery sack handbag Peg's t-shirt handbag Want more knitting green inspiration? We're sponsoring a blog tour with many of the contributors in Knitting Green. The blog tour is "visiting" the contributors' personal blogs as they write about the design process for their patterns (and a few of the personal essays) in Knitting Green. Stop by a different blog every day for the next ten days for a fun, inside look into these designers' creative lives. The blog tour kicks off on author Ann Budd's blog tomorrow morning! Cheers,

Kathleen Cubley is the editor of Knitting Daily. Kathleen's Knit-Along We're knitting the Sleeveless Tuxedo Shirt. Come knit with us! More Knitting Daily •  Blogs •  Galleries •  Knitting Daily TV •  Free Patterns •  Join Knitting Daily •  Share Your Comments

Kickstart an Earth-Friendly Fiber Habit with Knitting Green Knitting Green edited by Ann Budd 22 projects, 160 pages Available Now! Ready to bring together your love of knitting with your interest in clean air, clear water, and reduced waste? Look no further than the eco-friendly essays and green projects in Knitting Green! Edited by Ann Budd and filled with thoughtful essays by leading industry figures, including Kristin Nicholas, Amy R. Singer, and Carmen S. Hall, Knitting Green shows you how to put your needles to work while still being mindful of our delicate planet. Plus, you'll find 22 beautiful projects for garments, accessories, gifts, and home furnishings, including: Caterina Wrap by Kristeen Griffin-Grimes Commuter Knapsack by Deborah Newton Videvik Shawl by Nancy Bush Organic Sprout Tank by Pam Allen And 18 more gorgeous designs! With Knitting Green by your side, you'll discover the small steps you can take for more sustainable knitting—from selecting organic yarns to crafting warm projects (so you can turn the heat down!). Join the chorus of knitters raving about Knitting Green! "A terrific book that helps to educate the knitter about how our hobby has an environmental impact.  It's neither preachy nor condescending. And of course - there are patterns.... I'm in love with the patterns!" —KnitPurlGurl.com "Beautiful, and classy... This book is refreshing, offering a ton of information to help knitters make educated decisions about how they can make their craft more green." —Petitepurls.com "The book proved to be quite an eye-opener for me, a long-time knitter.... Essays in the book really pulled this writer’s head out of the sand in terms of what the term “organic” actually means."  —Green Right Now     Solstice Skirt Tree-Hugger Pullover Soy-Silk Kimono Pick up your copy of Knitting Green today!