I did good!

Since this was the first Christmas my son really "got it", we knew we had to get the rules down for the future, if you catch my drift. We (dh & I) decided that we would each give Jack one homemade present on Christmas eve, and the rest would come from Santa on Christmas morning. He opened up the recycled wool monster I made (out of leftover scraps from the quilt I made him... they match!), & immediately started hugging it. It was SO rewarding to see him love & appreciate something that I made! I posted pictures of it in an earlier entry, but here he is holding it up.
This is only one of the homemade gifts that i'll be blogging about in the next week or so. I tried to have a resale, eco friendly, & homemade Christmas this year, and I had great success! See the box towers to the right of my son? The red ones i've had for 5 Christmases so far, and the others for 3. Not only are they less wasteful & cheaper than wrapping paper in the long run, but easier, and make lovely decorative Christmas towers around the house. They neatly nest inside of each other to store, and while they were empty, my son liked to stack & nest them (educational!). It was such a heartwarming Christmas for me, because my son was so into it. I will always remember the look on his face when we were decorating the tree, & he would excitedly say "More Christmas, Mama! We need more Christmas!".

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all of you!!!!

Resweater has a new home!

I tried to go the website route, but it's taking me forever to get it set up, and figure it out. I also missed being part of a community. Then someone referred me to Artfire! It's like Etsy, but without all the fees, and personally I like the setup better. They offer 2 accounts, one is free, and the other is $7/month, but worth it. You get unlimited listings, as well as a bunch of other cool stuff. If I refer 10 people, they will waive my $7/a month, so if you were planning to sign up anyway, will you please use the link below? It is much appreciated. If you sign up through the link below for the $7 account, let me know & i'll throw in a free sweater in your next order from me :)


Check out Artfire

Recycled baby quilts!

Back to the meaning of my blog... cool stuff made out of recycled wool! I made a baby quilt for a friend of mine that just had a baby. It was SOOOOO much easier than the prior quilts I made (for my son & mom) for 2 reasons. One is that it was smaller, and two was that I used wool on both sides. Duh! No wonder I had so much trouble with the big ones... wool stretches & cotton sheets do not. Not only was it easier to do double sided wool, but it was more aesthetically pleasing to have 2 patterns in one. I have decided to start making these to sell (if/when I have a shop again!) after the holidays & have some gorgeous cashmeres and buttery soft lambswools set aside right now :)

The benefits of wool are endless, but these quilts (when lanolized) can serve as a piddle pad or mattress protector too. Whether lanolized or not...

"did you know that wool is:

• A renewable resource
• Reusable
• Biodegradable
• Fire resistant
• Water resistant
• Wrinkle resistant

Wool has insulating properties which keep you warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. In addition, wool can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water without feeling damp, and indeed, continues to keep you warm when it gets damp."

Enough of my yammering the praises of wool! Here is the quilt, but the quilt in real life was so much better than these pics (wasn't wonky in real life, but gave it to my friend before I could get better pics).

I bought a domain!

... now to figure out how to use it, lol. Does anyone know how to get a website template onto a hosted domain? I am so utterly clueless. Any advice is very welcome!

Eventually my new site will be www.resweater.com, but for now there is nothing there.

Etsy thinks wool is not a supply!

Ok, it's official I think. Etsy will no longer let me sell my wool sweaters. Without any notice or warning, they removed all my listings, and have been very negative & slow to respond to my emails.

This is the official rules, cut & pasted from Etsy (I highlighted what pertains to me):

"Commercial crafting supplies

* These are not items handmade by you.
* This section is for items that can be used to make other items you might find 
for sale on Etsy (such as yarn, beads, instructional books, patterns, tools, etc.   
* Shipping supplies and packaging materials are also allowed in the Supplies
category.
* These listings must be placed in the Supplies category, and tagged as
commercial. (Categories such as Books and Zines are for handmade items only.) "

This was their email:

 

"Hi Kris, Thanks so much for the email, and I'm sorry for the trouble caused by this. I have re-instated your listing privileges, but unfortunately the sweaters do not qualify to be sold on Etsy. On Etsy, a supply is an item that is specifically manufactured to facilitate the creation of new crafts. Unfortunately, sweaters would not fit this requirement. http://www.etsy.com/dosdonts.php#selling http://www.etsy.com/terms_of_use.php You may list sweaters that are 20 years old or older in the 'Vintage' category, but any other sweater that does not meet our Vintage requirements cannot be sold in your shop. Thanks again for your cooperation in this! Best, Amber Etsy Support"

Notice they link the passage I quoted from the rules. Apparently they can just make things up as they go along.




I will be starting my own website soon, so hang in there! In the meantime if you need sweaters, please feel free to contact me directly at krisnstevep@netzero.com. I'll post my new website here when it is up.

Decadent scarves!

I made an awesome trade with Tallulah's Satchels... some of my sweaters for one of her scarves. My scarf arrived today & it is definitely better in person! It is made of recycled cashmere, & feels so wonderful that even when I got back in the house, I could not take it off. Mmmmm... cashmere! I will be adding a picture shortly, as soon as I have some daylight in here.
Though I just got this fabulous scarf, I can't help but eyeball her Bobbi Ruffle scarves. They are not made of recycled wool, but deserve to be on my blog anyway because they are so cool ;) These are hand knit by Tallulah's Satchels with a wool blend yarn from France. She also makes awesome purses, hair clips, and other fabulous stuff, so check out her Etsy shop!

A sweater for your mac! Wool laptop sleeve

I'd love one of these, but unfortunately I still have a desktop computer, and my bigger-than-a-breadbox monitor would roll its eyes at me. This is just adorable, and if I were cool enough to be bringing my wireless to the coffee shop, I would want to be stying with one of these!
You can check out more great recycled wool goods from Woolywooly here:
woolywooly.etsy.com

Not just longies!

E2 Designs makes longie sets, and skirties with flair! Check out this darling set and skirtie, both made with recycled wool, and some of it is from my shop!

Check out more of her great stuff at:
e2designs.etsy.com

Toddler sweaters, sets, hats & more

Victoria Velting needed a 2nd entry on my blog (as does my friend Chris, tallulahssatchels , but that will be coming in another entry!). Her work just wasn't covered in that first entry. Check out these adorable sweaters & sets (adorable baby not included!). She is making a sweater & hat for my son, and I can't wait to get it!

For more great stuff:
Victoriavelting

More on Pogos

My entry on Pogos, 2 entries ago, has been nagging at me since I clicked on "publish post". I covered the physical creature itself, but did not touch upon the wonderful story telling that goes along with them. Storytelling is a lost art that I found again in Pogoshop. Reading her little tales, made me smile and even laugh out loud :)

"A recent visitor tried to teach some of the pogos to play football. Well, that was just disaster - much like herding cats. They all wanted their own footballs and found plenty of hickory nuts for that. They ran in every direction kicking any footballs that they saw. They just couldn't grasp the ideas of rules or scores or game plans. Some sat down and started eating the footballs.
But now, what did catch on were the uniforms. They just love the jerseys. They all agreed that being a mascot with a cool uniform was a job that they could do."

"Spencer is such a friendly little pogo. He always wants to play, always wants to share, and is generally pretty hard to say no to. So have an answer ready when he wants to give you some of his acorn stash. Trust me, acorns are nasty."

"Max is full of energy. If you want to spend time with him, you may have to climb a tree."

"Jonah has been looking for hickory nuts to store for the winter. Each time he discovers that the squirrels have feasted on them first, he gets so disappointed. But he's a persistent little guy and he keeps on searching."

"There's nothing little Ernie likes better than rolling in the fall leaves. Sometimes he hides in a pile of leaves and pops out to surprise his friends. Do be careful when you're raking leaves if Ernie comes to live with you!"

pogoshop's Shop

Sleep sacks!

ETA: This Etsy shop may longer be taking orders. There has been no response from this shop for weeks.

I LOVE these and am in the process of ordering some from Bundles Of Joy myself :) My son has always used fleece & cotton sleepsacks, but now a diaper cover will be optional, since a wool sleepsack is essentially a diaper cover. I love the straps on these (they remind me of suspenders), and the snap open bottom. I know she makes them for easy diaper changes, but the benefit for me is that it's easier for my son's late night trips to the potty. Why wool sleep sacks? Let her description tell you:

"A wool sleep sack is a great way to swaddle your baby at night and keep the bedding dry! The sleep sack, unlike blankets, will never be kicked off or wander up to cover your baby's face. And wool is naturally flame-retardant!
The wool sleep sack can be used in a variety of ways. Slip in on over your baby's pajamas in colder weather, or use it instead of pajama bottoms in warmer weather. If your baby wears cloth diapers, you can use the sleep sack as the diaper cover. Or use it over a diaper cover for extra protection against night-time leaking."

This is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the benefits of wool. For more benefits, especially when it comes to sleepwear, I love this page for summing it all up:
Benefits of wool

Pictured are a couple of examples of her work. I love the patchwork one! I'll post mine when I get them!

You can see her shop on Etsy:
Bundle Of Joy
bundlesofjoy.etsy.com

Pogos!

These adorable creatures are made from recycled wool sweaters... even their sweaters are from recycled sweaters! I just love them :) Meet Spencer and Malcom (pictured).

From Pogoshop:
"Welcome to Pogo Forest! The dearest little creatures inhabit these woods. They are soft woolie friends called pogos who hide and play in the hollow trees and mossy clearings by day, but all want companions for stories and snuggling at night."

Check out more of Pogoshop's fun critters here:
Pogoshop
www.pogoshop.etsy.com

Is there life outside of wool?

I had a customer ask for cotton sweaters today, which I hunted down with the same enthusiasm I have for wool sweaters. It took a little getting used to, as my fingers & eyes are now trained to seek wool, but it was a fun hunt! Does anyone else use cotton sweaters for anything? Please post to comments if you do :) I'm intrigued!

Baby clothes

Isn't this set just adorable (and the baby too!) ? This sweater and hat were made from cashmere and merino sweaters... so soft. I love brown on babies! I think the sweaters are doing much better the second time around :) For more adorable recycled clothes, check out Victoria's shop:

victoriavelting
victoriavelting.etsy.com

She has a blog too!
http://recycledrevamped.blogspot.com/

coffee sweater, a first wool project!

There was a link for this in a comment, but this deserves to be featured. This was made by Cyn, a wool newbie. This is her first recycled wool project! Can you believe it? Great job Cyn! That stitching is fabulous :)

Another day, another sweater... or 115

I bought more sweaters on Sunday... 115! Since I got a good deal on most of them, I passed on the saving by marking down most of the sweaters I already had in my Etsy shop. I have an insane amount of sweaters now! Would you believe this pic is only about half of them?

Throw pillows!

Wouldn't this look adorable tossed... anywhere? I love the bright cheerful circles! Check out more great stuff at her Etsy shop:

Valentine's Farm
ValentinesFarm.etsy.com

Talk to me!

Since i'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to add a counter, I have no idea how many people are actually reading my blog. I do know one person is, because I have 1 "follower" (Thanks Chris! ), but other than that i'm clueless. I want to hear from all of you! Tell me what you are making for Christmas out of recycled wool! Do you make & sell something out of recycled wool? Tell us about your shop! What do you think of my blog? Know any cool shops that sell recycled wool items? Just want to chat about the weather? Just post under comments!

Christmas gifts for the kids!

Christmas is around the corner! These cute stuffed animals are made from recycled wool, and handmade in the USA by a wahm. No big box store here! Remember sock monkeys? Well... they have friends now... socktopus, sweater monkeys, and sweater owls! All of these pictured are made with recycled wool. Here is a little info from Clarity's Etsy store:

"This is the shop of Friends of Socktopus, a line of creatures by Clarity Miller. Each item is handmade by Clarity, from her home in the beautiful San Juan Islands. Your purchase allows her to be at home with her wonderful baby, Caspian.
Also, please keep an eye out for our monthly charity fundraising items. The proceeds from one item each month will go directly to a charitable cause. It's better to make a small difference than no difference at all."

Check out her shops :

Friends of Socktopus
http://www.friendsofsocktopus.com/

Blackbird Fashion

blackbirdfashion.etsy.com

Not your grandma's shawl!

When I think shawl, I think frumpy, don't you? Move over granny! Not only did this Etsy lady come up with a beautiful funky shawl, but I love the great pocket, and it's made from my favorite material... recycled wool! This isn't where her talent ends, either. She makes tons of fabulous things, has 2 Etsy shops, and a fun to read blog. Check it all out!

Etsy shops:
iNdecoRum.etsy.com
WonderfullyMadeStuff.etsy.com
Blog:
http://barelyknittogether.wordpress.com/

Funky hats!

Now that it's getting cold outside, our thoughts turn to recycled wool hats... right? :) Check out these super cute funky hats (and cute kids!) by That Funky Boutique.

For more of her adorable hats, and other goodies, go to:

That Funky Boutique
thatfunkyboutique.etsy.com

Christmas monster

I was looking at some monsters on Etsy one day, and my son said "I want a monster". Since he doesn't ask for much, I made him one for Christmas :)

beautiful rag rugs!

This beautiful rag rug is made from wool sweaters! Is there no end to what you can do with recycled wool?

For more gorgeous rugs, visit her Etsy shop:

Fiveforty
www.fiveforty.etsy.com

Warm Fuzzies, book of recycled wool projects!

New to recycled wool? Well, Betz White has a craft book specifically for recycled wool projects!

Description:
"Warm Fuzzies is filled with techniques, tips and patterns for creating over 30 cute and colorful felted items made from cast-away sweaters, including cozy pillows and throws as well as comfortable hats, scarves, pincushions and handbags.

The best thing about these projects is how easy they are to make...and there's no knitting involved! Simply throw old wool sweaters into the wash to make fabulous felted material, then cut the pieces apart and use them to make felted goodies. Start with the sweet Cupcake Pincushion--they're so easy, and super cute!"

To check out her book, as well as her handmade recycled wool items, go to her Etsy store:

Betz White
www.betzwhite.etsy.com

I finished the quilt!!!!!

After hours, & hours, & hours of sewing my son's quilt, my first quilt, is done! It isn't perfect, but it's my first quilt, & i'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's not as wonky as it looks in the pictures, but hanging it on the line was the only way to get a decent pic of the whole thing. I'm making one for my mom for Christmas (she already found out, sigh), but I won't be posting that until after Christmas. At least she won't know the colors ;)

Christmas stockings!

These are much better than the sweaters they once were, and much better than anything in the stores! The word "heirloom" is thrown around a lot these days, but these are definitely heirloom quality. Who wouldn't want their mantle to look like this?

For more great stockings, and other great recycled wool items, check out Feltartistic's shop:
www.FeltArtistic.etsy.com

More sweaters!

My husband took a half day off yesterday, so I went sweater hunting :) My son could not wait to play with them & actually started to climb into the bags when I got home... and they say wool is itchy! Look for lots of great deals in my Etsy store!

www.resweater.etsy.com

I added to the purse!

I added a pocket with a tree and owl! Cute, eh? I think it might be done now.

Vintage wool skorts = cool mama purse!

I am too excited over how this turned out! I wanted a bigger purse than what I have, with 2 large pockets on the sides big enough to hold my son & my Klean Kanteens. I knew this skirt had potential the first time I saw it, but didn't know it would turn out this good. I wasn't expecting much, as I am not very good at making things, but this is perfect! I have been loving all the owl stuff everywhere, so I added an owl using scraps from my son's quilt (still workin' on it!). I'm thinking i'd like to add more design to it... maybe a tree or crescent moon? I'm not sure. Have any suggestions? Please add it to the comments!

I'm making something!

I have been inspired by all the beautiful sweater quilts i've been seeing, so I decided to make one for my son. I am hand sewing it, and figuring it out as I go, so it will be a long time before it's finished, but he will (hopefully) love it & have it forever. I have much respect for those who make these to sell... so time consuming! His favorite color is orange, but I also wanted it to be adult looking, so he doesn't outgrow it. This is what I have so far.

Sweaters & sweaters & sweaters, oh my!

Last Saturday I went into Chicago to hit all the great thrift stores in search of sweaters for my shop. I spent 6 hours in 2 stores & 3 hours driving, but I came back with over 100 sweaters! You should have seen the looks on the cashier's face when I brought up my cart filled with sweaters, lol.

My son was overjoyed at the mound of sweaters, and I let him play in them before I sorted them. Life's simple pleasures :)

I made something!

All the sweaters & creativity around me have got me feeling crafty for Christmas. I will not be selling anything, but i'm going to be making some homemade wool things for my family. It's also nice for me to have something to do while i'm watching the few tv shows that I watch. I made this the other night (out of sweater scraps from my quilt project) for my son, & he loves his "worm". Yes, I understand that worms do not have antennas (my husband was quick to point that out), but this one does. Crusty, what my son named him, also has a sweater ;)