Vintage Necktie Cell Pouch

This is the first of several cell phone/MP3 player pouches made from vintage men’s neckties.   They’ll all be decorated with a variety of things.  This one has a yo-yo flower on it and closes with a snap.

These pouches only use the wide end of the tie, so you’ll see the rest of the ties in other new products to come.

They are becoming bag handles, wristlets, chokers, headbands, key fobs and book straps, to name a few.

Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog for your chance to win two giveaways!  One when I reach 30 subscribers and one when I reach 50.  Read back posts to get more details, and please tell your friends!

By Lynette Connors

I’ve been asked this question many times since I started my second Etsy shop, ReIncarKnits.  People wonder why I call the products in this line “upcycled” rather than “recycled”. What’s the difference? Am I just making up an unnecessary new word?

I first came across the term “upcycled” on Etsy.com, shortly after starting my first Etsy shop, LuvEweKnits.  It’s a fairly new term, but the concept is hardly revolutionary. Our ancestors have been doing this for a long time. So what does it mean?

Upcycling is just one aspect of recycling.  The other is downcycling.  When you look at things to recycle, these are the two basic directions to go.

If you take an item that is considered unusable in its current form and destined to be thrown away, and use it to make something new, that has added value, it is upcycling.  It not only keeps the item out of a landfill, it makes it useful again in some way.  It also reduces energy expenditure. Less new raw material has to be produced to make new products.

If you take the same item, but instead reduce it to a new, raw material to make something new, usually with a lesser quality, it is “downcycling”.  This still keeps the items out of the landfills and oceans, and creates new useful products, but does usually have a higher energy cost in the processing, and usually decreases the quality of the new product.

Take, for example, a brick building that is no longer usable.   If you take it apart carefully, many of the bricks can be reused in walkways, or sliced to make brick facing for things like fireplaces.  These things use little to no energy to create the new product, and prevent the same amount of new bricks being produced at a higher energy cost.

If the building is instead demolished, the brick can still be recycled, but it would be downcycled.  The demolished bricks could be ground up or crushed and used in an aggregate of some sort, or perhaps even as a dust for coloring things like concrete.  It might be combined with other recycled materials and some new, raw material to make something like kitchen countertops.  This still keeps the brick out of landfills, and creates a new and useful product.  The energy cost is higher than upcycling, but still less than manufacturing new kitchen countertops with new, raw materials.  It requires machinery and factories to use fuels (fixatives, etc.) to get the job done.  For things like plastics, when several types are combined to make a new product, the quality of the mixed plastics is less than that of new plastics.

Upcycling can sometimes be interchangeable with repurposing.  My Great Grandmother used to have a plaque on the wall that said, “I’ve been doing so much, with so little, for so long, that now I can do anything with nothing.”  It wasn’t far off the mark.  For generations mothers have used worn out clothing to make quilts, curtains and rag rugs for their homes. They reused glass bottles as cloches in their gardens.  They saved margarine containers to store their leftovers, glass jars for sorting nuts and bolts, and used newspapers and paper towel rolls for crafting, in the garden or barn, etc.  Nothing was thrown away if it could be used somewhere.  The broken rake became part of a tomato trellis; the watering can with holes rusted through became a planter.  Egg cartons started seedlings, or became paint pallets.

Today, upcycling, I think is a bit different than simple repurposing.  I think upcycling takes it a bit further.  There’s often some artistic or creative talent involved.  Using a milk jug as a cloche or making it into a birdfeeder is good repurposing.  Taking an old belt or tie and making an interesting and aesthetically pleasing wristband or cuff is upcycling.  Taking a holey wool sweater and tossing it in the corner or dog crate for your pet to curl up with is repurposing.  Taking the same wool sweater and making it into a bag, pillow, coasters or journal covers, is upcycling.

It’s this idea that fuels my creative process for my ReIncarKnits line of products.  The name says it best, I think.  It is taken, obviously, from the words “reincarnation”, and “knits” combined.  Reincarnation means after one life is done, to return in a new life, as something, or someone different.  Since I started with knitted sweaters, the name ReIncarKnits was a natural fit.

I love to take a sweater, tie, belt, or whatever, evaluate the useful parts of it, and create something interesting and useful around it.  I take great joy in cutting up garments now and seeing what becomes of them.  Sometimes, I’m not sure what they will be until I start disassembling them.  I want my finished products to be unique, of good quality, well constructed, simple in design, but also interesting.  Most of my products are useful things rather than just art pieces, though artistic pieces for display certainly have value in life, too.

This is my take on upcycling and what it means.  I hope it clarifies some terms and ideas for you, and helps you incorporate upcycling into your life, whether you do it yourself, or support the many handmade craftsmen and artists that are selling their upcycled products.

Strawberry Caterpillar Upcycled Sweater Bag

I’ve been very busy sewing my little heart out to make more and more and more

Eco Coasters Sea Breeze

upcycled sweater bags, coasters, etc. for my ReIncarKnits shop on Etsy.  People really like them, and it seems like every time I list more, I  sell more.  I’m trying to keep up!

Chocolate Dream Hand Crocheted Coasters

I also just listed a new set of crocheted coasters in the LuvEweKnits shop today! They’re yummy in chocolate brown. I crocheted these while waiting for my son to finish his English test at the Library.  It was soooo quiet there! Actually I did more than just this set.  I had some time to kill!

There’s also been some excitement around here!  Two Saturdays ago I nearly stepped on a baby snake barefoot, in my upstairs hallway!  That freaked us out for awhile. We all slept downstairs the first night, then we cleared out all the rooms upstairs the next day and did some belated spring cleaning to be sure there were no more.  We did some research, it was a baby Black Rat Snake.  He was lost. I would post a picture, but I know my mother reads this blog and that would freak her out!

Rhododendron Bush 2010

Spring sprang directly into summer here.  It’s been on again off again rain, sun, rain, sun.  You know what means? The grass keeps growing! And we keep mowing it.

It also means, things are blooming here.  My Bleeding Hearts are toward the end of their bloom time, and one of my rhododendron bushes has finally bloomed out spectacularly this year!

There’s some pretty white flowers bloomed along the edge of my flower bed, too.

Cute Little White Flowers 201

They come back every year, I don’t know what they are.  Too tall to be phlox.  I’m also excited about my peonies! They all have lots of big buds on them and the ants are crawling all over them.  They should open up any time now. The hostas are up and leafed out, too, though too early for blooms on them just yet.

Bleeding Heart 2010

I’m hoping this weekend to get the whole family outside and get the flower beds weeded out, put down some fresh mulch, and maybe plant a few new flowers, too.

Sorry for the blur, it’s windy today!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my quirky blog here, 99 Balls of Yarn, to be eligible to win in two giveaways! One random subscriber wins a set of organic cotton crocheted coasters when I reach 30 subscribers, and another random subscriber will win something I made with the yarn I dyed as part of one of my “Yarny Things” here on the blog.  That one happens when I reach 50 subscribers.

Persimmon Treasury

The first is called Persimmon and is curated by Keikeaux.  Gorgeous oranges and peaches in this treasury, very summery and bright.  My orange crocheted coasters are featured, which you can also see in my LuvEweKnits Etsy Shop.  You can go to the treasury and leave a comment while it’s up, and see the screen shot to your left.  Thanks ewe so much, Keikeaux!

The second Treasury is in the new Treasury East, and is called Vanilla Sky.  It is curated by steamgothneovictoria.  It has dreamy vanilla tones throughout, very soothing and comforting.   My knitted Vanilla napkin rings are featured there, which you can also see in my LuvEweKnits Etsy shop.  You can view the treasury and leave a comment while it’s up, and also see the screen shot here below.

Treasury East is different than the other treasuries.  The treasury will stay up unless the curator takes it down.  Thank Ewe so much, steamgothneovictoria!

Vanilla Sky Treasury

Fungus on tree on trails at Shawnee Lookout

Sunday was a beautiful day here!  We took the kids and the dog out for a picnic and a hike at Shawnee Lookout in Hamilton County, OH.  It’s one of several large, beautiful parks in the Hamilton County Parks System.  We live right over the border in IN.

Picnic was cold cut sandwiches, chips and dip, and fruit cups.  Then, a nice hike on one of the trails.  The kids took off ahead while hubby and I and Rosie pup took our time.  I think most of the kids made the loop twice.

I managed to get a couple of pictures as I trailed behind everyone, though the older two were almost never in sight, so I don’t have them.  I don’t know where they get so much energy!

Two of the kids on the trails at Shawnee Lookout

Hubby and Rosie pup on the trails at Shawnee Lookout

Also got a couple nature pics, just interesting things.  Not much in bloom yet, but I could smell lilac in the air from somewhere.

Also while we drove through the park from one site to the next, we inadvertently chased a pheasant who was in the roadway.  She noticed us and started to run, and then finally took wing to glide into the woods on the other side of the road.  They are funny looking when they run!

Small flower on the trails at Shawnee Lookout

Etsy Lab Rats Team Treasury

I was able to snag a treasury today and filled it with just some of the wonderful people on the Etsy Lab Rats Team, which I am a member of.

I did forget that I was signed in as ReIncarKnits when I got the treasury, so that’s the curator’s name on it.

So here is a screen shot of the treasury, including the alternates!

Be sure to check out the treasury itself and leave a comment, and to click into each persons shop and leave them some hearts.  They deserve it!

Lets hope we get to the front page!

The weather is just gorgeous here.  We took the kids out for Chinese food, which was fantastic.  We got there just as they opened, everything was hot and fresh! It’s our favorite Chinese restaurant, too, always great food.  I LUV their green beans! Buttery and garlicy, yummm!

After lunch, we went to the park.  Beautiful and sunny with a breeze!  I took my WoolAgain Creatures(TM) and a couple of new Eco Bags with me and my camera to shoot pictures and got some really great ones.  I’m working on editing photos now, and have started listing some new items in my second Etsy shop, ReIncarKnits.

Caramel Cabled Eco Bag

Some of the kids modeled for me at the park.  They’re so accommodating!  My 16 year old daughter is modeling my Caramel Cabled Eco Bag.

My 12 year old son is posing with some WoolAgains(TM)

WoolAgain Creatures(TM)

on the swing.

More WoolAgain Creatures(TM)

And my 10 year old daughter is posing with some WoolAgains(TM) on the merry-go-round.

Didn’t get oldest son in any pics today, but he was behind the scenes posing WoolAgains(TM) and keeping track of his younger siblings as they ran themselves tired.

Finishing the day with listing several items in ReIncarKnits while hubby gets the lawnmowers all working for the season, and the older kids are mowing.

Hope you’re having a fantastic day, too.

Etsy Lab Rats Giveaway Items, spring 2010

I won!

I can’t believe I won the Spring Giveaway put on by the Etsy Lab Rats team! As we speak, lots of fun items all crafted by talented Etsy Lab Rats Team members are on their way to, or being made for me! I am so lucky!

Here is a screen shot of the wonderful products I’ll be receiving in the mail.  You can read the Lab Rats blog post about the giveaway here, and from there, you can click into the etsy shops.  Be sure to check out the wonderful talented Etsians who donated their products for this giveaway!  Click into their shops and leave a little love behind.

Remember those sweaters I felted?  The ones that were turning into upcycled products for my second etsy shop, ReIncarKnits?  Well, I’ve been working diligently on many upcycled products using them, and the 40-50 or so other sweaters I’ve acquired and felted since then.  Most are in various stages of done-ness and not listed yet.  I keep running out of one thing or another, like thread.  I use a LOT of white thread!  And embroidery wool.  I need more colors.

Eco Bag

I have five eco bags in progress (ran out of grommets!), many sets of felted/quilted coasters and hot pads, pillows, and a few other items.  The Eco Bag shown here was the first I listed, and it sold just hours after I listed it!

But the products I’m most excited about are my new line of upcycled creatures called WoolAgain Creatures(TM) or WoolAgains(TM)!

Here’s a family pic of the first six creatures I made.  One of them has already sold,

WoolAgain Creature(TM) Family Picture

almost as soon as I listed him.  The red one on the left, with one eye?  That’s Wally WoolAgain.  He now resides with a very happy young man, who received him as a birthday gift from his older brother.  Next to Wally is Samuel, then in back, Lola and Petunia.  In front, Franklin and Stripey Spike.  All await good homes.

I have five more in progress I hope to finish today and list over the coming days, and several more after that that are only just begun.

WoolAgain Creatures(TM) each have a name and also a story.  There’s the story of the WoolAgains, and then each one has an individual personality.  Every WoolAgain(TM) is made with recycled, reclaimed, repurposed wool sweaters and other items, with a few new findings here and there as needed.   Every one is completely unique, one of a kind. There can never be another one exactly like it.

When you purchase a WoolAgain Creature(TM), each one comes with a laminated card that tells the WoolAgain Creatures(TM) story on one side, and lists the name, birth date, series # and personality profile on the other side, along with a color picture.  Sort of like an adoption certificate, or collectors certificate.

Working on these WoolAgains(TM) has been so much fun!  Since every one has to be different, it really allows me to unleash my creativity.  It’s a highly satisfying creative endeavor.

So that is what is keeping me busy!  I have a show to prepare for, so I’m working like mad to finish a quantity of creatures and other upcycled things.  If you see something you like in the ReincarKnits shop, don’t hesitate!  Remember, they’re all one of a kind, and whoever is left at show time goes to the show with me.  They are irresistible in person!

Been awhile since I’ve written, so here I am to share this treasury I snagged tonight!  It’s

Upcycle It Treasury with alternates

all about upcycling!  Lots of great treasures made by lots of creative people!

You can catch the treasury here, if you find this before it expires.  Please do visit and leave a comment, and click into each shop and leave some luv behind for them!  There saving our earth one treasure at a time.

If you miss it, you’ll have to make do with the screen shot on your right.

Happy treasure hunting!