UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion

I know it's not as much of a problem in the Europe and North America as it used to be but here the culture of using plastic bags is still rife.
The people in the shops I frequent cant get their heads round the crazy Canadian who brings her own shopping bags and still try to put my shopping into plastic bags before putting them into my cloth bags!
I'm still amassing way too may plastic bags though.
I was discussing this with Dave's teaching assistant and we thought it might be nice to create a booklet of some sort for the children to re-use plastic bags in crafts.
In the past, I've seen knitted or crocheted shopping bags made out of strips of cut up bags.
Has anyone come across any patterns?
Or any other crafts using found items?
The two big horrible items here are plastic bags and plastic bottles, both water and soft drink.

Hurts my soul.

We declared our town Plastic Bag Free several years ago - of course it isn't, completely, but the only people who don't use their own bags now are visitors (and if they're staying long enough they soon change!) As a regular litter picker I've really noticed the difference, particularly in the number of bags caught in tree branches.

http://pinterest.com/sherron/plastic-... lots of ideas

http://www.kidspot.com.au/OMO-fun-zon...

http://www.instructables.com/id/Flowe... Don't know how old the kids you'd be doing this would be Patti, this uses knitting needles so probably not good for littles!

The nursery school here made a little greenhouse our of drinks bottles, I'll see if I can find a pic...

Thought I had a photo of our own but apparently not. HEre is instructions from the RHS tho

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardenin...

- they have a lot of good stuff for school gardening!

Oh wow Rosemary! That's brilliant stuff!

That greenhouse is fabulous!

Dave's class has buddied up with a class of little ones and that would be the perfect project for them. Dave just had a look and said its fabulous.

I'll show it to Rosemarie. That's the other teacher's name. ;)

I'm sure you will finish it Jud,you have invested too much into it not to!
Love the recycling ideas Rosemary,how lucky those kiddies are to have you and Dave Patti!

That's sounds fab idea with the recycling! I hope I do get it finished I'm at the point to start decreasing stitches (finally) but not sure I understand the pattern so have asked mum to have a look at it. Hopefully once I get rid if a load of stitches it'll go quicker!

Hi All,
I'm no good at craft but very much admire people who are. My sister, Jacqui, is in the US and she is very crafty and recently she has just started something called "punch needle". I've only see photos of what she's done so far, but it looks great. I don't know anyone who does it in the UK but she swears it's easy but then she's good at these kind of things. I think it's like needle point? (I dont know how to send a picture or I'd send one) Anyone heard of it?
ps the idea of using plastic to make crafty things sounds great ...here in Edinburgh the Botanical Gardens have just announced they are replacing the wooden benches with ones made of recycled plastic - they say it is too costly to keep the wooden ones in good nick. I think it's a pity as I love the wooden benches but at the same time we have to accept we are going to have to find ingenious ways of recycling plastic so we don't all drown in that plastic soup out there! Cheers and nice to meet all your crafty people here :)

I'm really pleased with myself my knitting is starting to actually look like something. I made one wee mistake but it just meant I had to knit together 3 stitches instead of 2 but out of 420 stitches per row I'm quite proud of that. Now I have less stitches per row I'm getting round it a lot quicker. I knit all of last night so have made good progress for a change.

I've seen punch craft kits,I think it was readicut that used to sell them,the effect was rather like a very fine latch hook.
I share your views on the wooden seats being replaced in the Botanic Gardens.The wooden seats seem more in keeping with the natural environment.
Great news re the knitting Jud.

Thanks Sarah, I'd quite like to start needle punch (or punch craft) as it looked like something I could manage – or maybe I'm being fooled by my sister's enthusiasm? Ha! Yes, it's a pity about the seats at the Botanics. You'd think it'd be worth the cost of keeping them in a good state of repair just because they are so lovely and yes, in keeping with the environment. Inside the West Gate they have a lovely exhibition of things made from Oak and there's a beautiful wooden bench there ... which we did sit on it but I'm not sure if we were supposed to ;o)

ps Judd, what are you knitting ... 420 stitches per row sounds like zillions??? Is it a very big jumper, or a blanket – but as I've not knitted since I was wee, maybe 420 stitches a row isn't that many?
Good luck with it :)

It's a baby dress, the needles are 2.5,, and it has a frill on the bottom which is why there are so many. I'm down to 132 stitches now

Thought this was such a good idea, I'd never remember to do it everyday though

http://pinterest.com/pin/218149979102...

I just got lost on pinterest...

Pinterest is fantastic - I'm finding more great crochet patterns that I will ever manage to complete in a life time! And it's a better way to organise them then just bookmarking on my computer.

Couple of free craft books today:-

Quilting
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Crochet
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

I'll catch up with your all properly next week. My crochet hook is flying! The yarn arrived on Monday thanks to Deramores. I'm working solid today and tomorrow, hoping the get the blanket finished and ready for washing on Thursday, so that I can give it to my sister on Friday to take back with her! My kindle is reading me stories while I work...

:0)

Oh yay! So glad you got the yarn Karen :o)

Great news Karen! Go you!

Jud (Disney Diva) wrote: "It's a baby dress, the needles are 2.5,, and it has a frill on the bottom which is why there are so many. I'm down to 132 stitches now"

wow, a baby dress. okay, sounds like it will be lovely :)

Thanks for the link on the Quilting book, Karen. Just nabbed it.

Flying visit to post today's craft freebies!

Two books on homemade gifts
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Just loaded the bread maker up with ingredients only to find the thing has broken! Beyond gutted!

:0(

Oh no :o( What a shame Karen.

Karen (Kew) wrote: "Just loaded the bread maker up with ingredients only to find the thing has broken! Beyond gutted!

:0( ."


I'm still debating whether to put a bread maker on my Christmas/Birthday wishlist. As I enjoyed my homemade bread (for pictures of it see my blog ;) ) but my oven is not reliable.

Craft wise I've now got almost two dozen Christmas decorations made. I'm also wondering whether to get some gilding flakes as I've seen some that would make some very interesting cards. The trouble is that there are so many nice colours that I can't decide which ones to get. :(

Stick to Christmassy colours Jay-me :o)

Green and red all the way.

Jud (Disney Diva) wrote: "Stick to Christmassy colours Jay-me :o)

Green and red all the way."

Ha! The gilding flakes are metallic colours.

Shame about the Breadmaker Karen.I must admit I've never really taken to mine,only used it twice so probably didn't give it enough of a chance.I prefer knocking hell out of a lump of dough!
I have used quite a lot of copper coloured card,glitter and embossing powder this year Janet makes a nice change from silver and gold.I teamed it with black and really like the result.

Still crocheting - was up til midnight last night working on the blanket! Sis and family come tomorrow, and I still have the house to clean... urk!

Better get busy Karen!

I've hardly had anytime to get on with my knitting. At least panto is next week and I should be able to make some headway with it.

Today's free craft book is knitting!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Catch up with you all much later....

:0)

Thanks Karen I just nabbed it

Phew! *props eyelids open with matchsticks*

11pm, the blanket is finally finished and in the washing machine (on a delicate wash!) Just waiting for it to finish so that I can place it on the airer - housecleaning will have to be done early tomorrow....

YAY!!!!

Talk about persistence! Well done Karen!

Excellent news Karen, well done.

That is great Karen ,you did we'll finishing it and hope he appreciates all the work you have put into it,am sure we all want to see a photo of completed blanket when you get your breath back xx

Brilliant Karen! Definitely want to see photo.Well done you!

Discussed building the bottle greenhouse with Rosemarie. We've decided it's much too windy where the school is, especially in winter, so there's no point in trying it.

:(

I've quickly uploaded a photo of the blanket

http://www.goodreads.com/photo/group/...

We're off to the seaside in a mo, so I'll catch up properly with you all in the week.

:0)

Wow! Lovely Karen!

Have a great time!

Excellent work Karen, he will love it I am sure.
Well done

My mum knits scarves and sells them to a shop in Killyleagh (where she grew up) my aunty also sells ringpull bags (like this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silver-Meta...) there. Dame Judy Dench is currently filming in Killyleagh and she nipped into this shop and bought one of my mums scarves and one of my aunty's bags!!

How lovely, Jud!

Today's free craft books

With daisies
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Gift baskets
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Selling craft online
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

Karen,the blanket is lovely.What talent and patience you have,he will be thrilled.
love the ringpull bag Jud and Judi Dench buying one.Brilliant!

I think I've gone wrong with my knitting again :o( I've somehow got 147 stitches I should have 140...

Oh no Jud! I so admire you're persistence I would have launched it by now.Could you perhaps knit 2 together at the start and end of alternating rows instead of having to rip it out?

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...
this is midsummer nights fairy finished ive started my next project.

Well Now I have an announcement to make.
After 23 months and 22 100g balls of wool, I have finished the bedspread I was crocheting!
To be fair I did have quite a few stops along the way and a double became two singles (due to changes in beds). I still have a single to do. Hopefully it won’t take that long this time. So pleased to be half way there. Yea!!

Jud I'm with Sarah here, try and and absorb them in the next few rows, failing that can Mum help put you right? Hang in there, it will all click into place soon.

Kerstie your Xstitch is just beautiful. What fabric did you use,is it evenweave? I love the colours.

Brilliant Pat!I bet you have the next one finished in no time you will be looking forward so much to seeing them on the beds.22 balls of wool,Wow! Do they go all the way to the floor?

Kerstie that is beautiful

Pat congrats on finishing the bedspread

Jud hope you can sort your knitting out ,you have done good so far .

Karen your blanket looks lovely ,glad you got the rest of your wool in time

I have started some of the quilt I am going to make but maybe in 3 years time I will either have it finished or send to rubbish dump lol!!so don't expect photo in near or distant time

Love the photos. Karen's blanket is fab, and I just love Kerstie's xstitch.

Have stalled on the patchwork quilts for the mo. Life has a habit of getting in the way of bigger projects.