May 18 – Green Friday

How green are you?

Whether you call it the Big Blue Marble, Third Rock or Mother Earth, you’ll want to celebrate the beautiful planet we all share.

Learn a new word. Upcycle means to convert waste
or useless products into new materials or goods of better quality or higher environmental value. The word may be new though the practice of thrift is not. Using materials until they’re no longer beneficial is
as old as the hills.

Take a class. Jane Bynum’s Natural Dyes—Around the House focuses on dye materials for fiber derived from food and food-waste materials such as onion skins. Go on an exciting adventure in color with this ec0-approach to dyeing yarn. For details and to register, visit classes.

Before you trash your trash, get hip to Carolyn Kotlas’ Recycled Fiber Projects with clever and unique uses for objects and  materials past their original purpose. With VHS videotape, she knitted this elegant evening clutch (at left) and added a crochet edge. Amazing. Wait till you see what she does with pantyhose!

Got a mountain of plastic shopping bags in your pantry? Catch D’Nise Hefner as she transforms boring plastic bags into fab, colorful knitted and crocheted totes. And she’ll demo a new, small project to hold your IPhone or IPod. These women will inspire you with fun, creative ways to makeover old stuff.

On Green Friday, wear or carry an item made of recycled or
re-purposed materials for a chance to win the tote (pictured at left), woven from recycled silk.

Sound like fun?