Posts
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
It was in 2001 when I first read in the magazine of The Nature Conservancy about the project to replant trees in Brazil's Atlantic Forest to restore it.
With only 7% of the original tropical forest left, it is one of the hottest biodiveristy hotspots on the planet. (Read the website of Conservation International to find out about biodiversity hotspots.)
So, today, I found out about the campaign of The Nature Conservancy to Plant A Billion Trees in The Atlantic Forest of Brazil.
I have made my first contribution today - it is one dollar for one tree - simple - do you want to make your own contribution?
I am putting the "widget" for the campaign here on my blog.
My goal is 1000 for right now - I want a lot of trees planted!!
This planet has had too many trees cut down!!
What can you do???? What do you want to do????
Ruth
Sunday, April 27, 2008
BIODIVERSITY OFFSETS - MAKING CONSERVATION, RESTORATION & PROTECTION OF GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY A STANDARD PART OF BUSINESS PRACTICES
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
In earlier posts, I have stated about being a forest lover and wanting trees planted.
Well, I have felt this way a long time.
It was in 2001 that I read in the magazine of The Nature Conservancy (July/August 2001 issue)about Forest Trends, a DC-based company that is helping to "promote sustainable forest management and conservation by creating and capturing market values for ecosystem services" as stated in their Mission on their website. I also read about the 2 U.S. companies, General Motors and American Electric Power donating millions of dollars to fund the land purchase and restoration of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, which is one of the hottest global biodiversity hotspots on the planet - and at that time, had only 7% of the original forest remaining.
I was so excited, I then felt like jumping for joy!!
Mainstream United States businesses were joining our battle to protect the biodiversity of our planet.
Believe you me, it gave me hope for our planet and us!!
And the restoration of Brazil's Atlantic Forest is still going on as a major project of The Nature Conservancy: http://www.plantabillion.org/. (see my next post in a few minutes!)
Even more gives me hope when I read the website of the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program, which has the following statement on their website:
In my opinion, protecting and restoring biodiversity and our forests needs to be a part of every business, so I feel biodiversity offsets should be a standard part of business practice.
I personally do what I can by donating to groups that I feel are making significant contributions to biodversity and telling people about what these groups are doing, such as The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and The Aldo Leopold Foundation.
What can you do?
Ruth
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
In earlier posts, I have stated about being a forest lover and wanting trees planted.
Well, I have felt this way a long time.
It was in 2001 that I read in the magazine of The Nature Conservancy (July/August 2001 issue)about Forest Trends, a DC-based company that is helping to "promote sustainable forest management and conservation by creating and capturing market values for ecosystem services" as stated in their Mission on their website. I also read about the 2 U.S. companies, General Motors and American Electric Power donating millions of dollars to fund the land purchase and restoration of Brazil's Atlantic Forest, which is one of the hottest global biodiversity hotspots on the planet - and at that time, had only 7% of the original forest remaining.
I was so excited, I then felt like jumping for joy!!
Mainstream United States businesses were joining our battle to protect the biodiversity of our planet.
Believe you me, it gave me hope for our planet and us!!
And the restoration of Brazil's Atlantic Forest is still going on as a major project of The Nature Conservancy: http://www.plantabillion.org/. (see my next post in a few minutes!)
Even more gives me hope when I read the website of the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program, which has the following statement on their website:
"Our vision and expectation is that biodiversity offsets will become a
standard part of business practice for those companies with a significant impact
on biodiversity. The routine mainstreaming of biodiversity offsets into
development practice will result in long-term and globally significant
conservation outcomes.Our vision and expectation is that biodiversity offsets
will become a standard part of business practice for those companies with a
significant impact on biodiversity. The routine mainstreaming of biodiversity
offsets into development practice will result in long-term and globally
significant conservation outcomes."
In my opinion, protecting and restoring biodiversity and our forests needs to be a part of every business, so I feel biodiversity offsets should be a standard part of business practice.
I personally do what I can by donating to groups that I feel are making significant contributions to biodversity and telling people about what these groups are doing, such as The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International and The Aldo Leopold Foundation.
What can you do?
Ruth
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
EARTH DAY IS EVERY DAY #2 - CHANGE YOUR DIET & HELP REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
Well, this is a new slant on helping to do something about climate change. I had never read much of anything about it until today - and I guess this was a good day to learn something new about how I could help reduce climate change - it is the offical Earth Day, after all!!
Funny thing about it - it coincides with what I do to eat a healthy diet for me (healthy for my body, I mean, not just the planet).
"Low-carb" has an additional meaning these days.
"Low-carb" for years has meant eating a diet with carbohydrate grams of what you eat being below a certain level.
Well, this "low-carb" diet has a new meaning for "carb" - in this meaning "carb" means carbon and a Low Carbon Diet means a diet low or lower in contributing to carbon emissions. When the food production, transportation of the food and disposal of any of the food (and how) is calculated, foods have different carbon levels - there are are low carbon foods, or lower carbon foods and higher carbon foods.
Apparently meat - such as beef - and cheese - and some fish or seafood - are higher carbon foods, while poultry is a lower carbon food than livestock meat - and locally grown vegetables and fruits are really lower carbon foods. Locally grown fruits, vegetable - or locally grown anything - is lower carbon because there will either be no transportation - or very little.
Fruits and vegetable generally are a low carbon food, but those Dutch red peppers from The Netherlands are much higher carbon because of all the transportation from The Netherlands, which causes a lot of carbon emissions. Those Dutch red peppers (the sweet variety that I like so much) and that I have seen in some produce sections look gorgeous and delicious, but both the price and the fact that they came from overseas put me off right away and I wouldn't buy them.
On the other hand, going to the local orchard where you can pick the fruit you want off the tree yourself and put them in your own boxes or bags that you are re-using - and that taste many times better than the same kinds of fruit in the grocery store that came by 18-wheel refrigerator trucks - will really have a lower carbon level, because:
1) locally grown (no carbon emissions from 18-wheel refrigerator trucks!!!!)
2) hand-picked
3) no packaging because you pick it and can put it in your own recyclable, reusable container
4)very little waste because it tastes so delicious and you eat it ALL!!
My home grown fresh herbs are really low carbon - I grow them in my front yard in containers organically and when I want them, I just step outside and cut a few pieces off to put in whatever I am cooking. Locally grown, hand-picked as needed, no packaging and no waste at all!!
Check out this link for a "Low Carbon Diet Pocket Guide" by Bon Appetit Management Company: http://www.circleofresponsibility.com/uploads/documents/low_carbon_diet/8-1740_lcd_pocket_guide-final.pdf.
If you want, use their Low Carbon Diet Calculator at http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/.
Like I said, reading about the Low Carbon Diet - it coincides to some degree with my own personalized diet - lots of fresh vegetables and a moderate amount of fresh fruit - poultry, which is my main animal protein, is definitely preferred over any livestock meat like beef. The only real difference is that a doctor recommended wild alaskan salmon, which I understand is a fairly high carbon emission food because of how it is caught and transported, but I only eat a small amount of that.
So do two things - eat healthier for you and eat more low carbon for the planet.
Every day is really Earth Day!!
To a healthy environment for all of us --
Ruth
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
Well, this is a new slant on helping to do something about climate change. I had never read much of anything about it until today - and I guess this was a good day to learn something new about how I could help reduce climate change - it is the offical Earth Day, after all!!
Funny thing about it - it coincides with what I do to eat a healthy diet for me (healthy for my body, I mean, not just the planet).
"Low-carb" has an additional meaning these days.
"Low-carb" for years has meant eating a diet with carbohydrate grams of what you eat being below a certain level.
Well, this "low-carb" diet has a new meaning for "carb" - in this meaning "carb" means carbon and a Low Carbon Diet means a diet low or lower in contributing to carbon emissions. When the food production, transportation of the food and disposal of any of the food (and how) is calculated, foods have different carbon levels - there are are low carbon foods, or lower carbon foods and higher carbon foods.
Apparently meat - such as beef - and cheese - and some fish or seafood - are higher carbon foods, while poultry is a lower carbon food than livestock meat - and locally grown vegetables and fruits are really lower carbon foods. Locally grown fruits, vegetable - or locally grown anything - is lower carbon because there will either be no transportation - or very little.
Fruits and vegetable generally are a low carbon food, but those Dutch red peppers from The Netherlands are much higher carbon because of all the transportation from The Netherlands, which causes a lot of carbon emissions. Those Dutch red peppers (the sweet variety that I like so much) and that I have seen in some produce sections look gorgeous and delicious, but both the price and the fact that they came from overseas put me off right away and I wouldn't buy them.
On the other hand, going to the local orchard where you can pick the fruit you want off the tree yourself and put them in your own boxes or bags that you are re-using - and that taste many times better than the same kinds of fruit in the grocery store that came by 18-wheel refrigerator trucks - will really have a lower carbon level, because:
1) locally grown (no carbon emissions from 18-wheel refrigerator trucks!!!!)
2) hand-picked
3) no packaging because you pick it and can put it in your own recyclable, reusable container
4)very little waste because it tastes so delicious and you eat it ALL!!
My home grown fresh herbs are really low carbon - I grow them in my front yard in containers organically and when I want them, I just step outside and cut a few pieces off to put in whatever I am cooking. Locally grown, hand-picked as needed, no packaging and no waste at all!!
Check out this link for a "Low Carbon Diet Pocket Guide" by Bon Appetit Management Company: http://www.circleofresponsibility.com/uploads/documents/low_carbon_diet/8-1740_lcd_pocket_guide-final.pdf.
If you want, use their Low Carbon Diet Calculator at http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/.
Like I said, reading about the Low Carbon Diet - it coincides to some degree with my own personalized diet - lots of fresh vegetables and a moderate amount of fresh fruit - poultry, which is my main animal protein, is definitely preferred over any livestock meat like beef. The only real difference is that a doctor recommended wild alaskan salmon, which I understand is a fairly high carbon emission food because of how it is caught and transported, but I only eat a small amount of that.
So do two things - eat healthier for you and eat more low carbon for the planet.
Every day is really Earth Day!!
To a healthy environment for all of us --
Ruth
Monday, April 21, 2008
SPRING HAS SPRUNG - WARMER DAYS - TIME FOR A REFRESHING SALAD!!
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
A constant part of all of our lives is what we eat.
For a variety of reasons, I have watched my diet and what I eat most of my life - I have keen memories of this part of my life going back to when I was 8 years old.
For some reason, I eat differently at different times of the year. In the colder months, I eat a lot of warmer foods - especially soups and stews - made with fresh ingredients.
But in the warmer months, it is salads.
Not your normal everyday lettuce and tomato salad - oh that is way too boring for me - and besides it is not the best for me.
What I do in the warmer months is to try an keep a dish of some kind of chopped up salad in the refrigerator.
It varies - sometimes it is hotter, like a salsa, with mainly onions, tomatos, hot peppers (usually either jalapenos or serranos) and fresh garlic. But very often I have a dish of just the greener/non-fruit/non-carb vegetables chopped up - it is great to grab a few spoonfuls in a hurry for a snack or it goes great with just about anything - chicken, fish, a dish of organic brown rice and veggies, a rice cracker - but what ever it is with, it is refreshing.
For me the basic ingredients that are always in it are:
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
A constant part of all of our lives is what we eat.
For a variety of reasons, I have watched my diet and what I eat most of my life - I have keen memories of this part of my life going back to when I was 8 years old.
For some reason, I eat differently at different times of the year. In the colder months, I eat a lot of warmer foods - especially soups and stews - made with fresh ingredients.
But in the warmer months, it is salads.
Not your normal everyday lettuce and tomato salad - oh that is way too boring for me - and besides it is not the best for me.
What I do in the warmer months is to try an keep a dish of some kind of chopped up salad in the refrigerator.
It varies - sometimes it is hotter, like a salsa, with mainly onions, tomatos, hot peppers (usually either jalapenos or serranos) and fresh garlic. But very often I have a dish of just the greener/non-fruit/non-carb vegetables chopped up - it is great to grab a few spoonfuls in a hurry for a snack or it goes great with just about anything - chicken, fish, a dish of organic brown rice and veggies, a rice cracker - but what ever it is with, it is refreshing.
For me the basic ingredients that are always in it are:
- fresh garlic
- fresh onion (either red or yellow or white or scalllions - what ever I have/prefer)
- fresh hot pepper (either jalapenos or serranos - but if I use serranos, I use less as they are HOT in anything even in small amounts)
But with these three ingredients (which are also very often the basis for a fresh salsa), you need other green veggies to offset their strong flavors (and, oh, keep the toothpaste and toothbrush close by!). Since I am making a green/non-carb veggie salad, the other ingredients, which vary depending on what I have and what I feel like, are:
- cucumber
- celery
- fresh broccoli
- fresh red, green, orange or yellow peppers (not the hot ones - the so-called "sweet" ones)
- tomatillos (rarely, but occasionally)
- cabbage (either red or green)
- radishes
Then come the fresh herbs - again depending on what I am growing (I grow fresh herbs in containers in my yard) - which really add some great flavor to the veggies:
- rosemary
- basil
- tarragon
- chives
- dill
- mint
- oregano
Then mix it all up (sometimes with some black pepper, too) - and put in the refrigerator, covered (I use covered glass dishes that I have collected over the years - I think it tastes better in a glass dish) - for a while -- and then you have a tasty snack/side dish availabe at any time -- until it is all gone.
I usually make a pretty good sized dish, so it lasts me at least a couple of days!!
And, if it is all gone - and I want a veggie to grab, there is always a stalk of celery or a few radishes or some slices of cucumber or pieces of fresh broccoli.
And sometimes, it all tastes the greatest when I mash up a rather ripe avocado and mix in some of the veggies with some red or black pepper and sea salt (small amount).
Maybe you would like to try it!!
I am going out all day tomorrow, so I am chopping up some of my favorite fresh veggies to make one of these chopped salads to take with me - and some stalks of celery, some radishes - and a fresh orange or two - along with some meat I cooked up today. Easy to take along and much better than just anything I could grab while I am going around.
EAT FRESH FOODS!! AND THESE SALADS ARE REALLY REFRESHING!!
KEEPING A BOWL OF CHOPPED UP SALAD IN YOUR FRIDGE, IT WILL BE EASY TO GRAB!!!
IF YOU FEEL LIKE IT, FOR SOME NATURAL SWEETNESS, YOU CAN TAKE A FEW SPOONFULS AND CHOP UP SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE FRUITS (MINE TO EAT WITH SALADS ARE WATERMELON OR STRAWBERRIES OR APPLES OR ORANGE OR GRAPEFRUIT - OR A VARIETY OF BERRIES!!).
DIG IN!!
Ruth
Monday, April 14, 2008
NEW SPRING DOILY ON EBAY - PROCEEDS OF SALE WILL BE DONATED TO THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Thread
Every once in a while I'll do an auction/buy-it-now listing of my crochet on eBay.
I've been selling my doilies for years there now and have some customers who are use to finding my crochet there. So, in addition to my shops on etsy.com, I will also be putting some of my crochet on eBay.
This one is an "eBay Giving Works" listing - 100% of the selling price will be donated by me through "eBay Giving Works" for a donation to The Nature Conservancy. I have been doing these "eBay Giving Works" listings periodically since about this time last year and all of the ones that have sold have been for The Nature Conservancy.
Check out where The Nature Conservancy works for preserving the diversity of life on earth:
And right now Mission Fish and eBay have a "Spotlight on the Environment": http://www.missionfish.org/About/mfnews/mfn_031808.jsp !! It will be going on for all of April and May 2008.
As a customer, maybe you will find something special for sale in their "Spotlight on the Environment" pages -- as a seller - maybe you want to join in!!
Ruth
SPRING HAS ARRIVED IN THE ANTELOPE VALLEY, CA
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Threads
Spring has truly arrived - it gets really warm now in the afternoons - and my miniature rose bush has buds that are starting to open!
Here - take a look!!
This picture shows sub buds opening up with bright dark pink roses - and if you look closely, you can see some buds that are still closed on these branches.
Actually there are lots and lots of buds - in a week or two, the bush will be full of miniature red roses.
It is getting close to 7 years since I moved in here - a previous tenant planted this little miniature rose bush out in front - well since I have been here it has grown and grown - and there are a couple of smaller bushes next to it now -- and at various times of the year I have a bush full of roses!
I have learned to prune it regularly, because then I have more blooms!!
As my little front yard garden develops over the spring, summer and fall months, I'll periodically post pictures of the different plants.
When my rose bush is in full bloom - I'll show it here on my blog!!
Ruth
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Items
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Threads
Spring has truly arrived - it gets really warm now in the afternoons - and my miniature rose bush has buds that are starting to open!
Here - take a look!!
This picture shows sub buds opening up with bright dark pink roses - and if you look closely, you can see some buds that are still closed on these branches.
Actually there are lots and lots of buds - in a week or two, the bush will be full of miniature red roses.
It is getting close to 7 years since I moved in here - a previous tenant planted this little miniature rose bush out in front - well since I have been here it has grown and grown - and there are a couple of smaller bushes next to it now -- and at various times of the year I have a bush full of roses!
I have learned to prune it regularly, because then I have more blooms!!
As my little front yard garden develops over the spring, summer and fall months, I'll periodically post pictures of the different plants.
When my rose bush is in full bloom - I'll show it here on my blog!!
Ruth
EARTH DAY IS EVERY DAY #1
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Things
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Threads
Earth Day is every day in my life -- and over the days I will be posting about how taking responsibility for healthy living on our planet is part of my life.
I have mentioned it before - but I want to focus on it here again.
I joined Etsy and started selling there last fall - then I eventually found their Street Teams and I discovered Eco Etsy Street Team.
Etsy has an e-zine, "The Storque".
As part of Earth Day, "The Storque" is having a series of articles called "Earth Tones" in their craftivism section.
One of the articles is "Why We're Green" and it is here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/craftivism/article/earth-tones-why-were-green/1587/
In the article is mentioned Ruth of RSS Designs In Fiber - and that is me!!
As I do very frequently, I am quoting Aldo Leopold, my favorite philosopher on the environment.
Here is the section of the article from me:
A whole bunch of us sellers on etsy.com strive to do our businesses in an ecologically conscious manner - we reduce waste, re-use, recycle, precycle, upcycle - a lot of us do it all we can -- and we dicsuss how we can best do it.
Some of the items sold on etsy.com are made of salvaged, re-claimed, repurposed, recycled, upcycled materials - and many of us re-use packaging materials as part of our business practices.
Some of us make things that are re-usable for many years in materials like cotton and wool and other fibers- handmade using minimal amounts of energy - and because they last and can be reused for many years, they reduce waste over time.
Keep up on the "Earth Tones" articles in "The Storque" on etsy.com!!
Check out the Eco Etsy Street Team profile page (http://team.etsy.com/profilest/eco.shtml), their blog (http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/), and our Eco Etsy Website (http://www.ecoetsy.com/).
You might find some interesting things that are truly eco-friendly in the shops of our Eco Etsy Street Team - the individual shops are listed on our profile page on etsy.com http://team.etsy.com/profilest/eco.shtml.
Some of my favorites are eco-friendly dish cloths and wash clothes, items made from recycled circuit board (check out Debby Arem Designs) and hand-made paper items made from recycled papers of all kinds (check out Penguin Love).
Lets all work to make our planet healthier!!
Ruth
RSS Designs In Fiber - Internet Shop of Handmade Things
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - Internet Shop of Crochet Threads
Earth Day is every day in my life -- and over the days I will be posting about how taking responsibility for healthy living on our planet is part of my life.
I have mentioned it before - but I want to focus on it here again.
I joined Etsy and started selling there last fall - then I eventually found their Street Teams and I discovered Eco Etsy Street Team.
Etsy has an e-zine, "The Storque".
As part of Earth Day, "The Storque" is having a series of articles called "Earth Tones" in their craftivism section.
One of the articles is "Why We're Green" and it is here: http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/craftivism/article/earth-tones-why-were-green/1587/
In the article is mentioned Ruth of RSS Designs In Fiber - and that is me!!
As I do very frequently, I am quoting Aldo Leopold, my favorite philosopher on the environment.
Here is the section of the article from me:
Words speak volumes for some people, as is the case with one Etsy seller,
Ruth of RSSDesignsinFiber. She chose this quote from Aldo Leopold's
"Land Ethic” to make a point:
"To sum up: a system of conservation based solely on economic
self-interest is hopelessly lopsided. It tends to ignore, and thus eventually to
eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value, but
that are (as far as we know) essential to its healthy functioning. It assumes
falsely, I think, that economic parts of the biotic clock will function without
the uneconomic parts."
Ruth relates Leopold’s message back to Etsy, saying that, "[as] makers
of hand-made goods in a 'Do It Yourself' environment, we are those private
owners at Etsy — we need to take responsibility for our whole community
including the planet, in how we conduct our lives and our businesses."
A whole bunch of us sellers on etsy.com strive to do our businesses in an ecologically conscious manner - we reduce waste, re-use, recycle, precycle, upcycle - a lot of us do it all we can -- and we dicsuss how we can best do it.
Some of the items sold on etsy.com are made of salvaged, re-claimed, repurposed, recycled, upcycled materials - and many of us re-use packaging materials as part of our business practices.
Some of us make things that are re-usable for many years in materials like cotton and wool and other fibers- handmade using minimal amounts of energy - and because they last and can be reused for many years, they reduce waste over time.
Keep up on the "Earth Tones" articles in "The Storque" on etsy.com!!
Check out the Eco Etsy Street Team profile page (http://team.etsy.com/profilest/eco.shtml), their blog (http://ecoetsy.blogspot.com/), and our Eco Etsy Website (http://www.ecoetsy.com/).
You might find some interesting things that are truly eco-friendly in the shops of our Eco Etsy Street Team - the individual shops are listed on our profile page on etsy.com http://team.etsy.com/profilest/eco.shtml.
Some of my favorites are eco-friendly dish cloths and wash clothes, items made from recycled circuit board (check out Debby Arem Designs) and hand-made paper items made from recycled papers of all kinds (check out Penguin Love).
Lets all work to make our planet healthier!!
Ruth
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Thursday, April 10, 2008
ANNOUNCING - MY OWN INTERNET SHOP OF MY FAVORITE CROCHET THREADS!!
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Internet Shop for my finished craft projects for sale
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - My Internet Shop for the crochet threads I want to sell
(See the sidebar to the right, below for mini pictures of some of what I have available in each shop!!)
Most people who do crafts have their favorite materials.
So - I am no exception!!
I started doing thread crochet regularly in 2003 - it took about a year for me to find the crochet threads that I now prefer.
Actually, I found out about the brand because I got a ball of their crochet thread in a lot I bought of second-hand thread in new condition.
I discovered that it was of unusually good quality - that it held a pattern well and I felt it was certainly superior to the crochet thread I had been buying locally.
The brand is DMC and they make a variety of threads - and I feel that they are truly beautiful - and they make my crocheted projects the quality that I want.
For size 10 crochet thread, which is apparently the most used size of crochet thread these days, I use and recommend:
1. DMC Baroque (comes in 8 colors)*
2. DMC Traditions (comes in 18 colors)*
3. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
4. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 20 crochet thread, which is thinner (or finer) and is considered heirloom weight:
1. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 30 crochet thread, which is thinner (or finer) and is considered heirloom weight:
1. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For sizes 40, 50, 60, 70, 100 crochet or tatting thread, which is the thinner heirloom weights:
1. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 80 crochet or tatting thread, which is fine heirloom weight:
1. DMC Tatting Cotton (comes in 30 colors - 21 solid, 9 variegated)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
I also use and recommend - for excellent quality and a large assortment of colors - DMC Pearl Cotton - in all the sizes it comes in (due to is special twist - it has a range of sizes different from regular crochet thread-size 3 is the largest and size 12 is the thinnest):
1. size 3 (in skeins)*
2. size 5 (in skeins - and a few colors in balls)*
3. size 8 (in balls - 230+ colors)*
4. size 12 (in balls - 40 colors)*
Though all of these threads are of excellent quality, the three that are truly superior in quality are DMC Cordonnet Special, DMC Tatting Cotton and DMC Pearl Cotton. DMC Cordonnet Special and DMC Tatting Cotton are of superior six-cord quality. DMC Pearl Cotton is of extremely high quality - its special twist gives it the "pearly" effect it is known for - with a beautiful sheen.
You should see and use these threads to see the quality for yourself!!
The following quotes come from a book that I have, which is written by DMC about Cordonnet Special, "DMC CENTENNIAL EDITION CORODNNET SPECIAL "CENTENAIRE du Cordonnet Special":
I have personally crocheted with all of these threads in different sizes (not all sizes for all threads, but all of these threads) and I personally prefer them to other crochet threads I have found.
You can check out the website for DMC USA yourself - they list all of their crochet cottons and they have color lists, so you can see which colors they have available.
At this time, I do not have any of the DMC Cordonnet Special or DMC Tatting Cotton six-cord threads in my Internet Shop, but I could at any time and people can email me about what colors or sizes of thread they are looking for.
I have a few of the colors of some threads in my shop, http://www.rsscrochetthreadplus.etsy.com/, - which colors and the amounts can change at any time - anyone should feel free to email me - either here or through my shop on etsy.com.
I REALLY, REALLY RECOMMEND THESE THREADS - FOR CROCHETING OR KNITTING DOILIES, OTHER HOUSEWARE ITEMS, LIGHTWEIGHT COTTON CLOTHING (INCLUDING BABY CLOTHING) - AND THEY ARE VERY GOOD FOR BEADING!!!
DMC PEARL COTTON IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR EMBROIDERY REQUIRING A "RICH EFFECT AND RAISED PATTERN" (DMC PEARL COTTON COLOR CARD) AND IS ALSO USED FOR NEEDLEPOINT.
CHECK OUT MY INTERNET SHOP - AND/OR GO LOOK AT THE DMC USA WEBSITE AND SEE THE RICH ASSORTMENT OF THREADS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CRAFTS!!
HAPPY CRAFTING!!
RUTH
(*This is the information that I have about these threads at the time of publication - the DMC USA website will have the current information at any time.)
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Internet Shop for my finished craft projects for sale
RSS Crochet Thread Plus - My Internet Shop for the crochet threads I want to sell
(See the sidebar to the right, below for mini pictures of some of what I have available in each shop!!)
Most people who do crafts have their favorite materials.
So - I am no exception!!
I started doing thread crochet regularly in 2003 - it took about a year for me to find the crochet threads that I now prefer.
Actually, I found out about the brand because I got a ball of their crochet thread in a lot I bought of second-hand thread in new condition.
I discovered that it was of unusually good quality - that it held a pattern well and I felt it was certainly superior to the crochet thread I had been buying locally.
The brand is DMC and they make a variety of threads - and I feel that they are truly beautiful - and they make my crocheted projects the quality that I want.
For size 10 crochet thread, which is apparently the most used size of crochet thread these days, I use and recommend:
1. DMC Baroque (comes in 8 colors)*
2. DMC Traditions (comes in 18 colors)*
3. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
4. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 20 crochet thread, which is thinner (or finer) and is considered heirloom weight:
1. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 30 crochet thread, which is thinner (or finer) and is considered heirloom weight:
1. DMC Cebelia (comes in 26 colors)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For sizes 40, 50, 60, 70, 100 crochet or tatting thread, which is the thinner heirloom weights:
1. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
For size 80 crochet or tatting thread, which is fine heirloom weight:
1. DMC Tatting Cotton (comes in 30 colors - 21 solid, 9 variegated)*
2. DMC Cordonnet Special (comes in White and Ecru)*
I also use and recommend - for excellent quality and a large assortment of colors - DMC Pearl Cotton - in all the sizes it comes in (due to is special twist - it has a range of sizes different from regular crochet thread-size 3 is the largest and size 12 is the thinnest):
1. size 3 (in skeins)*
2. size 5 (in skeins - and a few colors in balls)*
3. size 8 (in balls - 230+ colors)*
4. size 12 (in balls - 40 colors)*
Though all of these threads are of excellent quality, the three that are truly superior in quality are DMC Cordonnet Special, DMC Tatting Cotton and DMC Pearl Cotton. DMC Cordonnet Special and DMC Tatting Cotton are of superior six-cord quality. DMC Pearl Cotton is of extremely high quality - its special twist gives it the "pearly" effect it is known for - with a beautiful sheen.
You should see and use these threads to see the quality for yourself!!
The following quotes come from a book that I have, which is written by DMC about Cordonnet Special, "DMC CENTENNIAL EDITION CORODNNET SPECIAL "CENTENAIRE du Cordonnet Special":
"Cordonnet Special, as it is now known, was designed in 1884 and soon became the
pinnacle of DMC's tradition of quality. .... After 1901 the quality of this
thread was still further improved, thanks to the process of mercerization which
gave the thread a permanent gloss and added strength. .... The quality of
Cordonnet Special remains unparalleled today. Its superiority has been
maintained by the use of exclusive production methods, unchanged since 1901. It
is still made from one of the finest fibers in the world - long staple Egyptian
cotton." copyright 1984 EDITIONS TH. de DILLMONT-MULHOUSE (FRANCE), DMC LIBRARY - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - PRINTED IN FRANCE by PPR.
I have personally crocheted with all of these threads in different sizes (not all sizes for all threads, but all of these threads) and I personally prefer them to other crochet threads I have found.
You can check out the website for DMC USA yourself - they list all of their crochet cottons and they have color lists, so you can see which colors they have available.
At this time, I do not have any of the DMC Cordonnet Special or DMC Tatting Cotton six-cord threads in my Internet Shop, but I could at any time and people can email me about what colors or sizes of thread they are looking for.
I have a few of the colors of some threads in my shop, http://www.rsscrochetthreadplus.etsy.com/, - which colors and the amounts can change at any time - anyone should feel free to email me - either here or through my shop on etsy.com.
I REALLY, REALLY RECOMMEND THESE THREADS - FOR CROCHETING OR KNITTING DOILIES, OTHER HOUSEWARE ITEMS, LIGHTWEIGHT COTTON CLOTHING (INCLUDING BABY CLOTHING) - AND THEY ARE VERY GOOD FOR BEADING!!!
DMC PEARL COTTON IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR EMBROIDERY REQUIRING A "RICH EFFECT AND RAISED PATTERN" (DMC PEARL COTTON COLOR CARD) AND IS ALSO USED FOR NEEDLEPOINT.
CHECK OUT MY INTERNET SHOP - AND/OR GO LOOK AT THE DMC USA WEBSITE AND SEE THE RICH ASSORTMENT OF THREADS THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOUR CRAFTS!!
HAPPY CRAFTING!!
RUTH
(*This is the information that I have about these threads at the time of publication - the DMC USA website will have the current information at any time.)
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Tuesday, April 8, 2008
RELAY FOR LIFE
Ruth Sandra Sperling
So, when a member of my ETSY Street Team - Eco Etsy - put out a call for donations for a gift basket for the "Relay For Life" event they were participating in, I decided to contribute.
RSS Designs In Fiber
andRSS Crochet Thread Plus
RELAY FOR LIFE -- I like that name! It is positive - it is for life!!
But RELAY FOR LIFE by the American Cancer Society is a special event that has special meaning for those touched by cancer. Here is the website that gives overall information about the event: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?sid=1030&type=fr_informational&pg=informational&fr_id=7960
If you want - check it out - maybe you can find a "Relay For Life" event near where you live.
And, yes, I have been touched by cancer - not that so far I have had to deal with it as a medical problem for myself (knock on wood) - but people near to me have had it - and people I have admired have had it.
Some survived -- unfortunately some didn't including some who I considered very special in my life.
So, when a member of my ETSY Street Team - Eco Etsy - put out a call for donations for a gift basket for the "Relay For Life" event they were participating in, I decided to contribute.
(See the website for their "Relay For Life" event: http://relay.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RelayForLifeMidwestDivision?fr_id=7960&pg=entry)
As it is through someone who is on ETSY - it is a handmade gift!
It is turquoise - fitting for this spring season.
It is a cloth pouch for putting just about anything in. I put in some turquoise and white coasters - hand-crocheted by me. The fabric for the pouch came from an old turquoise t-shirt that had some holes in it, so it couldn't be worn any more. The edging is hand-crocheted by me with a white band - and then more crocheting in an aquamarine thread. I hand-crocheted the braid cord with a strand each of white and aquamarine thread - put 2 wood pony beads on it - one at each end of the cord - and there we have it!! Made all in my spare time - hand-crocheted and hand-sewn - I hope someone enjoys it!
Here are some pictures showing all the pieces and the detail of the crocheted edging.
Yea for HANDMADE!!
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Combating Global Warming - Forests/Trees/Plants/Soils
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber
One of my most favorite things in the world is trees and forests of them!!
I guess I was lucky - since I was a little girl growing up, I got to go to forests.
And part of curbing Global Warming - or climate change - is by protecting forests. I want them protected anyway because I love them, but there are many reasons for planet health to protect them. In my own opinion (I am just a public lay-person after all - not a scientist!!), way too much forest has been cut down on this planet over the centuries - and we need to plant them.
One of my favorite environmental groups - Conservation International - has an article about how forests help to curb Global Warming on their website : The Road After Bali (Jan. 2008) - you can click on this link to get to it and read it yourself.
Here is a quote from it:
So -- now we can combine our love of forests just for the love of them with biodiversity conservation (which is of course very logical) and curbing Global Warming - good all around!!
But I just read an article today on the Internet about another project going on in the UK about researching how to manage and design soils which may also help to remove carbon from the atmosphere permanently and cost effectively: "Specially-designed Soils Could Help Combat Climate Change" from the Science Daily dated April 2, 2008 -- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331110057.htm. (read it!!)
This sounds like a great idea to me - I hope the research projects show that it works!!
And I would like to add one more thing from my favorite philosopher on the environment, Aldo Leopold from the book, "A Sand County Almanac":
Yes, folks, if you think our forests look smaller, you are probably observing correctly - partially because of logging and partially because the micro-flora of the soil is not what it used to be, so trees that are growing are growing in smaller -- especially in areas where there has been logging or tree-removal as that negatively impacts the micro-flora of the soil -- so I am a big advocate of soil restoration and planting trees!!!!
And if you would like to know more about Aldo Leopold, who actually did forest restoration in his life, check out his family's foundation website: The Aldo Leopold Foundation - http://www.aldoleopold.org/. There is a lot of information about what Aldo Leopold did, wrote and advocated - and what this family foundation does - I just went there and on the first page is a letter from his daughter, Nina Leopold Bradley, to our presidential candidates. Again - I totally agree with a member of the Leopold family!!
And, oh, by the way - when you visit the Conservation International website, calculate your ecological footprint - I took their test and got a score of 64 - according to them that makes me an "Eco-Ally" which I strive to be every day I live!!
Ruth
RSS Designs In Fiber
One of my most favorite things in the world is trees and forests of them!!
I guess I was lucky - since I was a little girl growing up, I got to go to forests.
And part of curbing Global Warming - or climate change - is by protecting forests. I want them protected anyway because I love them, but there are many reasons for planet health to protect them. In my own opinion (I am just a public lay-person after all - not a scientist!!), way too much forest has been cut down on this planet over the centuries - and we need to plant them.
One of my favorite environmental groups - Conservation International - has an article about how forests help to curb Global Warming on their website : The Road After Bali (Jan. 2008) - you can click on this link to get to it and read it yourself.
Here is a quote from it:
"Forests are one of the best hopes to curb climate change, and Conservation
International (CI) has been protecting them for decades. The new Bali roadmap
shows the world is catching on.
"At last month’s United Nations convention
in Indonesia, countries agreed to consider a greater role for forests in a
climate treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol. Forest mitigation
activities have been sorely underused, and were met with opposition in past
negotiations despite having clear benefits.
"Healthy forests remove massive amounts of CO2 from the air, but when
burnt down or cleared, they spew harmful gases into the air. Tropical
deforestation accounts for 20 percent of global emissions.
" 'The forest component of climate is a great opportunity to
prevent greenhouse gas emissions,' says CI President Russell A. Mittermeier.
'But it’s also a tool for biodiversity conservation at a scale never before
imagined.' "
So -- now we can combine our love of forests just for the love of them with biodiversity conservation (which is of course very logical) and curbing Global Warming - good all around!!
But I just read an article today on the Internet about another project going on in the UK about researching how to manage and design soils which may also help to remove carbon from the atmosphere permanently and cost effectively: "Specially-designed Soils Could Help Combat Climate Change" from the Science Daily dated April 2, 2008 -- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080331110057.htm. (read it!!)
This sounds like a great idea to me - I hope the research projects show that it works!!
And I would like to add one more thing from my favorite philosopher on the environment, Aldo Leopold from the book, "A Sand County Almanac":
"Many forest plantations are producing one-log or two-log trees on soil which
originally grew three-log and four-log trees. Why? Thinking
foresters know that the cause probably lies not in the tree, but in the
micro-flora of the soil and that it may take more years to restore the soil
flora than it took to destroy it."
Yes, folks, if you think our forests look smaller, you are probably observing correctly - partially because of logging and partially because the micro-flora of the soil is not what it used to be, so trees that are growing are growing in smaller -- especially in areas where there has been logging or tree-removal as that negatively impacts the micro-flora of the soil -- so I am a big advocate of soil restoration and planting trees!!!!
And if you would like to know more about Aldo Leopold, who actually did forest restoration in his life, check out his family's foundation website: The Aldo Leopold Foundation - http://www.aldoleopold.org/. There is a lot of information about what Aldo Leopold did, wrote and advocated - and what this family foundation does - I just went there and on the first page is a letter from his daughter, Nina Leopold Bradley, to our presidential candidates. Again - I totally agree with a member of the Leopold family!!
And, oh, by the way - when you visit the Conservation International website, calculate your ecological footprint - I took their test and got a score of 64 - according to them that makes me an "Eco-Ally" which I strive to be every day I live!!
Ruth
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Crocheting With Color Change
LEAF AND FLOWER MAT - DESIGN BY ELIZABETH HIDDLESON
Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber
When I do crafts, I think about 3 things actually - the composition, the graphics - and the color.
If a design I see is especially graphic - or is a particularly classic crochet design - I sometimes choose to do it in all white or all beige - either ecru or cream. All beige is usually classified as either vintage, primitive or, if you are thinking season, for the fall. All white is usually considered classic or winter.
But I usually visualize my projects -- and more times than not, I visualize projects in colors. This is just me - when I did photo landscapes, I choose to do color slides and transparencies because of the sharpness and the vivid colors.
I guess this is just me -- I think in color!
The picture at the top is of a table mat or doily that I did and sold during 2007. The pattern comes from a Magic Crochet Magazine of 1989. In the magazine, the pattern is written for all ecru. But the very first time I saw the pattern, I started thinking about what color to make the flowers and the leaves and how to do it.
I have many patterns and it was one of the patterns that I kept in mind for doing for some time.
I have been crocheting doilies/table mats for some years now - and several years ago I had found out about DMC crochet threads and Pearl Cotton. In DMC Pearl Cotton size 8, I had discovered a tremendous palette of colors with which I could crochet. DMC Pearl Cotton size 8 comes in about 230+ colors - and 30+ of those colors are shaded or variegated. (Check out the DMC USA website for color lists!!) They come in what I call "color groups" - and some of the solids match the colors in the variegated/shaded colors. I had so much fun matching up colors and picking out the ones I wanted to have to do my doilies in color!!
I finally figured out how I wanted to do the doily in the picture at the top - and it is done totally in DMC Pearl Cotton size 8.
I used Color #51 - a bright variegated color with reds and yellows in it - for the 7 flowers in the center.
For the leaves, I chose to use 2 colors:
1. Color #367, named Dark Pistachio Green in the DMC color lists I have, as to me it looks like a good color for leaves.
2, Color #92, which is not named, but I call it shaded pistachio greens, as the various greens in it match the pistachio greens on the DMC color lists.
Look at this closeup photo to see how I used the 2 different greens in crocheting the large leaves that are in a circle around the center of 7 flowers.
As you can see in these photos, there are contrast borders - the border around the center of 7 flowers - and then the border for the whole doily - I chose to do these borders in Color #712, cream.
Crocheting this doily in these vibrant, contrasting colors, was like "painting with fibers" - and was a lot of fun!!
I am selling just a few of these DMC Pearl Cotton size 8 colors in my shop on Etsy - RSS Designs In Fibers.etsy.com.
And you can check the DMC USA website to see what colors you can find in DMC Pearl Cotton (it comes in various sizes) - for your own crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint, knitting, etc. pleasure!!
Ruth
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