Repurposed plastic containers protect yarn. If, like me, you knit in a home shared with pets, you sometimes have added “fibers” in your finished project. Though I use a tote to hold my knitting projects, the yarn doesn’t feed well from it. I always end up taking it out and putting it on the chair… Continue reading →

Nothing says “I care about the environment” more than bringing your own bags when you shop. The concept started decades ago with the advent of health food co-ops, and is finally starting to catch on worldwide. For a while the debate was paper vs. plastic—both have environmental impact—but the push now is for consumers to… Continue reading →

©Andrea Leigh Ptak When the thermometer dips below freezing, my thoughts turn to my backyard wildlife—the birds that visit my feeders. They need food, water and shelter to make it through the winter. Keeping their feeders stocked with fatty treats like suet cakes, black oil sunflower seeds and Nigerian thistle is the easy part. Evergreen… Continue reading →

Rather Than Toss, Repurpose! Together, Aaron and I have lived in five different states. Since we save nearly everything, we found ourselves with more than a dozen old license plates collecting dust. When we wanted to build a screen to protect the firewood crib from the elements, Aaron got the idea of connecting the license… Continue reading →

Create a Simple Gift! When I have leftover, 100% wool yarn, I like to knit pincushions to have on hand as hostess or housewarming gifts. Someone gave me one years ago, and I loved it. I couldn’t find a pattern, so I studied mine and copied it. It’s basically a ball with a flattened bottom… Continue reading →

Summer Flowers All Fall! One of the perks of having a garden is free flowers. I fill my house with blooms even in Seattle’s cold and rainy fall by drying hydrangeas at the end of summer. I had been apprehensive about flower drying after reading complex instructions that involved silica and space to hang them… Continue reading →

Clean and Easy Food Waste Composting Commercial organic compost is expensive. Kitchen scraps are free! And combined with red wiggler worms they create a rich additive for most backyard vegetable gardens. Seattle’s native soil is primarily clay, so adding organic matter is essential. We started composting with a plastic cone offered by the city. It… Continue reading →