All posts by Sylvia Szucs

About Sylvia Szucs

Victorian Eclectic blogs on our changing lives, toward a useful mindset for those who would like to conserve, use less, save. It is a given that we will keep technology. We need to have fun along the way.

Pincushions For Yarn Needles

Crochet, Useful stuff, ,

Here are several of my pincushions.

DSC06657 The black, green and red folk design cushion was a gift.  It works well for regular pins and needles but not for thick yarn needles.  I crocheted the pastel pink, green and yellow one with size three acrylic yarn, and stuffed it with craft fiber fill.  It works well for thick yarn needles, but It is ugly.  I also crocheted the red cushion to try making a pin cushion out of a steel wool soap pad.  Somebody wrote that soap pads made great pincushions, because they sharpen and polish the needles.  After I made this cover, and tried it, I found it very difficult to use, even for regular pins and needles. which would not go into it easily.   My favorite is the multicolored cotton crocheted one with the fiber fill.  It works well for yarn needles, any pins and needles, and looks good.

  • Steel wool pads do not make good pincushions, though the covering looks good.  It is useless
  • Dense fabric does not accommodate yarn needles
  • Number three or four acrylic yarn, covering the pincushion, is useful for yarn needles, though it is ugly
  • Cotton number four yarn makes  a both beautiful and useful pincushion for holding yarn needles.

The Sea Level Is Already Rising Due To Climate Change

Climate, Energy, World,

National Geographic published this article, Sea Level Rise: Ocean Levels Are Getting Higher-Can We Do Anything About It?

National Geographic article-sea-level-rise_16648_600x450 svd 31AUG2015  This photograph from the article,  shows Venice, Italy, during a big flood in 2008.

According to this article, the sea level has already risen in the past century 4 to 8 inches, and the rate of rise is expected to increase substantially, due to climate change.  Since the early 1990s it has risen an average of 0.14 inches per year, ( which is about 1/6 of an inch per year).  This suggest that it has risen perhaps 4 inches in the 25 years, and maybe the rate of increase has already picked up.

What are the implications for us who live on Galveston Island, an average of 7 feet above sea level?   Eventual inundation.  Of course, it is a gradual process, marked by higher tides here and there, according to the sun, moon, and storms.  In the meantime, we can enjoy our beach, homes, and city, as the people do in flooded Venice, above.

In answer to the question, can we do anything about it?  Of course we can.  We can use our resources, including all energy and brain resources to transitions off of fossil fuels.  We should already have been transitioning away from them.

 

 

Season of Creation, September 1, 2015 Through October 4, 2015

Climate, , , , ,

As an individual world citizen, I am following the Catholic Church’s Season of Creation, strongly put forward this year by Pope Francis.

barrier-island

This picture of Galveston Island part of this article on barrier Islands.  These  islands have been around for around 18,000 years.  We who live on these islands are at especially high risk during storms, because of their low elevation, and the easily moved sand.

DSC02800 This is a Gulf side view from Galveston Island’s Seawall.

The average elevation of Galveston is 7 feet above sea level.  I can tell you that I am very concerned about  the impact of sea level rise and other aspects of climate change on our barrier island home.    For this and many other reasons I am observing the Pope  Francis’s Season of Creation observations.