4.20.2008

Another pair of shoelaces

Philip found these old Nikes that fit him perfectly and he really wanted some yellow shoelaces to go with them. I am trying to keep our house as sweatshop-free as possible and I thought about the yellow sock yarn sitting in my stash from the Anticraft heart which was the perfect size for some shoelaces. I casted on 3 stitches and worked 32" of i-cord. They are finished with tape and glue so they will stay together as well as a store-bought pair. I like these much better than the first pair that I made on a knitting spool though these don't sparkle.


I really like making things I need out of materials I already have. While I was working on these shoelaces, several people commented on how it was a waste of time. To that I explained that by the time I factor in the time spent searching for the perfect yellow shoelaces and the gas used to drive around searching for said shoelaces it would probably be faster and cheaper to make them myself. Plus, I don't get the same kind of satisfaction from buying as I get from making things myself. The other day I ran across the Story of Stuff which reaffirmed my desire not to become one of those Americans who use shopping as a way to feel better about themselves. Everyone should watch this video and more importantly learn from it and use at least some of the tips given after the video.

7 comments:

robiewankenobie said...

THAT is an AWESOME video. we just watched it with the kids.

L. Marie said...

What a great idea! I had never thought of making shoelaces, but now I'm staring at my stash.... I've read the Story of Stuff, too. It was assigned to me in an anthropology class my freshman year and I think I was just about the only person in the class that was remotely interested in it.

VeganCraftastic said...

Cool laces!

Anonymous said...

Those laces are excellent!

Anonymous said...

Hi, my name's Angela.

My boyfriend must have somehow come across your blog, because he emailed it to me and I love it! I've been knitting for a while and recently joined Ravelry. At the same time, I've been a vegetarian for 3 years and am trying to become vegan, so your blog seems like the best of both worlds for me! I liked it so much I put it as a link on my blogsite. Thanks for doing what you do, and I'll continue to read!

vania said...

What a great idea - handmade shoelaces. They look lovely!

Julie H. Rose said...

These are great! I wanted to find out how to make my own shoelaces. I want flat ones, so i-cord won't work. How have the ends held up? I need to make mine tight and sharp to get into some ugly shoes I want to dress up.