And When You Are Older...
This maxim always amused me as a child. When I got to Uni, my lovely landlady had a huge ball of string in the cupboard. If any string-tied parcel or package arrived, she would carefully unravel it, and knot the end on and make the ball larger.
That meant that whenever you needed a long piece of string, it might be a knotty mixture of smooth white cotton string, green garden twine, and hairy jute yarn!
But for years I've followed her example - and at Christmas, the bundles of branches from the tree, the boxes holding the baubles and much else gets tied with assorted random lengths. Definitely ZeroWaste!
All the boxes are waiting to go back up into the loft.
And me?
I've saved any and all leftover string, and now I'm wondering when I get to have that ball I dreamed of years ago...
I'd never heard that saying before. And not thought of knotting all the lengths together... never too late to start...
ReplyDeleteTidy reef knots work best for me.As learned in the Brownies, circa 1962.
DeleteI see you've corrected the last word!
DeleteFortunately Bob spotted it at 8.30!
DeleteSeveral years ago, there was a news item about a woman who had collected the strings that were tied around her newspapers and had crocheted a table cloth with them, knots and all!
ReplyDeleteDon't you keep your tree up until Epiphany?
Not sure about the string tablecloth. No, I aim to take everything down before Epiphany. "Before the she start of the new school term" is my target
DeleteWe always save bits of string and have a "string tin" full of little balls of different types and thicknesses accumulated over many years. When my OH and I got together our string collections were combined!
ReplyDeleteOh that is SO romantic!
DeleteColin was so good at all the different knots - I only know a reef - which is very bad as an Akela - should have learned more, but do know that one knot taught in Scouts was for tying together different thicknesses of string/rope - no idea which one though.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Colin knew all the knots for tying round a pole, and quick release knots and everything else. The sailor's knot was a key feature of the plot in "Shetland" last month
DeleteMy gran always did that and sometimes it was my job to find a piece of suitable length. We use string/jute twine for lots of things including crafting and I always tie a reef knot-Brownies of course taught me that. Also taught me (aged 7-8) to lay and light a fire, polish shoes correctly, sew on buttons and many other life long skills. Happy memories today. Catriona
ReplyDeleteWe were talking about this the other night - I cannot imagine 7 year olds nowadays being taught to set and light a coal fire! Can you imagine the Risk Assessment Forms?!?
DeleteWe hardly get anything with string on these days to make a ball, most of our parcels arrive plastered in sticky tape which takes years to rot down. I am very pleased though that my subscription magazine, that used to come by post in a plastic sleeve, is now in a paper one and there has been no adverse effects so far. It amazes me how a lot of the big companies are going backwards in their products making them less ecological...like squeezy bottles of sauce when they came in glass before, plastic wrappers on biscuits when it was paper and, my pet hate, plastic banners for advertising when a paper poster was sufficient at one time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about packaging. You are not allowed to use string on Royal Mail parcels anymore, it gets knotted in their mechanical sorting systems.
DeleteWe always keep string but I tend just to wrap it in the ball no knots, it seems to work. I also save any brown paper in good condition that comes my way. Like you I too found my Prince aren't we lucky? Regards Sue H
ReplyDelete🤴🏼 💘 👸 ...very blessed!
DeleteI've not heard that either. I do like reusing string when I can though.
ReplyDeleteIs there any re-use for snapped violin strings?
DeleteSome of my first cards utilised old violin strings bent into the shape of a heart on top of a Costa, corrugated cardboard square!
DeleteThat's a great re-use
Deletethat too is a new saying for me. I always need string in the garden........Happy New Year to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteTo you too. Hope you are not too cold in Canada right now
DeleteMy Dad must have heard of that maxim, as when we sorted through all his hoards in the garage and sheds there was so much string. I kept a few balls for myself for gardening etc and we donated the new, still cellophane wrapped rolls to the charity shop. The balls of assorted knotted strings my Mum threw away in a bid to rid herself of the memory of the hoarding.
ReplyDeleteI will not let myself buy more string till my Stash is all used up - but I do hanker for some pink Nutscene twine.
DeleteI always save the string from bags of potatoes or sugar. I find it useful for tying bunches of herbs when I dry them. You have to find the right end to release the stitching. I read once in Yankee magazine of an old fellow who died and left a gigantic ball of string labelled 'string too small to save'.
ReplyDelete🤣🤣🤣
DeleteI have a ball of rough twine in the junk drawer that rarely gets used. I can never resist saving the thin string from potato bags or sunflower seed bags, but I roll it into single skeins and leave it in a drawer somewhere and forget about it.
ReplyDeleteYou've just reminded me, I left some potato string in the garage last week, I must put it away
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