Sustainability

Recognizing the vital role we all play in caring for our planet, Icelma Creations is embarking on a journey of transformation. We are consciously making changes to ensure that every aspect of our operations is sustainable and ethical. This is just the beginning, a crucial evaluation phase, where we lay the groundwork for a future where we not only create, but also contribute positively to our world. We are excited to step up and do our part as responsible caretakers of our planet. 🌍

Working Ethos

Materials

My craft room faces the church green and has far reaching views of the fields, the local Castle and Cathedral make the view seem almost postcard like. “I wish you were here” just to see it as I do, it’s worthy of painting and many do in the warmer months.

I feel blessed to live surrounded by so much history and beauty.

The majority of yarn that sits around me came from the two towns that I can see out of the window. Unfortunately the two independent wool shops are no longer. Making local purchasing less of an option for premium yarn.

Thankfully I have a yarn supply that will last quite a while as I seek to find a healthy supply that matches my yarn needs and future designing projects.

I continue to source as much as I can locally including packaging materials. As I maximise the use of materials that pass through my fingertips by recycling and upcycling wherever possible.

Dated: February 2023

A quick update: The inventory has proven harder than first imagined. Leaving the sensible way forward to track how much yarn I have by recording how much I use from my own stash each month. All new purchases will naturally be tracked for 2024.

I definitely need to await the building alterations this year before attempting again to create a working inventory. Therefore the yarn stash challenge will serve as a record for this year so that adjustments can be made accordingly in the future. It will make sense in the end!

The Facebook post to the right discusses the yarn stash challenge in more detail :) I will be updating my progress via Facebook and have used nearly 300g of yarn since starting this month.

Updated: February 2024

Having access to years and years of materials gathered from purchases and gifted items means that the dilemma of choosing new materials rather than using what i have is no longer an option. The craft room has been reshaped into a storage of yarn balls and cones. I love having the in-house shop at my fingertips but am aware that I have new directions and interests that I would like to now follow.

My love of yarn has been a collection grown over some 20 plus years and was supplied by two local yarn houses that were both generous and supportive to my creative growth and business. At the time I was less concerned about the fibre content and more focused on purchasing items locally rather than online.

This has meant that as my interest in crafts developed so did my collection of yarn and other ‘useful’ items. I currently have an undisclosed amount of yarn with the bias being towards acrylic the rest is wool and cotton. Oh and bamboo which I would love to have more of, but let’s continue.

The first part of my plan for creating less waste this year is to curate an inventory of all my yarn. This will start from April 2023 onwards.

The pandemic has definitely reshaped the high streets of the local towns. I have noticed also that the craft sections of big brand stores has shrunk greatly over the last couple of years.

Recently I went to purchase yarn from the mill an online store which had been trading for over one hundred years. Only to discover it had folded. I was heartbroken for the business, I know that other online stores are finding it hard to continue to operate and am sure the increasing in shipping rates and energy prices all contributed to this situation.

For my business this means that I will continue to work with yarns that I have and limit the buying to custom orders and requests. Thus limiting the costs involved in yarn transportation.

While the craft room is reclaimed one ball at a time. Icelma Creations is Working towards a yarn base that is more natural than synthetic.