A recent newsletter from Interweave Press had an article about 'plarn'. That's a portmanteau word combining 'plastic' and 'yarn'. It showed how to cut plastic bags up and turn them into a form that can be crocheted or knitted or whatever. Woven perhaps. It wasn't quite as easy as it sounded. The bag is folded and cut into strips that are actually loops, and then those loops linked together. You have to be careful joining them that the two sides are even. On my first attempt I cut the strips too wide. I forgot to take into account that in the plarn, the plastic is doubled. I made the next batch half as wide and that worked. I haven't made anything with plarn yet, but I can see it has possibilities.
I've seen plarn used for plastic mats for use under sleeping bags. I've never actually tried it though, as camping is not something I enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThat would use up a lot of bags!
DeleteI've seen this for mats for the homeless. What do you envisage it for. It's good to give these bags another life,
ReplyDeleteI thought perhaps a shopping bag.
DeleteI wish I could show a pic. I have a crochet plarn bag. My husband calls it a "bag of bags". The way I learned was to cut the bag almost to the edge then individually cut from one strip to another causing the whole thing to be one long piece. When that ends, you just overlap ends to start the next.
ReplyDeleteAh, that makes sense, many thanks! I'll try it.
DeleteI have seen info on this, but I have often wondered what people would make it into. :)
ReplyDeleteMy Grandma did this decades ago...just because she could. She made a bag for wet clothes.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I woukd want to wear it, but I can see possiblities
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting way of crocheting, good luck with it!
ReplyDelete