knotty plastic

ever since i learned how to crochet i have been wanting to make plastic bag "yarn" and make things (like baskets) out of it. i enjoy crochet, but i have found it to be a rather expensive hobby. all the really yummy yarns are pricey, and it takes quite a bit of yarn to make anything of substance. so yarn alternatives have been high on my mind. plastic bags make a nice yarn alternative, and i have been exploring the use of rags (tshirts, denim, that kind of thing). rags and plastic bags both produce a nice result, but it is fairly labor intensive to cut and assemble the strips, and in the case of rags it is also pretty messy with all the fabric debris.

nevertheless i submit for your looking pleasure:
the results of my experiments

this is one of the early ones, made from some interesting urban outfitter bags, mixed with a bloomingdale's garment bag & some super fresh bags

this one is from those squishy blue bags that the nyt gets delivered in, mixed with some plain white bags and some funky thick plastic/rafia-like twine i found at the asian grocery store

i think the brown bags were super fresh, the dark green from barnes & noble, the white ones are mixed various & the green and gold bag was a holiday bag from the gap.

this one is mixed with some chrarcoal grey wool yarn, and the blue and white bags are from various places....marshall's i think. funny how the bags tell a little story about where i shop.

this is one of the many reasons i haven't had so much time for the blogging...too busy knotting. i have about a half a dozen or more that i haven't photographed yet. my next exploration will be into finding some cheap twine-type somethings to work with. i have been surfing around on the ebay, and i need to go have a look see at the home depot and the like.