I'm not usually one to jump on bandwagons, or do things "just because I can". And I'm not one to do something to defy those who said it couldn't be done, either. (It's not that I feel I have nothing to prove; I think it is that I am inherently lazy.) But when Mrs. Doer told me that "you" could knit and crochet things from recycled grocery bags, it was more my own disbelief that prompted the challenge. After several rounds of, "No way!", "Way!", "No way!", "Way!" I decided to look up the website she had found with detailed instructions for making "plarn" (plastic + yarn--how cute is that?).
I had to try it! When deciding on a project to undertake, I decided to pull a Kramer from Seinfeld. O ne of his many brilliant ideas included a coffee table book about coffee tables which was, indeed, published.
My take on the idea was a grocery bag made out of grocery bags.
What's that? It would sell better if showcased by a lovely model? Well, I'm no Vanna, but here goes:
But look at these other ambitious and creative projects I found:
Cathy Kasdan of Clevland, Ohio was finishing up a Master's in textiles at Kent State University with a thesis based on consumer culture.
Cathy writes:
The dress is all hand knit from grocery bags that were the result of actual trips to the grocery store. As soon as I told people I could use their old bags for a project they brought them in by the bag full, I received thousands! The plastic grocery bag came about in the 1950's along with futuristic optimisim about America, so I made a "typical" 1950's ensemble complete with pillbox hat and purse, not pictured. I am going to have my pieces in an art show on recycled art at the School of Art Gallery in downtown Kent.
J-Girl loves this and thinks I should get to work on it right away! By the time I finished it, she would likely be finishing a thesis of some sort, too!
I liked this "mixed media" bag:
It's made of bread bags, yarn, and strips from a recycled, red plastic tablecloth.
For mine I used a size "G" crochet hook, and the entire bag, excluding the handles, is a double crocheted spiral.
When I started I was going to keep count of how many bags it took me to make it. But I kept running out of plarn and having to make more, and I lost track. I'm guessing 150? 200? It was a lot. I think if I decide to make another one I will use a larger hook to make it come together more quickly. But overall, I love it! The first time I took it to the market, however, I had to tell the bagger three times that this is my reusable bag--put some of my stuff in it!!! I think he thought I was just showing him an art project. Weird. But the best compliment came from J-Girl who told me she liked it, and walked away with a resounding, "my mom ROCKS!" Maybe I will make her a plastic dress afterall!
