Plarn; a labor of love?

I am making new, durable objects out of something we think of as worthless trash while transforming it in such a way that most people I have come across don’t even know that these were once plastic bags.  But, reflecting back over my long history with plarn, I sometimes wonder, “is it worth it?”

To say that crocheting with plastic bags is labor intensive is an understatement quite frankly.  If you are unfamiliar with the process allow me to break it down for you.

First, I collect the plastic grocery sacks.  Simple right?

That is step one, and already I have hit my first obstacle because I do not have the opportunity to procure bags in the normal fashion.  I’m not saying that I don’t accumulate plastic bags because I am a canvas-bag-toting-saint.  I am saying that my husband works at a Trader Joe’s and does all of our grocery shopping.  He should use reusable bags exclusively but he doesn’t.  Instead he usually uses the paper bags that Trader Joe’s give out (and reuses them over and over until they wear out).  In fact, I didn’t know that TJs even had a plastic bag option until Jon prof read this post.  But I digress.

So where do I get all my plastic bags you wonder?  A couple of places.  First, I have a number of friends and family members who save up their bags and give them to me.  This is how I get the majority of my bags.  But since most of my closest friends and family members try to use reusable market bags whenever possible (which is a good thing!) it can take quite a long time to accumulate the quantity of bags that is necessary to create the products that I make.

The other way that I obtain bags is a little more tricky.  I go to super markets and take the bags that other people bring for recycling.  Yes, you heard me correctly; I steal plastic bags.  Now here I will rant a bit because this bothers me.  Why should I be made to feel like a criminal for taking something that nobody wants (plastic bags) and recycling it?  Once, I went to a local grocery store (the Giant Eagle on W 117th, Cleveland) and I wanted some used bags.  My husband was with me and for some reason he decided that he wanted to actually ask the manager if it would be all right if I take the bags.  To our surprise his answer was NO, it was not all right!  At this point I told him why I wanted the bags and his response was, “well how am I to know for sure what you will do with the bags?  For all I know you could take them and throw them in the lake!”  I kid you not, that is what he said.  Then I went to another local super market (Marc’s in Lakewood, OH).  The first time I went I asked the person at the customer service counter if I could take their recycled bags and was relieved when the man said “of course.”  I did this on a couple of occasions until one day I went in and the bin where the bag are returned was bolted shut!  I now only resort to “stealing” bags when I am particularly desperate for a certain color, or my supply is non-existent.

The next step is sorting the bags.  Above is a particularly good haul of plastic bags that my mom and brother collected over several months and gave to me all at one time.  Each bag is checked for cleanness and sorted by color.  Below I have made small bundles of like-colored bags, which breaks them into more manageable amounts when I go to make them into plarn.

After I have at least 30 or so bags of one color I’m ready to make a ball of plarn, which involves cutting each bag, one at a time, and looping the individual pieces together, as shown below.  For a more detailed explanation of this process you may want to read my tutorial on how to make plarn.

Wow, that was a lot of work!  But wait, I haven’t even “made” anything yet!

Next comes the fun part, crocheting the ubiquitous grocery bags into handbags, durable messenger bags, baskets, and cute little owls that sit in your home and make you happy.  This is the part that reminds me of the classic children’s story, Rumplestiltskin.  Instead of turning straw into gold I am transforming trash into…

some lovely purses…

owl wristlets…

a chevron messenger bag…

acorn baskets…

and cute owl decorations.

I enjoy coming up with different crocheted designs and finding old purses past their prime to take apart and use their zippers, buckles and handles.

But what about the question that I pose in the title of this post; is plarn a labor of love?

This is something that I have been thinking about more and more in the last few months following my participation in the Last Minute Market.  I had a wonderful time at the show.  It was the largest show that I have ever done to date and it was also the first time that I showcased ONLY my plarn items (as opposed to a hodge-podge of upcycled items).  The lowest price point at my table was $25.  To me this was all such a big risk.  What would people think?  Would I even sell enough to cover my table fee?  Three hours into the eight-hour show without a single sale I was beginning to have serious doubts.  But I didn’t give up.  The entire day I stood next to my table and engaged each and every person who walked by and gave my work the slightest side-ways glance.  I greeted them and asked them things like, “do you know what these are made of?” motioning toward my table.  To my surprise, most people couldn’t guess that everything on my table was made from plastic grocery bags.

That’s when I would bring them over to my table and show them the poster below as I briefly explained the process.  As I did so I could hear the excitement in my voice about how I developed my technique over the past seven and a half years, and how when I started I barely knew how to crochet at all!

Inevitably they would come to the same conclusion and ask the same question, which were, “this must take you a long time!” and “how many bags does it take to make one of these?”

Though I do my best to estimate how much time it takes me to make one of my purses and how many bags I use, the truth is that it is impossible to calculate.  Okay, maybe it’s not technically impossible, but it’s not the way I want to spend my time, making plarn and crocheting take long enough as it is!

However, what I suspect is at the root of their questions and comments is this, “is it really worth your time to do this?”  Excellent question, and one that I’m trying to figure out for myself.  It’s a question that a lot of craftspeople face, which is, ‘can I really charge what I would need to charge to pay for my time’ (because let’s face it, in my case that is all you are really paying for since the materials are mostly free).

The answer is…

No, I could never really charge enough for the individual items that I create to make my time worth it.  Yet I still keep making them.  I make them because it really is a labor of love; it’s something that I need to do.  I need to make these things with my hands.  I need to share them with other people.  I need to photograph them and write about them and talk to other people about them.  I need them to leave my home and live their own lives with other people.  I need them to be made out of trash, because it is the act of making something out of nothing that is attractive to me.  Plarn gives me an avenue to design and invent while appealing to my sensibilities toward the environment.  And now that I’m a mother, I want to pass on the ideals about reusing, recycling and resourcefulness to my daughter.

If you have liked this article I invite you to follow zween on Facebook.  You may also like to check out these previous blog posts that I have written about plarn specifically:

Crocheting with plastic bags; a six year journey
Toot Tuesday; Making Plarn
Wise Owl Plarn Wristlets
Cheveron Ombre Messenger Bag

Getting Ready for Market

The Last Minute Market is right around the corner!  It’s hasn’t been easy with a little one underfoot (well, attached directly to me actually), but somehow I managed to take a ridiculous amount of plastic grocery bags (saved from the landfill!) and turn them into plarn in a rainbow of colors…  (a big thank you to everyone who collected and delivered bags to me!  This wouldn’t have been possible without you!)

…It hasn’t always been pretty and my dining room table is still buried as I write this but…

Looking over my small army of owl wristlets, which is currently at 11, I have to say I feel a curtain amount of satisfaction.

Although the majority of my inventory consists of purses (owl and otherwise), I will be selling one lone Lorax made of plarn, which is my environmental mascot really.

Below is what my table will look like when you come to see me on Saturday!  Make sure to check out The Last Minute Market’s website for all the details but in the mean time here is what you really need to know;

When: Saturday December 15, 2012 10am-6pm
Where: The Screw Factory
13000 Athens Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio (My table will be on the 3rd floor)

To keep up with all things zween, including special offers, make sure to like my facebook page.

This post has been added to the link party Make it Pretty Monday on the Dedicated House.  Make sure to go check it out and see what other crafty people are up to!

Wise Owl Plarn Wristlets

Perhaps you are familiar with the nursery rhyme:

“A wise old owl lived in an oak.
The more he heard, the less he spoke.
The less he spoke, the more he heard.
Why aren’t we all like that wise old bird?”

I recently became acquainted with this nursery rhyme from Vernon Grant’s Mother Goose, one of my current favorite children’s books to read with little Virginia.  I love the illustrations and the fact that a lot of the nursery rhymes appear in a longer form than what I remember.  I also enjoy the short biography of Grant on the last few pages which describes his long career as an Illustrator, who is best know for creating the characters Snap, Crackle and Pop for Kellogg’s.

You may remember my first plarn owl wristlet, which appeared on my blog just over a year ago.  Well, it was such a big hit last craft show season, I decided to make a few new ones for the Last Minute Market, which I am so excited to be participating in this December 15th!

You may notice that I’ve made some changes to the design since it’s original creation.  The new version features a grosgrain ribbon for the wrist strap, which feels much better than the crocheted plastic against the skin.  The eyes and beak are a slightly different design as well.   And the over-all shape of the bag is a bit bigger and squatter than the original, making it both roomier and easier to access.

These plarn owl wristlets are made with all recycled and re-purposed materials; plastic grocery and newspaper bags, zipper, buttons and ribbon.   This owl is wise to think so highly of our planet and you should too!

Thank you for stopping by.  I’d love to hear your comments about this project if you have a minute or two.  Happy crafting everyone!

To keep up with all things zween, make sure to follow me on Pinterest and Facebook!

This post has been added to the linky party Make it Pretty Monday on the Dedicated House, and Made by You Monday on Skip to my Lou.

Crochet Neckline; DIY Shirt Refashion

Do you know how to crochet?  Do you have a plain shirt that is in need of a little pick-me-up?  Than this project is for you.  Crocheting a neckline is an easy way to transform a ho-hum shirt into something with a little more interest and feminine style.  I love how the openwork crochet creates a lace-like appearance without being overly fru-fru.

I only used three different stitches to create this particular neckline; chain stitch, single crochet, and double crochet.  The thread that I used was just a simple cotton crochet thread that I inherited from my Grandma.  It’s probably a size 10 thread, though it didn’t have a label so I’m not exactly sure.

To begin, I used a 1mm crochet hook to pierce the fabric of the original shirt neckline and create a crocheted foundation for my new crocheted neckline.  This particular shirt has a double layer of knit fabric in the bodice, so it was a little difficult to pierce, which is why I used the smallest hook that I could use with the thickness of thread that I had.  In the places where I pierced the shirt I made a single crochet, then made three chain stitches between each single crochet stitch.  At this point, a fabric marker may come in handy so that you can be sure that your stitches are evenly spaced along the neckline.  Or, you can just wing it like I did.

Once you have a foundation row established, it is a good idea to find the middle of the shirt (front and back) and mark it with some contrasting yarn.  This will come in handy if you would like to do any shaping of your neckline.

From here on your stitches will depend on the look you want as well as the size and shape of your particular neckline.  For my shirt, I used various combinations of double crochet with chain stitches between and single crochet with chain stitches between.  Keep in mind that if you want your neckline to lay flat, the overall number of stitches will need to decrease as you add each successive row.

My original shirt had a neckline that was very deep in front and in back.  I really like it, but I thought that it was a bit low in the front, so I gave myself a little more coverage with the crochet neckline in the front than I did in the back.

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Happy Crafting!

This post has been added to the linky party make it, wear it Thursdays on The Train to Crazy, Make it Pretty Monday on the Dedicated House, The Inspiration Board Link Party on Caroyln’s Homework,  and Made By You Mondays on Skip to my Lou.

Pinspiration; Men’s Shirt to Apron Refashion

Hi all!  Well, little Virginia is growing every day and will be 12 weeks old on Sunday!  I can’t believe it’s been 12 weeks already!  AHHH!!! (see how BIG she’s getting?!)

As my maternity leave draws to a close I thought I’d tackle a quick and easy* project that I can wear to work at the Root Cafe where I am a barista.

I first came across the idea of refashioning a men’s button-down shirt  here on Pinterest.  Although I got the gist of the idea just from the picture, I found this tutorial on the Grow and Make website very helpful.

Need a new apron?  I definitely recommend taking on this project!

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This post has been added to the linky party make it, wear it Thursdays on the train to crazy, Make it Pretty Monday week 18 over on the dedicated house, Make Mondays Marvelous on C.R.A.F.T. and Made by you Mondays over on Skip to my Lou, so check them out for some linky fun!

Chevron Ombre Messenger Bag

Today I finished a messenger bag with a chevron ombre pattern that was made with the humblest of fiber materials; plastic grocery bags lovingly processed into plarn (plastic yarn).

Please enjoy the picture show of how this bag was created.

It all started with a ball of brown plarn…

…and a ball of pink plarn.

Since I had many shades of pink plastic bags I decided to incorporate an ombre design.  See how the pink transitions as I crocheted along, finishing the back panel after three days.

After the back panel was complete it was time to make the front. I could have done the same Chevron pattern here, but I decided to enlarge it instead. This section took one evening to complete.

Next I made a long strip of crocheted brown plarn to give the bag some thickness and then attached all the pieces together. I used pieces of yarn to hold everything in place as I worked so that all of the pieces were perfectly alined.

Finally, I attached an old belt for the strap, since it feels better for wearing than it would had I just made the strap of crocheted plarn.

And here is the messenger bag completed…

I hope you enjoyed the step-by-step pictures of how I made this bag.

To keep up with all things zween, please follow me on Facebook and Pinterest!

This post has been added to the linky party Make it Pretty Monday week 18 over on the dedicated house, Made by you Mondays over on Skip to my Lou, and Making Mondays Marvelous on C.R.A.F.T. so check them out for some linky fun!

Vintage Dresser Rehab

I’m no stranger to Craigslist.  If you have been a regular zween reader you may remember the red, white and chrome retro kitchen table and the awesome vintage buttons I found within the last year.

Now that we’re expecting our first baby, my interest in Craigslist has been renewed with a new purpose in mind; to find useful items for this new addition to our family.

One such item that I’ve been searching for is a dresser.  But it couldn’t be just any old dresser.  No no no, I wanted this dresser to do double duty; booth as a chest of drawers to store clothing and cloth diapers, and as a changing table.  That meant that the perfect dresser had to be of an appropriate height for the latter use, thus rendering taller bureaus out of the running.

I also wanted something older because not only do I like and appreciate vintage furniture, but because buying second-hand can be cost-effective without sacrificing quality.

Which brings me to this little gem I found just two days ago on Craigslist.  I have no idea what style or era you would consider this dresser to fall into (though if you do, I would be interested in knowing!), but I had a hunch that this would be the perfect fit for our needs.  Although the listing only gave a very minimal description and one terrible cell phone photo, we decided to take a chance and check it out.  What did we have to lose?  The item was located less than 2 miles from our house!

When deciding when to go for something and when to pass I very quickly calculate mentally its pros and cons which include things like quality, functionality, aesthetics, and price.  This dresser was listed on Craigslist the day before we went to see for $40.  After taking a good look at it and debating on whether or not it would fit into our Toyota Carolla (it did), Jon offered $30 and it was accepted immediately.

A lot of our furniture has a mid-century modern feel that we really like and although I don’t think that this piece really fits into that era we still really liked it because of its simple, tapered legs and the well-worn and smooth feel to the wood.  Jon really liked the unusual stains of the dresser top.  I really liked the height of the legs which make the very heavy and sturdy piece not feel too heavy visually.

So on the outside we are both more or less happy with this find, the inside of the drawers was the only thing we wanted to change to make this dresser more functional for our needs.  The drawers are dovetailed and well made, but the bottom of one drawer was severely warped and partially braking away from the frame.  Also, all of the drawers were partially covered with an ugly contact-like paper liner.

Some big heavy books (and my typewriter) along with some wood glue and a couple of claps fixed the broken drawer problem, and as for making the interiors of the drawers more inviting, we did a non permanent take on the contact paper idea by making our own fabric-covered cardboard inserts.  It’s basically exactly what I did for my suitcase restoration project a year ago.

The sequence of photos below show Jon figuring out the measurements needed for cutting down the cardboard, cutting the pieces of board, and what the finished cardboard liner looked like before the fabric was added.  The fabric, by the way, was all recycled from some horrible curtains I made years ago.  The color was a perfect complement to the wood tones and I had plenty of it for all three drawers.

Now all we need is a changing pad for the top so that it can function as a changing table!  Using a dresser as a changing table is a great idea, especially since we plan on cloth diapering.  Now we’ll have plenty of storage for those cloth diapers and have a piece of furniture that can be used for many years to come!

 

Pink Plarn Bag for October

A few days ago my good friend Chris who owns and operates one of the cutest shops in Lakewood called Crafty Goodness gave me her sizable stash of pink plastic grocery bags along with several fabric belts.  Among the belts was a very tween-y pink and white striped number from Aeropostale, complete with a huge heart-shaped buckle!

I knew right away that I wanted to make another messenger-style bag with these new materials.  After starting over three times, I finally settled on the crochet hook and color pattern that I wanted to use.

This time around I went for my chunkiest hook, so as to make the bag lighter and more flexible.  Since it is a smaller design than my last messenger-style bag I think that this worked well.

This was my first time integrating white plastic bags into a tapestry crochet design.  I really like how the white and the pink bags pop against the brown, neutral bags.

When my husband came home, the first thing he said was that it looked like it was a breast cancer awareness bag because of the pink.  I hadn’t even thought of that!  Of course!

This year is the 25th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month which is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

To learn more about ways to reduce your risk for breast cancer, and how to detect it early, check out this article from the Mayo Clinic.

Thank you for stopping by!  Happy crafting!

This post was just been linked to Made By You Mondays on Skip to my Lou!