I decided to try my hand at making plarn today. Plarn = plastic bag yarn. I took some picture as I went along. You can make several yards with one trip to the grocery store!
First you need grocery bags or other plastic bags and a pair of scissors. I decided to make 2 stranded plarn because the grocery bags I used are very thin.
Step One. Lay your bag out flat. Right side out and side pleats tucked in.
Step Two. Fold in half top to bottom and and then fold in half again. But off the handles & bottom and toss those.
Step Three. Now you will have a folded -up tube of plastic. Cut this tube in strips. My strips are approximately 3/4 inch. I wouldn't go any thinner than 1/2 inch. Exact measurements are not crucial.
Step Four. Unfold all your strips. they will be circular strips.
Step Five. Now you need to link up all your strips. Lay one strip down pulled out into an oval shape. Lay another strip down on top overlapping the end. Like this.
Reach under the end of the left hand strip and grab the end on the right hand strip. Pull this end under the left hand strip until a knot forms. Continue to link the rest of your strips this way.
Pull the grabbed strip through to the right.
From one grocery bag I was able to get just over 9 yards. I thought I might make a sun hat out of it, but I didin't like the way it was working up. However, I do think it would make a great reusable bag. If you have made something useful with plarn please share!
Instead of cutting plarn the way you suggest I use a method where a bag gets cut into one long strip without having to "tie" several pieces together. Instead of trying to do a tutorial myself I use the method explained at http://letbirdzfly.blogspot.com/2011/10/how-to-make-t-shirt-yarn.html which if for t-shirts but it works for plastic bags also. I think if you try it you will like it.
ReplyDeletemeep... thanks for the tutorial it helped a lot!
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