Plarn

Plarn: homemade yarn made from plastic grocery bags.

At this point in this post, you are probably wondering why in the world any (non-insane) person would make yarn from plastic. You are probably also thinking that you never felt the need to make a plastic scarf.

If these are your thoughts, it is now my noble responsibility to explain the benefits of making plarn:

1. Plastic yarn can be used to make homemade, washable products. For example, you could use your plarn to crochet a rug for your mud room. When it gets muddy, simply wash the rug, let it dry and then place it in your mud room to catch all the dirt once again! (P.S.: By wash, I mean cold water in the sink or with a hose outside. Don't stick it in your washing machine or dryer unless you want to try to make a blob of plastic goo.)

2. If you are new to crochet or knitting, using plarn can be a great project. If you make something, (like a scarf) with regular yarn, it might end up close to your optic lobes, where you might see all of your mistakes and want to throw it out the window. If you make something (like a rug) with plarn, on the other hand, it will most likely be stomped by muddy boots, where I naturally assume you will not place your head.

3. Plarn is a great way to use all of your leftover plastic grocery bags. This can be more enjoyable than using them for cat litter. WAY more enjoyable.

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PLARN

SUPPLIES:

• Plastic grocery bags (The amount will depend on how much you want to make)
• Scissors

With one of your hands, pinch a bottom corner of the bag. Then, with your other hand, take hold of the handle across from the bottom corner you are pinching.

Pull your hands away from each other until that side of the bag is flat.

Do it again with the other side and then set it on the table to admire it. Do you see what you did? You made a flat plastic bag. Congratulations.

Lay the bag on the table so that it is running lengthwise in front of you (the handle or the bottom of the bag shouldn't be facing you.)

Then, fold the bag in half.

Fold it in half again, like the picture shows, and then smooth it out.

Using your scissors, cut the handles and the bottom of the bag off.

Then, cut the strip into even pieces. The wider you cut your pieces, the thicker the plarn will be. I recommend six pieces.

Unfold each of the pieces and admire your handy work. If you did it right, you should have little plastic loops.

Now is the time to create your strand. Pull one loop halfway through another loop. Look at the picture. See how I made one piece hang off another piece?

Reach through one side of the "non-hanging" loop (the one that you put through the other piece) with your fingers. Grab the "hanging" loop and come out of where your went in.

Pull tight. 

For the next piece, focus only on the loop at the end. Stick that loop halfway through a new loop.

Reach your fingers down through the "non-hanging" loop, grab the "hanging" loop and come out where you went in. Pull tight. Continue on with all of your other strands until it reaches the length you desire. (Aww! Look at my kitty!)

Use the long strand just like you would use any other yarn, for either crocheting or knitting.

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Are you confused with something? Ask me your question below!

Katie