Knitting with plastic bags

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Knitting with plastic bags
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Atomic Shrimp

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 17

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 12:36 am Post subject: Knitting with plastic bags

I've just completed my second plastic bag knitting project. I didn't by any means invent this concept, but I like it.

My first project was a bit wasteful in that it used carrier bags that still had a useful life left in them.

That felt wrong to me, so this time, I used only bags that had reached end-of-life and would otherwise have gone in the bin - mostly empty bread bags, but also bags from frozen veg, items of clothing, and a few carrier bags, but only those that were broken or holed and therefore unusable.

I used a two-stage knitting process to create a really sturdy effect - first, I knitted the strips of cut bag on a small french knitting bobbin - then I stitched the resulting rope spirally to form the bag.

This is the end result:

Full details of the project here:
https://www.atomicshrimp.com/st/content/plastic_bag_recycling_2

Next up, I'm thinking of making some open baskets - maybe a fruit bowl or even a bread basket for the table (turning bread bags into a bread basket has an appealing symmetry, to me)

jamanda
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 35057
Location: Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 7:46 am Post subject:
Very smart.

resistance is fertile

Joined: 24 Oct 2008
Posts: 1534
Location: The heart of North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 7:51 am Post subject:
Do you do commissions?

Green Rosie

Joined: 13 May 2007
Posts: 10498
Location: Calvados, France

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 8:05 am Post subject:
Do you have to make sure the bags are non biodegradeable ones. I left something stored in a bio bag on the wardrobe and after a while I was being showered with flakes of degraded bag

ksia

Joined: 17 May 2006
Posts: 2320
Location: Mayenne, France

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 11:01 am Post subject:

Cute bag Atomic Shrimp!

I'm working on a knitted plastic bag something at the minute (along with other projects!) - I'm still debating what I'll actually turn it into.

For this bag (pictured) I wove the plastic bags. Took ages - probably because I only picked it up about once a month. I made myself finish it for Christmas. The front panel is made from the woven plastic bags, the rest from an old pair of ia's jeans and it has a braided plastic bag zip pull!

Most of the p bags came from my parents - I can't believe how p bags are sooooo abundant still in the UK. Or is my parent's shed a breeding ground for them?!

Atomic Shrimp

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 17

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 8:05 pm Post subject:

resistance is fertile wrote:

Do you do commissions?

Not sure - it's difficult to decide how I would price them, as about thirty hours work went into this one. I might be able to cut that down on future efforts, now that I know what I'm doing.

Atomic Shrimp

Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 17

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 8:07 pm Post subject:

Green Rosie wrote:

Do you have to make sure the bags are non biodegradeable ones. I left something stored in a bio bag on the wardrobe and after a while I was being showered with flakes of degraded bag

Yes - although some biodegradable plastics only break down once they're buried in moist conditions - as far as I know, I didn't include any here, but it's possible that not all the bags were clearly labelled.

hedgehogpie

Joined: 02 May 2006
Posts: 684
Location: Kent

Posted: Mon Jan 19, 09 8:30 pm Post subject:
Wow that's freaky, I just put a link you your blog a a favourite on mine and had been admiring the bag. Spooky.....

jennyj

Joined: 02 May 2011
Posts: 1

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 11:14 am Post subject:
anyone know where to find this now?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 11:17 am Post subject:
The link in the first post works for me, assuming that's what you're asking how to find.

Katieowl

Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 4317
Location: West Wales

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 11:56 am Post subject:
Atomic Shrimp that bag is FAB. (How on earth did you manage to collect so many bread bags though! ) Kate

Sally Too

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 2511
Location: N.Ireland

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 12:58 pm Post subject:
Whole site is worth a visit. Home page link: https://www.atomicshrimp.com/st/front/index/ I've bookmarked it for future browsing...

darkbrowneggs

Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 663
Location: Worcestershire

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 2:25 pm Post subject: Re: Knitting with plastic bags

Atomic Shrimp wrote:

Really!!!!Nice !!!!

Well done you, and you will have years and years of use from it.

Sue

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 2:26 pm Post subject:
He's had over two years use out of it already. Unless it broke.

Bulgarianlily

Joined: 01 Jun 2008
Posts: 1667
Location: South West Mountains of Bulgaria

Posted: Mon May 02, 11 4:04 pm Post subject:
I crocheted a beautiful shopping bag, but it didn't occur to me at the time to think about biodegradability. One row just fell apart, just below the handles.

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