Plarn Fun!

After discussing plarn creations with people on Etsy, I decided to play a bit with colors and shapes. I used patterns for crocheted motifs. The two in the following picture are just the centers of motifs. I'm thinking of using these to make magnets, pins or key chains. Giving these out will give people a chance to see and feel what plarn is like.

The motif in the next picture is already being incorporated into a bag. The bottom of the bag is crocheted with orange plarn, and so far I'm using mostly white plarn to surround it.

These next squares are the same granny square type pattern. The multicolored one was made from a the bag surrounding a case of Bounty Paper Towels! I haven't decided how to use these yet.

Here are two more. I may attach these to same plainer bags that I have made to dress them up a bit

Working with PLARN

I've been making and working with plarn (PLastic yARN) for a while now and have found that many people have questions about how to use it. In an earlier post I discussed how I make the plarn.

After much experimentation, including many mishaps, I have learned a lot. At first, thinking that I would get more out of the bags, I cut the bags into a width of 3/4 inches. Eventually I found that 1 inch worked best. The wider width seemed to fill up the spaces better.

In choosing a hook and a stitch, think about what you are making. A beach or gym bag works well with a larger needle (up to size M or P), and with double crochet. I like working with a size K for tote bags and I use single crochet at least for the first and last few inches. I have also found that plastic crochet hooks are a little bit easier to work with than metal, although I have used both. The picture below is a closeup of a bag that was made using single crochet.

Working with plarn can be hard on the wrists. I have found several ways to make it easier. Making a point of crocheting looser than I usually do helps a lot. I also hold the plarn looser than regular yarn. For most crochet I weave the yarn in and out of the 4 fingers of my left hand, but with plarn I just have it flow over my index finger. When I started I thought that putting lotion on my hands would help the plarn slide easier. I have since found that keeping my hands and needle dry works best. These things work for me, you may find other ways work best for you.

Another question involves how to wash items made with plarn. They can be machine washed, but make sure you don't put it in the dryer! I made a kitchen mat for a friend of mine, and she said that soaking it in a dilute vinegar and water solution left it looking like new. The vinegar would also serve to disinfect the product.

Isn't plarn stiff and crunchy? Different kinds of bags work up differently. Bags like newspaper sleeves, and some grocery bags work up quite soft and cushy. I was told that the floor mat was extremely comfortable and everyone in the family liked to stand on it. In addition,it doesn't collect dirt, an advantage for my friend who is allergic to dust mites. Other bags can be more crunchy, but they still work well in bags and other creations.

What can you make with plarn? I like making bags made with it, and I think it is especially good to carry damp items, the bags are waterproof but the crochet lets the moisture out. When combined with a cotton yarn, I've used plarn to make coasters, and I'm currently working on a water bottle carrier. I once made a kippah/yarmulke! Plarn makes a great dish scrubby, the openings hold the soap but it isn't absorbent so it doesn't collect and hold onto bacteria. I've been using one made out of soft bags so I use it for things that don't need real scrubbing. I plan to try one made of bags that are a bit more scratchy. My plarn soap dish also works well.

Stitches other than single and double crochet can be used with plarn. Remember that everything is bigger so some stitches will leave holes that are quite big. Also, don't try to pull the yarn snug when starting and finishing like you might with yarn, the plastic can stretch and break. I have found that the plarn fluffs out after crocheting with it, so don't be too concerned if it seems thin.

For grocery bags that make loops which are connected, rolling them into a ball works fine, but don't roll it too tightly. It has a tendency to unwind easily so I put a covered elastic around the balls after they're wound. When I cut bags into strips, I like to roll it flat onto a piece of cardboard. This keeps it from twisting. These strips can also be too small and slippery to stay in a ball. I cut a slot in the cardboard to put the end in so it stays put. I have recently started measuring these strips before I wind it, then writing the length on the cardboard, and also where they come from. It can be fun to tell people what the plarn was before you made it into something. The following picture is not photographed well, but it will let you see what I am talking about.

That's it for now. If I remember more tips I'll post them. Any questions? Contact me and I'll do what I can to help.

New Designs-Math Scarves

I know I haven't posted in a while. Writing regularly has always been a challenge for me - I have quite a few slightly filled diaries! With a new year and refreshed motivation, consider this a fresh start.

I'm very excited about the new scarves I have been designing. At an amazing percussion workshop this past fall, Tony Vacca defined math as the study of patterns. In a lightbulb moment, I made the connection to patterns for crocheted and knitted items.

The first scarf I created was based on the number "pi". The number of rows in each stripe correspond to a digit in pi. You can see in these pictures that the first white stripe is 3 rows, the next black stripe is 1 row, the next white stripe is 4 rows, etc.

This particular scarf is 7 feet long and goes up to 29 digits of pi. You can still see more pictures and info here. RIght now I'm taking custom orders only in buyer's choice of color.

In the most recent creation, you can have any word up to 15 digit done in binary code! I made a sample section with my name:

More pictures and info can be found here.

There are more math and science and math designs and samples in progress.