Crocheting with hemp, anyone?

[purples]

I've decided to make my own version of a cornocopia to enter in my local fall fair and I want to use hemp to make the "horn" (or something like hemp). Does anyone have any experience crocheting with hemp or something similar to hemp?

 

I want the horn to literally have the feel of a basket, so using this type of fiber is what I'm hoping to find. Hemp is rather expensive, from what I've found at Walmart, however I have not truly been "looking around". I would need at least 2 or 3 balls of it in order to make the size horn I am hoping for and then I know I would need a portion of the ball to get used to working with it, making it over $30 just to make this one part of the project (the rest will be made using scrap yarn and yarn that people have graciously given me).

 

Suggestions? Help?? Thanks a bunch!!!

[HappyOldCro]

I have thought about it, but since some yarns irritate my skin, I was worried what would hemp do to me???

[CrochetAmore]

Wow, I didn't know walmart carried it, I'll have to look at the yarn a little more closely next time I'm there!

 

I did a search on knitting-warehouse.com. Martha Stewart has a cotton/hemp blend. I don't know how it compares to walmart... but here's the link if you want to check it out: http://store.knitting-warehouse.com/060089.html

 

As for a cheaper alternative, you could try looking in the hardware department at the jute and other cording/rope/twine to see if there's something there that would work. I found some cotton twine at the local Dollar Tree a while back that would probably work. It's lighter in color than a cornucopia would normally be, but it could be tea dyed to get the brown color...

[FrLopLady]

check for jute or twine at a craft store..or a feed store! so much of the twine anymore is plastic

[RoseRed]

I was thinking twine also.

[Afghaniac]

This is a little off the wall. But I've seen hats and totes crocheted from strips of plastic grocery bags. The items made from beige plastic from Publix stores could be mistaken for natural fiber. And it's free. I know what you mean about the cost of hemp. I've wanted to crochet with it, but find the cost prohibitive.

[Skoggy]

I was going to suggest looking for Jute as well. Been thinking about making some flip flops for the summer and the patterns I've seen suggest Jute or Hemp. Love the idea of a Cornucopia. Are you going to fill it with crocheted fruit and produce too?

[Julie222]

I like the idea of beige plastic bags, although when I tried to crochet with plastic bags, it was a disaster! I just couldn't do it... I was also thinking, how about raffia? That would look basket-y!

[Afghaniac]

I like the idea of beige plastic bags, although when I tried to crochet with plastic bags, it was a disaster! I just couldn't do it... I was also thinking, how about raffia? That would look basket-y!

 

I wouldn't have the patience to turn bags into all those strips, but I have a friend who does, and she and others don't have any trouble crocheting with them.

 

I think raffia would look nice, and you can get that at the dollar store. But I think that, like a lot of the novelty yarns, it would be difficult to crochet with -- for me, anyway.

[purples]

Twine!!!!