how about a plastic bag CAL?

[crochetingfool]

I went to the dollar store today and found some cheap black garbage bags....what caught my eye is someone had opened one of the boxes and so I had to feel the bag...it felt just like a grocery bags...I was shocked. I bought a bunch...heheehe only a $1 for 10 bags. Most garbage bags are too hard to crochet with beause they stick to the hook but not these...they're cheap and really crochet fast...

 

Linda Ü

[xampx]

Xampx- your bag is looking great! I was just curious, though; how do you make flip flops? Are you going to use plastic bags for them? That would be so cool to see!

 

Thanks. I was just going to have a go at the flip flop pattern i found online here. I may have to use stronger bags as mine are quite soft. It says use strong natural unpolished jute, but i thought id try them with bags and if they are too soft i can use them as slippers or on the beach.

 

I went to the dollar store today and found some cheap black garbage bags....what caught my eye is someone had opened one of the boxes and so I had to feel the bag...it felt just like a grocery bags...I was shocked. I bought a bunch...heheehe only a $1 for 10 bags. Most garbage bags are too hard to crochet with beause they stick to the hook but not these...they're cheap and really crochet fast...

 

Linda Ü

 

I got garbage bags too, they are much bigger which means you need less of them and i found them in every colour you could think of. Im tempted to go get some more. And the best thing about mine is that they are scented. Although the rose scented pink is really a bit stinky.

The texture of them is lovely though, they do work up really quickly, they are quite silky and not too bulky.

[marnie413]

I got garbage bags too, they are much bigger which means you need less of them and i found them in every colour you could think of. Im tempted to go get some more. And the best thing about mine is that they are scented. Although the rose scented pink is really a bit stinky.

The texture of them is lovely though, they do work up really quickly, they are quite silky and not too bulky.

XampxDid you use the loop method with your scented garbage bags and how wide did you cut them I found some at Aco and was thinking about them.

[Ladycrochat]

Xampx...I would think that making the soles of the shoes from plastic bags will not work, they will rip and unravel, unless you glue a real sole on the bottom of them.....but maybe you can make the sandals with the jute and use the plastic on top? I would hate to see all your hard work for nothing.Anywho.....thanks so much for that pattern link! My daughter saw them and nearly flipped! so I suppose I will be crocheting flip flops soon:devil !

[Mom w/a Motif]

Xampx~ Those sandals are so cool! I want to make some now, too. I love them. (I might not make them with plastic bags, but I want to make some.) Thanks for sharing that link!!

 

Tina

[Bethany]

I haven't tried it yet, but there's someone who made grocery bag sandals on Craftster:

 

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=87737.0

[xampx]

XampxDid you use the loop method with your scented garbage bags and how wide did you cut them I found some at Aco and was thinking about them.

 

Yeah i used the same method that everyone else seems to have used. The one at Marlos. I wasnt too exact with my measuring, they are around 3/4 an inch although some are thicker and some are thinner.

 

I was going to make the plastic bag sandals just to wear around the house. I will make some jute ones when i have enough money to buy jute :s

[xampx]

I haven't tried it yet, but there's someone who made grocery bag sandals on Craftster:

 

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=87737.0

 

WOW! IM making some of those as soon as i finish everything else

[mimi_mia]

I saw these posted at another group... they are really cute too http://virtuallydesigned.com/psp/blogimages/thongsandals.pdf

[BarbaraJean]

My husband brought home a great bag for crocheting. It's from KFC! I suppose we'd have to eat a lot of chicken to get enough to actually make something. It's a clear bag with navy and red print.

I cut it up and crocheted a granny square just to see what it would look like.

[Ladycrochat]

Hello again everyone! I finally finished my bag! The work went fast, but it took a lot of time to collect all the bags! There are over 150 plastic bags here, so I feel that I have done my part to help out the environment for a bit! I liked participating in this cal, and look forward to trying some others.....but I do like crocheting with plastic (this is the first plastic piece I have made) I am thinking of making a throw rug next! Good luck to all the rest of you plastics crocheters and I will be returning to see all your creations!

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h157/DKousmat58/Crochet/DCAM0014.jpg

[mimi_mia]

Debbie the bag turned out great!! You were lucky to get such beautiful colored bags to make that, I love the navy

[Ladycrochat]

Thank you I am glad you like it, actually it is Black, White and lavender, guess the cam color balance is a bit off(lol), but I still appreciate your opinion!

[Mom w/a Motif]

I saw this under miscellaneous crochet, and commented, too. What a nice bag! It does look blue and light blue funny how the cameras can mess up the colors like that. You did a really good job!!

 

Tina

[CrazeeMoi]

beautiful bag LadyCrochat!!! and you are very patient too!! sc more power to ya girl!

[Redhead Deb]

Great job LadyCrochat. You saved 150 bags from the land fill!

[mimi_mia]

My mistake about the color but a gorgeous bag all the same, being black I love it too....it looks great!!

[Krystal16]

OK, stumbled on this.... I'm NOT supposed to be starting new projects...promised myself I wouldn't, but this is just SO COOOOOL. I have already started a bag and I am going to have more of a sling strap and use it this summer to put the wet swimsuits in after swimming lessons. Thought this would be good? I'm doing the hdc, and my bag looks sorta lumpy - not nearly as good as those in the photo albums I just looked at...is it the stitch, how I'm cutting the bags (Marlo's method?) or what? I'm just using what I have on hand - I've got to have AT LEAST enough to do the bag - all of my plastic bag holders (3 of them) are stuffed to the gills...

 

Thanks for letting me join!

[Ladycrochat]

Thanks again everyone, speaking about the bag on post 186, I used the fold the bag in 1/4s method and cut loops, got on average about 11 loops per bag.......14 from larger bags....then I used a size J hook and I did single crochets.....I think it makes them stronger. Next I want to make a rug.....but I will be collecting lots of bags for awhile before I can attempt that! I was looking on line about it and it looks like you need to crochet with a strand of yarn too to make the rugs, guess it gives them shape and strength....good luck you environmentally friendly crocheters!

[Ladycrochat]

What about it Karen? (Karen4******), are you useing yarn throughout your rug?........Are you weaving it or crocheting it?....Saw both methods on line.........

[Bethany]

Finally, I finished a plastic bag bag!

 

But first, here's the first bag I made, over the Christmas holidays, so it isn't part of the CAL:

 

 

That funny, stretched shape? That's what happens after you've been using them for groceries for a bit. :-) The most weight I think I've had in it is two half-gallon bottles of juice. I wouldn't load it up like I would a canvas bag, but it's pretty sturdy.

 

This is made from my Mom's stash of Albertson's and King Soopers bags. I ran out of King Soopers bags before the end but was pleased to discover that Harris Teeter bags are exactly the same color.

 

OK, my new bag, just finished at my SnB earlier this evening:

 

 

This is made from Harris Teeter and Kroger bags. The colorwork is done with tapestry crochet and didn't show up as well as I had hoped, but even though it was a pain I am encouraged to try it again. I tried a different style for the shoulder strap. I'll have to see which I like better.

 

Next up: I want to make a bag for my dissertation advisor, who admired my first bag greatly last time she saw it. Tonight I scored a huge selection of bags in various shades of brown and beige, now it's just a matter of deciding which to use. I sort of like the idea of a bag made of nothing but health food bags, but the Harris Teeter bags are such a nice brown.

 

I also have a stash of blue bags that newspapers come in, so eventually I'll try cutting those up. However, I actually sort of like the brown and beige bags: at first glance it looks almost like a natural material.

 

As an added bonus, if anyone's interested, here's a link to a video I made of me joining the plastic loops together using a method I linked to WAY back in this thread. I think it's very efficient way of joining the loops (if you ignore the bit at the end where I pulled too hard and a loop snapped at a weak point).

 

I'm afraid the video is a .wmv since I couldn't figure out how to make it a reasonable size (it's 1 MB) in .avi format. So it has to be downloaded and played in something that plays .wmv files (like Media Player) in non-IE browsers. I'm sorry. I tried to shrink the .avi my camera made and I couldn't open it? If anyone has suggestions as to how to make the thing more web-friendly, please LMK.

[CrazeeMoi]

Bethany..............oooooooooooh brown bags!! Looks goood!!!

[Krystal16]

I am going to make a clothespin holder out of my bag - have a circle in the front, attach it to a plastic hanger on the top. I figure it is mostly waterproof and any water that does get in it (I don't bring my pins in every day like some do) will drain out the little holes...that and I won't care what it looks like - I'm learning by trial and error...

[Mom w/a Motif]

Bethany I *LOVE* the Harris Teeter and Kroger Bag Tote!! You even tried to do the tapestry crochet- that is so cool!!! I have to see if we have a Harris Teeter here. (Where are you from btw?) We have a King Soopers here. (I like the Kroger bags better than the King Soopers bags. The K.S. ones look like they've been recycled and have a funny grey tint to them, like some of the Wal Mart bags do now, too. )

 

Thanks for sharing those with us, and the video link. That looks like the way I join my bags, too.

 

Welcome to the CAL, Bethany and Krystal! I can't wait to see your clothespin holder. Everyone is so ingenious with their ideas.

 

Edited to add: I just Googled and they said Harris Teeter is wholly based in North Carolina? So they wouldn't have any out here, then.

 

Tina

[Bethany]

Nope. I'm originally from Denver (which is why my parents have King Soopers and Albertsons) but I live in North Carolina. (I wish I were back in Colorado, so I'm jealous.)

 

At least at Christmas the King Soopers bags were the same color as the Harris Teeter ones, though. Maybe they've changed them in the meantime. On my first bag you literally can't tell where one stopped and the other started unless you look closely at the printing (the King Soopers were printed only in red, the Harris Teeter in red and black.)

 

I didn't know they had Krogers in Colorado, though. :-)