Plarn Thing

My plarn adventure started with the desire to make something useful out of things I have on hand, items that I have in abundance.  I found a Pinterest pin that I wanted to use as a reference for something similar, if not exactly the same.
Here is the link to that tutorial. Practical and cute!
 Make a basket out of plastic bags! 

I thought about the neverending pile of plastic bags we’ve accumulated from trips to the grocery.  I don’t throw them out.  That seems so wasteful.  It’s handy to have a few plastic bags around, anyway.  I reuse them often, whether it’s to take something to work on the fly, or to return items to people or to the store, or most recently, as a trash bag to have right on hand when I was sick and using a lot of tissues.  I always use them for waste basket bags.  BUY the mini trash bags at the store?  Are you kidding?

But as convenient as they are to have, one can accumulate too many.  I’ve been noodling around with the idea of having all reusable bags when we go to the store, but I haven’t yet committed to that.  It’ll happen, and I don’t have any good excuses.  Just bad ones.  Walking around a grocery store with several bags on your person would feel awkward, for one thing.  Who cares?  I don’t.  Sort of.  Well…that and it takes forethought.  Something I tend to lack.  But I look at the reusable bags they have for sale with a hint of guilt combined with indignation.  They want to SELL me these reusable bags?  Ha!  I could MAKE those.

But I don’t.  That’s going to change.  It will.  I don’t know how soon, but it will.

I started thinking about what I’d seen on Pinterest.  Why couldn’t I use the large knitting loom to make a plarn basket?  Well, sure!  So I got to work.

Here’s what I used:
*Lots and lots and LOTS of plastic grocery sacks

*Scissors

*Large round loom

*Loom pick

This process is a little time consuming.  Because unlike regular loom knitting with soft & fuzzy store bought yarn, you have to make the raw supply first.

To make plarn:

Fold the plastic bag in half. 
Fold it in half again. 
Cut off the bottom of the bag. 
Cut off the top of the bag.

Cut the remaining folded portion into strips.  Mine were about 2 ½ fingertips wide.  Yeah, I wasn’t terribly precise. 

I made a large stash of these little folded-up strips before I got started.  I think I used about 5 bags before I even went on to the next stage of the process.  It’s easier to do it this way so you can work for a while before you have to stop knitting and go back to cutting strips.

Start putting your plarn together.  To do this, take two of the folded-up strips.  Unfold them.  Make a lark’s head knot.  I didn’t know what that meant, initially, so I had to do a little research.  Then trial and error.  Describing it is difficult, so I won’t try. It’s very simple to do, just tough to explain. 

You’ll quickly start accumulating enough plarn to roll into a ball.  Once you feel you have enough, it’s time to load the loom.  Then it’s exactly like anything else you make on a round loom.  I’ve posted videos of that before.  You will probably run out of plarn before the project is done.  Just make more, adding one piece at a time to the end of your roll until you have a big ball of it again.

So how did this work out?  

 
It was okay, not bad for a first attempt.  It isn’t sturdy enough to stand on its own with much stability, so it looks sort of like a rolly brim hat made with plastic bags.  I couldn’t decide if I wanted it to have a handle once I realized it wouldn’t be a proper waste basket.  So it’s just…sort of…a thing.  A basket/bag thing.  At least, it is right now.  It can be used for any number of purposes.  Do you know what I want to try?  I’d like to iron it to see if it makes a solid and sturdier material, like other projects I’ve seen on Pinterest.  Unfortunately, I don’t own an iron.  Or if I do, it’s in storage in another city.

So what can I do with this?  It could be a shower caddy, because it’s waterproof and has little holes for drainage.  Add a handle and it can just be a bag, for anything, made from bags.  How fitting. Right now, it's holding extra yarn.

 
I haven’t given up on making stuff out of plarn.  I get excited when I end up with plastic bags of different colors.  My first project was very brown, with a few flecks of blue from the writing on the bags. Not an attractive brown, either. Sort of the color of raw meat when it’s lost its pink.  Blah.  Next time I want to make something more vibrant.  But obtaining a large number of “pretty” plastic bags to work with is not as simple as I would like.  It’ll take some time. 

What’s next?  Lots and lots of things of a crafty nature!  Yay!

Fuzzy Scarf on a Round Loom

Over the past few years, I've made several hats successfully using my loom knitter.  It's so simple, and it's so satisfying to make something out of nothing.  Or, well, something out of a pile of yarn that starts out as nothing really useful.  I still have not mastered the art of the long loom knitter.  I've watched several videos, and I can't quite grasp all the steps.  I'm sure it's very simple, like regular knitting or crocheting.  But somehow, something I haven't been able to conquer.  So while I've made hats without difficulty, I had never made a scarf.  I assumed I would need to use the long knitter for that. 

Silly me.  I looked at the smallest round loom one day and realized...I can make a scarf with THAT!  duh. Just one long continuous tube, and voila!  Lookie, a warm thing to put around your neck!  Yay!  Honestly, the thought has crossed my mind before.  Then I forget about it.  I go back to thinking I need the long loom for scarves.  I moan about not being able to make scarves.  Then one day it dawns on me.  Then before I get out the yarn to try it, I forget again.  It's an endless cycle of memory retrieval and loss, not unlike Dory in Finding Nemo. 

I've been more interested in scarves lately.  They're all the rage at the office.  I'm not the most sophisticated girl, and I never really mastered the fine art of style and accessorizing.  Layers?  Complementary colors?  Wha?  I was stellar at layering plaid flannel over a band t-shirt back in college, but past that, I'm pretty clueless.  Ah, the good old days of grunge fashion...It was so much simpler to be in style when it only required apathy and a pair of combat boots. 

Anyway, back to scarves.  Several of the classy ladies at work accessorize with pretty scarves.  They're silky, usually with simple designs and varying shades of the same color, occasionally with a little gold or silver thread mixed in.  Lovely!  I'm so envious when I see them. My husband has a friend who actually creates them from scratch.  And when I say that, I mean she makes and dyes the fabric.  When working with wool?  Yeah, she sheers the sheep.

Here's an example of some of her stunning work:
 
joydidit Gardens In Bloom Arashi Shibori Scarf 

Isn't it gorgeous?  I want one!!

Ok, but this is not that.  This is made with yarn.  This is just a warm fuzzy scarf in a dark teal.  I'm still working on how to make a work appropriate scarf with materials I have on hand.  I don't have a huge fabric stash, and cutting up existing clothing is difficult for me, even when said clothing is sort of hideous or ill-fitting or stained.  And I keep fretting over different aspects of that.  Having a large enough sample of fabric to make a full scarf, that would be tough.  And the edges.  Would they fray?  Probably.  Eep, sewing.  Ergh...But the more I see these wonderful scarves, the more I want to try to make something like it myself.  Not that it would be the same as the ones I've seen, but still beautiful in its own way.  It'll happen.  I just need to keep telling myself that.

What I used:
*Knifty Knitter Flower Loom
*Loom pick
*Loom needle
*Scissors
*Feathered yarn
*Black string/cord/thread

How did I make this scarf?  Well, you already know that it was on a loom.  

Here is a video that might help should you decide to try this yourself:

I decided to use the smallest Knifty Knitter loom, the flower loom.  I used a heavy black thread, more like string, really, and a sort of feathered yarn.  I didn't use two strands of the feathered yarn because 1. I didn't have enough, and 2. I didn't want it to be super fuzzy anyway.  I wanted a more subdued fuzziness.  

I started out on the loom the same way I would if I were making a hat.  Wind the yarn around each peg.  The cross should be in the back, the loop in the front (if that makes any sense whatsoever).  Wind it around twice, with the second row above the first one.  Take the loom pick & pull the bottom loop over the top loop and then over the peg. Do that a lot.
Really, it's better if you look at the video.  I'm totally awful at giving instructions.  I have to have pictures.  Too bad my phone is having problems sending photographs to my email at the moment.  *sigh*

 Instead of ending the piece at a hat length tube, I kept going.  And going, and going, and going.  Until I made a very long tube.  At the end, I cast off the loom the same way I would with a hat, except I didn't pull the yarn taut at the end.  I made a knot to secure it.  That was it.

I could use a larger loom for a wider scarf.  But that would take so much yarn, I'm afraid I would run out.  Maybe I'll get some new yarn to make a scarf, and I just won't include it in this blog (much like the wedding card box I still need to post).  

Now, what to post next...there are several options, just need to blog something.  There is the plarn...hm...

Week 6: Making aluminum foil art

Today I finished up a craft I've been working on for a few weeks.  It was a Pin I found on Pinterest that led to this crafty lady's page:

Make it a Wonderful Life: Owls, Foil, & Shoe Polish

I was just mesmerized by the finished look.  So beautiful, with such simple objects and techniques. I had to try it right away when I first found it last year.  I had reasonably good results with my first attempt.

Pretty neat, huh?  Not bad for aluminum foil & shoe polish.

So then I tried something a little more complex:

I decided to revisit this same style of work in my most recent piece, but this time I decided to add some color.

Things you'll need:

*Cardboard (smooth, non-corrugated is best)
*Craft glue (Aileen's Tacky glue has given me the best results for the raised glue parts)
*Mod Podge or white glue
*Aluminum foil
*Shoe polish (liquid kind with an applicator sponge works better than jar polish)
*A dull, well-worn pencil with eraser
*Sharpies of various colors

I drew a design on the cardboard.  I made it fairly basic for this particular craft.  I want to keep it simple until I feel confident and have developed skills with delicate glue application.  I outlined the entire design with craft glue.  I left it to dry overnight. 

Once the glue was dry, I put a thin, even coat of white glue over the whole front of the cardboard.  I then quickly, firmly and carefully placed the aluminum foil over the picture (white glue dries fast).  I tried to make it as wrinkle-free as possible, while at the same time pressing the foil into the grooves of the picture made by the raised, dry craft glue.   Then, using the eraser end of a pencil (a somewhat worn-down eraser, not a brand-new one), I started bringing out the design more.  Then, I used the lead end of the pencil (with a very dull tip) for more precise edging. 

After revealing what was hiding under the foil, it was time to start the detail work.  Using the same dull pencil, I created various textured details in and around the original design.

Then I started coloring in certain aspects.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much these colors popped.  Lovely~

Here's where things started going awry...I loved the piece as it was, and I debated on whether or not to use the shoe polish at all.  Did it really need it?  I didn't want to ruin the colors.  But then, everything I had seen made me believe that it was the application of the shoe polish that really brought out the beauty of the design.  I ultimately decided to go ahead with it. 

I kinda wished afterward that I hadn't.  Because either due to my ineptitude at applying the polish, or because Sharpies and shoe polish don't play well together, I was left with something I was not as happy about as I initially thought I would be.  The colors were scratched & dulled.  Disappointing! I didn't want to take a photo of that, much less post it online.  But I had put enough time & effort into this that I wasn't ready to give up just yet.  Oh, I definitely put it down for several days and scowled at it every time I passed by, because I wasn't sure it was fixable.  But I didn't give up.

After almost a week, I went back to my creation.  I cleaned the polish off gently with a damp rag.  Not all of it.  I left the grooves.  I just wanted to make the foil shine again.  It was not as uniformly attractive as I wanted it to be, but it did work, and the imperfections gave it an odd sort of charm.  I wiped off the dull, scratched colors.  That was ridiculously easy, which made me make a mental note that this would definitely need to be sprayed or painted with a protective coating once I was done with it.

 I re-applied the colors, although they didn't look exactly as they had before. 

 Ta da!  Not bad.  Notice that it looks very much like the last one I made in some ways.  I could call it a theme, make one more and hang them as a trio or quartet (and may well do that now).  I still need to protect it with some sort of acrylic sealant or something along those lines.  I just haven't decided what I'll use yet. 
  
Since discovering this method in my random Pinterest searching, it's definitely become one of my favorites.  I have requests from my husband to make other pieces for his lab.   I wouldn't be at all surprised if another craft like this one shows up in the next several weeks.

Week 5: Making Snow Cream

I was never told about snow cream.  When I finally tried it, I couldn't figure out why.  It's so tasty, and it costs next to nothing to make.  Frozen dessert.  For free.  Just walk outside.  Really?  Yep, really.  Many thanks to my uncle David, who posted the idea along with a photo when his wife, my aunt Charlene, made snow cream.

What you'll need:

*1/2 cup sugar 
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup milk
*Lots of snow (about a gallon)

Now, I admit, this is not the recipe I used.  I didn't really use a recipe.  I guess I feel a kind of freedom making something that has snow as the base ingredient.  Just...put in stuff til it tastes good!

What I used (approximately):

*1/2 cup-ish melted honey (I used local Cantrell honey)
*Splash of vanilla extract
*1/2 cup or so half & half (I used local Snowville Creamery half & half)
*Enough snow to make it thick

Pour milk & vanilla extract into a bowl & stir.  Melt honey & add to the bowl, stir all three ingredients well.  Add snow until it's thick.

Eat it.

The honey was a little weird.  I used melted honey that had crystallized.  A few of the crystals didn't melt completely, so there were bits of honey in the snow cream.  Not a terrible problem. It was really tasty.  Maybe not as good as real ice cream, but will it do in a pinch?  Oh yes.  And I'm guessing adding more to it, like walnuts or chocolate syrup (um, both!) would be even better! 

Now I just have to wait for the next snowfall...

Week 4: Peanut Butter Jar Bird Feeder

 Okay.  So, I stopped at the store to pick up a few things on my way home from work.  I had already picked up the toilet paper and dish washing liquid, and I was happily on my way to the checkout, when I noticed the shelf of wild bird seed.  Ah yes, I had been planning on buying some for the birds, but we didn't have something important for the purpose: a bird feeder.  As I picked up the bag of seed, I decided that it was a good excuse to go next door to the hardware store, where I was sure they would carry bird feeders.  A plan was hatched.  I had seen bird feeders at Big Lots just last week for $3.  I could certainly afford that.  So if I didn't find an affordable option at the hardware store, I knew I had another option.  I made my purchases and headed out the door, originally planning to just drop off my bags in the car before continuing on my shopping adventure.  But between the time that I stepped outside the store and actually placed the bags in the back seat (about 10 seconds), my plan had suddenly changed. 
I found a Pin on Pinterest a few weeks ago for a beautiful DIY bird feeder.  Oh, it was lovely.  Here's the link to that:

http://pinterest.com/pin/159174168051944371/

The problem with this idea is that I didn't feel I had the proper materials for the job.  I'd like to make a fancy bird feeder, but I didn't have a pretty candy dish on hand.  If I did, I would probably be averse to turning it into a bird feeder.  Well...unless I purchased it second-hand for that specific purpose.  But I can't buy things for these crafts.

I then thought of some of the other bird feeder crafts I had seen on Pinterest.  Surely I could find something at home that would work.  Maybe not for a decorative feeder, but certainly for a functional one.  

So I did a bit of searching, and found one I liked.  The idea originally came from the following site:

http://q-made.blogspot.com/2011/05/diy-bird-feeder.html

 I liked the design.  She made a feeder that was very practical.  I decided to make one that  used her idea, with a few personal tweaks.  

The supplies I used:
*Exacto Knife
*Empty, clean plastic peanut butter jar with lid
*E-6000 glue
*Lid from a disposable plastic food storage container
*Craft wire (I used 20 or 22 gauge, I think) 

You'll notice in the picture that there is a clear glass plate instead of a plastic lid.  I originally had planned to use that for this project.  So, the photo is not totally accurate.  You CAN use a glass or ceramic plate if you choose.  I ultimately decided that it would be less disastrous if a fully plastic bird feeder fell to the ground.  And I'm sure at some point it WILL fall to the ground.   

I began by cutting off the bottom of the jar.  I chose this rather than the top of the jar from the original craft, for practicality's sake.  The harder it is for me to refill the bird feeder, the less likely it is to happen in a timely fashion.  Unscrewing a lid and dumping it in?  I can do that.  Getting seed from a bag into a cork hole?  I'll put it off because it's a pain.

So I cut the bottom off of the jar with an Exacto knife, trying to keep it as straight as possible, using an indentation already in the plastic as a guide.

You'll want to use 2 hands, one to steady the top. My other hand was taking the photo.

 I then used the knife to cut triangular notches out of the open bottom of the jar.  This gives a place for the seed to come out.  I made four at equal intervals around the jar.  How big?  Eh, big enough to fit a finger tip through, maybe.  I wasn't precise.  

To hang the bird feeder, I wrapped craft wire around the base of the top of the jar (does that even make sense?).  In other words, at the bottom of the threads where the lid screws on.

 
 I used two separate wires of the same length, about 2 ft each.  I wrapped it around the jar then twisted it several times to secure it.  Then I did the same with the second piece of wire on the other side. 

Once that was done, I glued along the open bottom of the jar. I didn't glue over the notches, just the flat parts between.  Then I attached the lid to the bottom and let it dry.  Note: E-6000 glue is very toxic stuff.  I made sure I used it in a well-ventilated area, and let it dry completely before using the feeder.

It was harder to see on a black background.

 
 Voila! Bird feeder.  I filled it with bird seed and hung it outside. 

So how did this craft turn out?  Well, I am currently watching the birds come to the feeder.  So it does work!  However, I don't think they really like it.  The Cardinals look a little cramped when they perch, because there's not quite enough room between the edge of the feeder and the jar.  I've seen mainly Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse visitors, with other birds preferring to land on the ground to find stray seeds that have fallen.  It's not terribly stable, so when a bird flies away, the feeder rocks back & forth quite a bit.  They're still trying to figure the thing out, I think, but they're hungry, so they decide to deal with it.  

What will I do with this information?  I'm probably going to work on the design.  Make the base larger and heavier, perhaps by using the glass plate I planned to initially.  I may add two more wire pieces, so that there are four perpendicular wires instead of two, and/or add a roof to thread the wires through, to stabilize it.  I'll probably look at more ideas online to figure this all out.  In the meantime, the birds are at least marginally happy and eating at their makeshift buffet.

 

Week 2: Funky Sharpie Socks

Although this craft was finished on time, the blog was not completed until today.  I had a side project that took precedence.  I made a card box and flowered headbands for my sister's wedding, which was yesterday.  Neither of these crafts qualify for my official craft project, because I had to purchase specific supplies to complete them.  I did use many things that I had on hand, but not all.  They turned out beautifully, and I may post them in a separate blog at a later date.

With all crafts I attempt for the first time, there are almost invariably some snags, some unforeseen problems and adjustments that I take note of for future attempts.  It's part of the process for me.  Making mistakes is the best way for me to learn.  This craft had a few issues.  But I had fun doing it, and have learned from it, and that was the point! 

My wonderful husband, who has been my wonderful husband for two months now, gave me a colorful array of Sharpies as one of my birthday gifts this year.  I was excited to be able to put them to use right away!

Supplies needed: 1 pair of white socks, 1 bottle of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol,  Sharpies in assorted colors.

Helpful to have: disposable gloves, large plastic bowl (to catch alcohol drips).  Plastic cups and rubber bands were used in the original craft (see link below).

Here is the Pin the idea originally came from:

http://pinterest.com/pin/159174168051571987/

I decided that I really wanted to try out this technique.  But I didn't want to waste a lot of ink & time on something large or expensive when I'm still getting the hang of the nuances involved in printing on fabric with Sharpies.  I'm cheap that way.  So my solution?  A pair of white socks (that I already own, of course).  My theory going in was that if it didn't work out, I still got practice, and I could still wear the socks around the house, anyway! 

This is really a very straightforward idea.  Draw a design on the fabric. Make it reasonably simple, keeping in mind that the colors will spread when the alcohol is applied.  Don't use the alcohol until  you're finished with the entire design, or you'll have to wait until the alcohol is dry before continuing to draw.  

About halfway there. This is pre-alcohol.

Drip or squirt a small amount of alcohol onto the fabric.  Let it air dry for a while.  Toss it in the dryer to set the colors.  And you're done!

Kinda cool.  The designs faded & bled too much though.

 
This craft turned out differently than I expected.  The colors bled unevenly and irregularly, but I think that has more to do with my alcohol application technique and the irregular fabric than anything.  I didn't use a dropper, and I didn't stretch the fabric over a cup with a rubber band, as instructed in the tutorial where I got the idea.  The craft it was based on used a cotton t-shirt, which has a very even weave and is not made to absorb moisture the way socks are.  I may go back over them in some places to fill in the gaps that resulted.  I also noticed that the colors did still run a bit after drying, washing, and drying again.  I didn't think that would happen at all.  But my feet got damp in the rain the day I wore them out, which may explain some of the problem there.  Perhaps socks aren't the best idea for Sharpie designs.  

But as stated before, this is the way I learn!  Trial and error.  Attempting something new followed by analysis.  What worked?  What didn't?  Why?  And if I can make these mistakes, maybe others who attempt it will see how and why things turned out or didn't.  

In any case, I'm ready to start with this week's project, and hopefully have the next blog up in a day or two. Maybe earlier.  Eh, we'll see how it goes.

Week 1: Making a fuzzy hat

Here we are, the first week in January!  I decided to make my first craft useful and simple.  I've made a fuzzy hat using my knifty knitter circle loom.  I just love this thing!  It gives me the satisfaction of making an attractive an useful object, and it's SO easy to use!  I've never been able to knit or crochet, despite being taught how on more than one occasion.  There are certain things that don't seem to stick in my brain.  Math, the rules of euchre, and knitting and/or crocheting seem to all fall in that category.  Teach me all day long.  It won't make a dent. 

I started with this wonderfully fuzzy, soft, pale lilac yarn.  I don't know what it's called, or what it's made of (disorganized, remember?), but it seems to resemble twinkle yarn that I found on Amazon when trying to figure out what it is.  Then I added a darker purple yarn.  I used the smaller red knitter for this project.  Technically it's for a child's hat, but I like how snugly the smaller size fits my head, and I like the look & style of the smaller hat.  I love the rolly brim look, and I was so excited to be able to make one myself!

I should say that this is not the first hat of this kind that I've made.  It may be number 7 or 8.  I was on a hat-making kick for a while last winter too.  But with this time of year, it feels especially cozy to sit and make something warm.  Sit with a nice cup of coffee or hot chocolate and just get comfy on the couch with some yarn.  Ahh, what a lovely idea.

Nif's eye view of hat in progress.

Does this still count in my crafting project?  Yes, absolutely!  I never said I had to make something I'd never made before.  In fact, if I decide to make 52 fuzzy hats, that's still acceptable (although perhaps not as interesting to blog about). And at some point I would have to start using something other than yarn, as I don't have enough on hand to make that many hats.  Old t-shirts, maybe?  Sheets?  Maybe that's an idea for a future project.

Now, maybe you're asking yourself how you could make one of these snazzy head ornaments for yourself.  I highly recommend loom knitting if you have problems with the more traditional methods, and there are tutorials  all over youtube if you need help (like I did) in learning to master this skill.  Here is one that I found very helpful:

I successfully finished my fuzzy hat, but I haven't managed yet to take a cute picture of it.  They all look...well, fuzzy.  I'll try to get that up later today. 

Since finishing my first project, I've already started on a future project.  This is also using the loom knitter, but now I'm practicing with the wonders of plarn.  More to come on that!