Blue Plastic Bag Pattern

My one year anniversary of blogging passed by before I realized it! Looks like my first post was on Christmas Day last year....I thought it was a couple of days later. We were in a bit of a slump this time last year, and I was trying to find something cheerful to distract myself with...something that didn't require too much effort, that is. So, blogging was the choice. I promised myself that I would keep this blog complaint and malady free. Hopefully, at least that has been accomplished.
Here is what I have been working on while watching all those football games on TV: A Blue Plastic Bag made from blue plastic bags.
We get our daily newspaper delivered in blue plastic bags. In the "old days", the paper was only plastic wrapped on rainy days. But now the paper doesn't take the risk of arriving before the lawn sprinklers run, or a surprise shower, and they are always in plastic bags. I guess the bag takes the place of the rubber band, too. Anyway, I have been trying to think of something to do with these blue bags. We reuse the grocery store plastic bags for our garbage, but these blue bags are much too small for that, lol! Somewhere on the Internet, I saw instructions for cutting bags into strips (loops, actually), then slip-knotting the loops together, and then crocheting things out of the resulting plastic "yarn". Also, I found some extremely beautiful two-ply variegated crochet cotton at JoAnn's, and wanted an excuse to buy some of it. So, here we go...
Cut plastic bags into strips. I started out cutting them into 3/4 inch strips, but the resulting yarn was a little too thick for the size hook that I was using. About a third of the way up this bag, I started cutting the strips closer to 1/2 inch wide strips and that worked much better. Slip knot the plastic loops together into one long two-ply strip. Holding a strand of crochet cotton along with the plastic yarn, and using a size J hook, crochet about 12 inches of chain stitches. Single crochet into the second chain from the hook, and without twisting the chain, single crochet one stitch into each chain. Single crochet twice into the last chain, and then turn the piece and single crochet back up the other side of the chain, putting one Single crochet stitch into each chain stitch. Then continue to single crochet around the resulting oval shape, increasing the number of stitches to keep the piece flat. When the piece reaches the size bag bottom that you want, stop increasing the number of stitches. This will cause the sides of the bag to form. Continue until the bag is about the size you want, then on one of the trips around the bag top, skip about a dozen of the stitches on each side of the bag, and instead of single crocheting in these stitches, chain stitch about 16 chain stitches. Resume single crocheting on the other side of the skipped stitches without twisting the section of chain stitches. Continue single crocheting around the bag, and when you get to the chain stitches, single crochet in each chain stitch. Continue around the bag about three more times, and then finish off. As you might guess, I am a rather casual and free form crocheter, so it may work better for you to use your favorite bag pattern instead of this one after you spin your 21st century yarn!

Comments

[Tess]

I love your bag. It is such a pretty color. It would work great for a beach bag or a shopping bag. It would make a great yarn bag too for carrying small projects to be worked on while waiting at appt. Great idea, Thanks for sharing.

[CQMadhatter]

I used to make these with the plastic bags that you get at the grocery store. One year, I crocheted rugs to use outside and little "mulch"
square to use in my garden to
discourage weedswould come up but the weeds would have to work at coming up. Love the yarn you paired it with.

[CQMadhatter]

oops that should say the
"mulch" squares would have
holes just big enough for the plants I wanted to come up, but the weeds would have to
work at it to come up. I use a "P" hook and it worked well.