KH Monthly Challenge: May

[Hildegard_von_Knittin]

Made you look!!!!!

[Hildegard_von_Knittin]

It's May! It's May! The lusty month of May!

Okay so maybe May isn't exactly lustful for you. For most of us, May is time to work outside, plant flowers, and enjoy the longer days with more sunshine. May is *not* the time when I want to sit working on a big ole heavy sweater or afghan.

Spring is full force in May; have you finished your spring cleaning? During your organizing and straightening, how many plastic bags did you come across? Ten? Maybe 50? Even 100? Do you hoard them in drawers, cabinets, boxes--even other bags--with the intention of recycling them? Let's be honest with ourselves---we're NEVER going to use all those bags! So let's turn them into something *useful* so they aren't cluttering up our homes and taking up space in landfills.

Your challenge for May is to knit with plastic bags!

This challenge is eco-friendly *and* the best part is that it's virtually FREE!!!! Yes, it's Free! If you are one of those wierdos who doesn't have an abundant supply of bags, you can go into walmart and they will GIVE them to you. (seriously.... I did this and they said "it's walmart you can have anything you want!)

On Knitty Gritty, there was a show about using plastic bags to knit a cute little bag; this is the project I am suggesting. The website for the show is here , and it shows pictures of the construction. It's very easy--you cut the bags into strips (spiral-like), knot them together, wind into a ball, and start knitting.

Experiment with different colors... you can go totally random, or put all the same colors together for a striped effect, whatever you want. And, yes, you want the knots to show!

Maybe you have a LOT of bags. Seriously a lot. Or maybe you're just not into making a kitchy purse. If this is you, your project is to go all out and knit this . Let us know how it turns out.


Happy Knitting! xxx

[Hildegard_von_Knittin]

PS: notice how early I am this time. Remember that when you start pestering me about June

Love your choice, Hildie. I have an old book somewhere with instructions on how to knit rugs from plastic bags, which I've always intended to do.

I just found this blog posting that details a method for converting the bags into usable strips for knitting or crocheting.

[Stiney]

I like this challenge! Two "tree-hugger" challenges in a row.

I want to do it but I'm on knitting-hiatus until my tendonitis stops being so annoying, so I might have to wait until after May is over.

[RiverDaughter]

If I feel brave and up to it (I'm working a lot more than predicted this month) I may try to adapt this pattern into an umbrella pattern.

[BinkyKat]

If I just go through and collect the bags I bring my yarn home into...holy schmoly! DH has begun tossing the bags cuz our store double bags and likes to bag like two items at a time so you get a ton for just a few things. Aaannnywaay...I'm gonna try this one. Bad enough people think I'm nuts for knitting a tree sweater...now this? Just building a history so when I get sent to the looney bin, I can guarantee years of uninterrupted knitting time...

[carmabelle1191]

Ooh, this is a great idea! I'm actually going to join this time! My dad and I always mean to recycle the plastic bags at our Stop and Shop, but we always leave them at home. Now I can use them up without throwing them out!

[HollyP]

Fun idea I might just join in! Another place to look for bags is on freecycle. People on my freecycle ask for just about every thing and the best part is most of them get what they are looking for!
I just wish I had bags that were colors other than white, I have sooo many!

[DotMom61]

I actually have the Erica Knight book that she put the original pattern in. I think it was one of the first knitting books I bought, and I've yet to make anything from it yet.

I would love to join in if I can fit it into my busy knitting schedule!!