Crochet

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PLARN WORLDWIDE EXTRAORDINAIRE

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We’ve all seen plarn, right?  The plastic bags cut into strips (plastic yarn) and crocheted into rugs and totebags.  There are some good crocheters out there cutting away on their huge stash of plastic shopping bags to save the world and make something for nothing.  Good idea. You can also purchase plarn ready made here via Etsy.

But, this gal has a GREAT IDEA and the artistry to back it up!

Not only are her plarn backpacks attractive, she’s making it her business to teach the world how to use their plastic bags to create these virtually indestructible backpacks and totes from materials that are, sadly, abundant even in the third world.

Right now, she’s touring India, teaching people how to create and crochet with plarn.  Check out her blog for all the details.  And, when you check out the pictures of her projects, be sure to scroll ALL the way down to see the cool plastic skirt someone made!  Visit Cristen here

http://bagsbegone.com/plastic-creations/

Comments

  3. I’m trying to do a similar thing with my abundance of plarn!

    I’ve found that striping my white and red Target bags with my brown and black Cub Foods bags makes a great pattern. That, and I’ll gather similar colors and put them together. I have a grocery bag in progress that’s all greens, browns, clears and some white.

    I’m excited to see plarn bags getting some more press. Now if there were only a quicker way to cut them all!

  4. I had all of my friends saving their black bags for me. Mine is black with a tan stripe. Very cool!

  5. I love this! Have you also tried mixing in old cassette tape or VHS tape? It is a little harder to work with, but the end results are unique and fun!

  8. Here’s fast way to cut plarn strips. Use a rotary cutter. Just lay the folded bags on a cutting mat, preferably a measured mat, hold your straight edge on the width of your choice and make a cut with the rotary cutter. It makes the cutting alot quicker!

  9. I’ve been using plarn to make Dorset Buttons and needed quite thin yarn so I cut 1 cm wide lengths of the flimsier type of carrier bag and used a home made drop spindle to spin the plarn. You need to allow it to relax afterwards or it just twists back on itself but you end up with a very thin raffia type effect yarn which is useful for weaving with and it’s surprisingly strong. I love experimenting with the plastic bags.

  10. Clare,
    What you describe is amazing to me. I don’t spin, but ai understand the process. It never occurred to me that anyone would be able to spin with plarn. You are quite creative, clearly. Thanks so much for sharing your idea.
    jd

  11. Jd,you say these backpacks are virtually indestructible. I wonder how long they actually last. Have you or any reader here have any personal experience of usage and durability?
    In Australia most plastic bags are now made of biodegrable materials, some are even made of corn husks on so on and other compostable materials. I fear it is not worth the sore wrists in our case!
    Personally I have been “saying no to plastic bags” since August 1981, when I moved to Alice Springs in Central Australia.
    I am a “mad recycler” and have used plarn, vhs, cassettes tapes etc, so please don’t take my reflections above as a criticism. Kudos to Bagsbegone.
    Yours in crochet And recycling 🙂

  12. Jacq,
    You raise a good point. More and more of the plastic bags that are widely used here are of the biodegradable type. The older bags – and many that are still available – are very durable. I’ve got a welcome mat at the entrance to my garage door that is many years old, crocheted of plastic bags. It’s quite durable, looks almost like it did the day it was first put into use, and can just be hosed off when it gets dirty.

    In many parts of India where Cristen of Bagsbegone does her teaching, plastic bags blow down the streets en masse. The clog up drains, get trapped in tree tops, and are unsightly. These are not the biodegradable type, unfortunately. I think Cristen would be happy to see the need for her classes to vanish with the demise of plastic bags. I suspect there will always be everyday items we can upcycle with crochet – like the cassette and vhs tapes – altho, those devices are now dinosaurs. I was informed today that even the recently minted CD’s and DVD’s are being discontinued in favor of all digital media. Rats! Another car radio deck becomes outdated.

    jd

Have you read?

Red Melt The Ice Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern Review

Some crochet projects are made simply because we need a warm hat. Some are made because we need a quick gift, a stash-busting project, or something easy to work on while watching television. And then there are crochet projects that carry a message.

This Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF sits firmly in that last category.

Inspired by the Melt the ICE craftivism movement, this red crochet beanie is more than just a wearable winter accessory. It is a handmade political statement — soft, practical, visible, and rooted in the long tradition of protest through craft.

You can find the Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF here.

Crochet as Protest

Crafters have always had a way of saying things with their hands. Quilts have carried coded messages, embroidery has documented women’s lives, banners have marched through the streets, and yarn crafts have wrapped public spaces in colour and defiance.

This beanie belongs to that same creative lineage.

The phrase Melt the ICE gives this pattern its political edge. It connects the humble red crochet hat to conversations around immigration enforcement, detention, family separation, human rights, community care, and the role ordinary people can play in public protest.

And that is what makes this pattern interesting. It is not loud in the way a placard is loud, but it is visible. A red handmade hat catches the eye. It invites questions. It gives the maker a way to wear their values without needing to shout over anyone.

Sometimes craftivism works because it is disarming. People expect political protest to be hard-edged, but handmade work brings something different to the conversation. It says, “I cared enough to make this stitch by stitch.”

About the Pattern

The pattern itself is beginner-friendly and refreshingly straightforward. The hat is worked flat in rows, then seamed and gathered to create a relaxed slouch beanie shape. That makes it especially approachable for crocheters who are still building confidence with wearable projects.

Instead of needing to work in the round or fuss with crown shaping from the start, you are essentially making a rectangle and turning it into a hat. I love that kind of construction because it gives beginners a real sense of achievement. You are not just practising stitches — you end up with something wearable and meaningful.

The design uses a textured crochet fabric, giving the finished beanie a cozy, slightly chunky look. The slouchy shape keeps it casual and modern, while the bold red colour gives it that unmistakable activist feel.

Why Red Matters

The red yarn is not just a colour choice here. It is part of the visual language of the project.

Red is urgent. Red is warm. Red is visible in a crowd. It can suggest anger, love, warning, solidarity, courage, and care all at once. For a political crochet project, that matters.

A red slouch beanie can be worn to rallies, community events, mutual aid gatherings, craftivism meet-ups, or simply out in everyday life as a quiet statement of support. It is one of those pieces that can be as bold or as subtle as the wearer wants it to be.

Of course, you could make the pattern in any colour, but for the Melt the ICE inspiration, red feels intentional. It gives the hat its message before a single word is spoken.