pretentiousendeavour:

kinningnessie:

The method im using really just involves tying together a bunch of loops.

First you get your bag and cut off the handles and cut open the bottom

Then you fold the bag up into a thin rectangle and cut it into around 3 inch thick loops

Then you tie the loops together

And then you twist the shit out of it to make it easier to knit/crochet/weave with

And then youve made plarn!

Sorry if its not quite clear through the pictures but you basically just kind of put one of the loops through itself and pull it tight

Heres a video that also explains it if you need

ALSO plarn can be much easier to work with if you hold a strand of worsted weight yarn with it too. This makes stitches easier to see, makes the working strands behave a little better, gives it visual interest, and probably most importantly will stop whatever you make from stretching so far the plarn breaks. Twisting plarn makes it stronger than not twisting it, but it’s still thin plastic. It will still rip apart under moderate tension, especially once you’ve cut it into thin strips. Having a strand of yarn with it too will stop it from distorting and breaking, adding much needed structural integrity.

If you are looking to make something thicker with plarn, like a floor or sleep mat, you want the plarn to be thicker too. For a floor mat I would suggest making normal sized thin plarn as above, and holding or even plying three strands together. This will make it tighter, stronger, and will add cushion between your feet and the ground (always good in a mat/rug).

If you are making a sleep mat, there’s a few options. If it’s going straight on the ground outdoors, then use the multiple strand method and make it as tight as possible, to try to keep out all the water you can.

If it’s not going straight on the ground or not outdoors, then I suggest using slightly thicker plarn strips, and adding in either bulky yarn, or better yet make “yarn” from strips of old fabric. T shirts will have bounce and plushness to them, sheets give you lots of yardage really easily. I recommend both if you can, in addition to plarn. You want to have a pretty bulky working material so that you are making something as thick as possible, and so that it doesn’t take you years to make something big enough for a person’s body.

Plarn is also really good for making bags as long as you also use a strand or two of regular yarn, probably line it with fabric, and make sure the straps won’t stretch out with use.