Recycling or Keeping Green

Going to Trader Joe's for groceries is one of my  husbands tasks. Sometimes the bags are quite heavy and we always use our own bags that I either crocheted or bought. But, we also have so many plastics bags that we didn't throw out from times when we didn't have any of our bags or before we got into the being-green phase.

So then I read up on the Internet how to make a market bag out of recycled plastic bags. Here is the result. It is strong and can fit and hold 5 one-liter bottles of water. I will make another one, that is bigger.

It was difficult to make, only because it is hard to work with plastic "yarn." The process is simple. Take the bags and cut strips. Then join the strips and roll into a ball of "yarn." Finally, find a pattern and use a big crochet hook to create any design.

Panda Craze

Panda Pocket Scarf

Ear Flaps Panda Hat

My friend asked me to make a panda themed set of gloves, scarf and hat for her daughter based on something she saw in a store. After a few different hats, I came up with this ear flaps hat. The yarn I used was wool/bamboo blend and a merino wool for the eyes, mouth and ears. I made the pom-poms and crocheted the eyes and mouth.

Next, I started on the Panda scarf with pockets at the end. This time I crocheted the eyes and nose within the knitted pockets and attached the pom-poms. I made the scarf long enough to wind around the neck and be able to use the pockets around the waist.

Jadyn modeling the Panda hat and scarf

Jadyn liked the scarf and hat. I also made the Panda finger-less gloves with mitten cover, but they were too small.

I have to re-do the gloves but I've included a picture of how they look when completed.

The wool/bamboo yarn is an off-white color and is soft and strong. The merino wool yarn is jet black and is soft. Both are hand washable in cold water and laid flat to dry.

If you are interested in a set, feel free to email me. I will need some measurements for the hat and the gloves. I can use different yarn. I like the wool/bamboo blend, but I usually use all merino wool for winter gear, only because I feel it will keep the wearer warmer.

Panda Fingerless Gloves with Mitten Cover (closed)

Panda Fingerless Gloves with Mitten Cover (open)