I'm on the mailing list for The Weaving Kind. They do monthly weave-along challenges to help inspire and develop you as a weaver. For the month of January we were asked to weave something using non-traditional/alternative materials. Even though I missed out on sharing my piece by the entry deadline, I still wanted to share my work.
I'll admit that I was at first stumped on what to weave. Being such a new weaver, I was still just starting to explore all my yarn options. My mind just had a hard time thinking beyond fiber. It was when I was digging through my bin of yarns that I stumbled upon a ball of plastic. Back in my knitting days, I was all about trying anything and everything to knit with. At some point I decided it would be cool to take a plastic clothing bag- the kind they cover your clothes with at the dry cleaners- and cut it up into strips for use as yarn. I managed to make a nice size ball of plastic yarn from just one bag, but that is as far as I got. The yarn had reminded at the bottom of the bin until I decided to give it new life as a weaving.
I decided to use cotton twine as the warp just for some contrast. Even though it is a small weaving, it took a lot more time then I thought to create. The thin strips of plastic naturally wanted to bunch up, creating a dense weave. I had to use a lighter pull and gentle lay to keep the piece from looking like a marsh pit of plastic.
I do like the transparency of the piece and the hint of color from the company logo that was on the bag. The piece is light and airy with a surprisingly nice drape. I wonder how it would look and feel on a much larger scale. (Maybe a future project to tackle).
So, if you get a moment please check out The Weaving Kind on Instagram. Their feed is just filled with pictures of some amazing pieces done by weavers all over the world .And if you're up for the challenge, sign up for their monthly weave-along. You'll find the sign-up link in their profile.
I'll admit that I was at first stumped on what to weave. Being such a new weaver, I was still just starting to explore all my yarn options. My mind just had a hard time thinking beyond fiber. It was when I was digging through my bin of yarns that I stumbled upon a ball of plastic. Back in my knitting days, I was all about trying anything and everything to knit with. At some point I decided it would be cool to take a plastic clothing bag- the kind they cover your clothes with at the dry cleaners- and cut it up into strips for use as yarn. I managed to make a nice size ball of plastic yarn from just one bag, but that is as far as I got. The yarn had reminded at the bottom of the bin until I decided to give it new life as a weaving.
I decided to use cotton twine as the warp just for some contrast. Even though it is a small weaving, it took a lot more time then I thought to create. The thin strips of plastic naturally wanted to bunch up, creating a dense weave. I had to use a lighter pull and gentle lay to keep the piece from looking like a marsh pit of plastic.
I do like the transparency of the piece and the hint of color from the company logo that was on the bag. The piece is light and airy with a surprisingly nice drape. I wonder how it would look and feel on a much larger scale. (Maybe a future project to tackle).
So, if you get a moment please check out The Weaving Kind on Instagram. Their feed is just filled with pictures of some amazing pieces done by weavers all over the world .And if you're up for the challenge, sign up for their monthly weave-along. You'll find the sign-up link in their profile.
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