Getting the Hang of It

I've been loving the comments my first recycled plastic bag has generated! I've been using it as a tote to carry around my plarn and new project, and people are amazed by it. Pretty good for the ego, especially as I was pretty unthrilled with the way it turned out. Fredbird said, "You just don't understand how cool it is!" I guess not! I have pretty high standards for myself, and it appeared far from perfect to me, but I will now yield to the masses and agree, that bag is pretty freaking nifty!

Okay, so bag #2 is now done, and I am absolutely thrilled with this one! I used another of Marlo Cairns' patterns (Round Plastic Bag Tote) and modified it to create a purse, once I realized it would be much too small for a grocery tote. (It was smaller than I'd envisioned from the photograph, and I crochet very tightly...combine these, and this thing's pretty small!) Anyway, I crocheted the whole thing in the back loops only, except the final row, where I used both loops. I also went back with the white plarn and slip stitched over the final row for a bit of trim. I finished it off by crocheting a button and loop closure. I think in the future, I'd make the handles just a little longer. Final size: 10.5" wide, 7" high (not including handles)

One of the things I think made a huge difference with this bag is the gauge of the plarn. All of the plarn I made in my first batch was cut in strips about 1.5" wide, and it was so bulky to work with. I cut the plarn for this about 1" wide, and what a difference! I'll be doing that from now on.

I have another bag in the works, but it's on hold until I acquire more grocery bags to match. This one is an expandable grocery tote, on par size-wise with the reusable totes available at the grocery stores, maybe a bit bigger.

After I catch up on the laundry and errands (strangely, the world does keep turning when I immerse myself in a project), I think I'm going challenge myself to come up with a design of my own. Wish me luck!