In order to reduce the amount of plastic shopping bags I have around the house I like to use something a bit more eco-friendly. I have make a shopping bag using the large and rectangle looms.
Very reminiscent of the ones we used to have in the 1970’s only this one does not seem to stretch! (yet!)
I used a mix of undyed hemp, wool and mohair wrapping 3 strands at a time and went round twice. I used two large for the sides and attached a rectangle to each at the top to give a bit of depth. The handles are two rectangles sown up lengthways. The rectangles are slightly longer than the square so took a bit of piecing together (17 into 15), but easy enough and gives quite a nice fluted shape to the top. The only place it looks like it is stretching is where the rectangle and the square meet along the top, but I think that is because the edge loops are large than the ones in the body.
It is a bit messy as my inital thought was to line it with calico, but the picture above has 3kgs of shopping in it and hasn’t stretched much at all, so I am going to use it for a few weeks and if by January it’s dragging in puddles I will re-design! The back of this I actually made daisy patterned, but it has left it far too holey – would definitly need to be lined.
I’m going to make another one, paying a bit more attention to detail and see how much is has cost me – I think easily under a tenner. I also have some thicker yarn I might use, see how that turns out.
Wow! Looks difficult to make, but very cool bag!
AurumEve.com~ Global Jewelry