Do you have plastic bags at home taking up space?  While we use canvas bags most of the time, sometimes, we do forget them.  I use quite a few to line the smaller trash cans we have around the house.  But, sometimes, there are extra  What to do?

Well, you can recycle them various stores, or, you can make something out of them!

Use yours, or get them from friends and family, and make a floor mat out of your used plastic bags!

If you have a loom, you can make a really amazing rug with these online instructions.  Even if you don’t though, you can make a really cool plastic bag rug by following these other directions; all you need are your plastic bags and some cardboard and you’re all set!

Making a floor mat by reusing your plastic bags is a great project for kids; its fun, easy, and teaches kids about reusing items that otherwise pose quite a big problem for the earth.  Adults will find they enjoy the process too though; making something useful in the end isn’t bad either!

You’ll find the fact that this cool mat is a conversation starter as well!  Which gives you the opportunity to help even more plastic bags stay out of the land fill by sharing the easy process and helping someone else make one of these unique and very cool plastic bag rugs.

I don’t have a lot of spare time in my life right now, but, when I do, I’ve been trying to work on making my first knitted bag.  If you can believe this, I’ve had the yarn since Christmas 2008, just no time, or other projects going.

I’m making up my own pattern since I couldn’t find one I liked online.  Which is kind of funny cause what I want is so basic and so easy.  I don’t have the bag finished so I won’t post instructions now, but once I do – I’ll put up photos and the pattern.

All I want is a big rectangular piece of knitted fabric I can fold in half for the main part of the bag.  I’m doing mine, as you can see, in purple and olive green stripes.  Then in one of the colors, or another color…I haven’t decided yet…I’ll knit a thin piece of fabric for the strap.  Then, I”m going to sew them together (the strap coming all they way to the bottom of the bag so it doubles as a part of the sides of the bag) and felt them…or felt them first and then sew them…have to ask myknitting mammas.  Regardless, the idea is to have a felted bag in the end.

I’m actually puite excited to try and felt my knitting; I’ve not done that yet either.  I’ve felted wool roving both with water and needles, but not anything I’ve knitted first=.  The yarn is Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky and is said to felt well, so, here’s to hoping when I put it in the washer that’s what happens!

Oh, the reason I say it’s my NewISH project is because I feel like I need to be honest about the kind of knitter I am.  These pictures were taken right before my computer when caput – and I haven’t knitted a stitch since (sooo sad).  I’ve been so busy with Isaiah’s play and work….and life, that I just haven’t had the time.  So, there it sits, calling me, but never getting any attention.  Poor little knitting project.  Eventually, it will become a bag – even if it is several years after it all started!!

Taos, and a lot of New Mexico for that matter, is home to quite a number of artists.  Since I just posted a bit about our time there, I thought I’d also write a bit about this really unique art show that’s opening this month….plus, my good friend Merce is the originator and curator of the event!

The show is titled Beyond the Fringe and it will be up in The Stables Art Gallery in Taos, NM from March 25 – April 1st, 2010.  It’s a special art show that celebrates the work of artists that use fiber of a wide variety of types in their pieces.  For example, Merce is an awesome wool felt artist, and there are others that work with yarn, fabric, and much more.

Also, this year, Merce and the other Beyond the Fringe artists have organized some workshops and classes to go along with the exhibit.  The idea being that you can view these fantastic pieces, and then,  if you’re wondering how it’s all done, you can take a class and learn the process!

You can check out this video for more info on the show and the ideas behind it.  And here are a few photos of some of last years pieces so you can get the idea of what these artists are doing….cause it’s pretty amazing!

Artist - Merce Mitchell

Artist - Merce Mitchell

Artist - Violet Alby

Artist - Abigail Z

Artist - Pat Dozier

Artist - Nina Silverberg

two dolls made using pipe cleaners and needle felted wool

My first foray into the world of wool and fiber arts happened because of I.  He went to a school for a few year that was inspired by the Waldorf philosophy of education.

When he was in kindergarten there, his teacher had all of us parents do a special project for our children in which we used barbed needles and wool to create a doll.  This technique is called needle felting…and I was hooked the first time I tried it.

Then, my dear friend Merce taught me to wet felt felt wool about 4 years ago now (it was really crappy timing, she taught me to felt right before we moved to Maine).  It’s a really simple process; one that’s been used for thousand and thousands of years to make things like coats, slippers, even yurts!

I really love it and have only begun to tap into the possibilities of the art.  I have tons of ideas, but not enough time to bring them to fruition.

Then, once we arrived in Maine, I learned to knit.

needle felted designs on wet felted wool

As we began to get to know Maine, I noticed knitters everywhere!  My gram had taught me to knit originally – I had to return home and I never got to learn to cast off though….kind of an important part of knitting!

So, I never really learned, and knitting was always something I’d wanted to learn.  When I saw all the knitters in Maine, I figured my chance was at hand!

And it was.  When we walked into our first homeschool meeting here in Maine and there were, as would be expected, several knitters.  I warmed right up to those knitting ladies and they became my “knitting mammas!”.  It was a great way to not only learn a skill I’d wanted to learn for a long time, but, to also break the ice in this new group.

Slowly but surly I got the hand of it, and now, nearly 3 years later, I’m a pretty decent knitter.  I can’t make up my own patterns, and, I can only make a few things (I haven’t learned how to make socks yet for example).

some knitted projects I've done

But regardless, I absolutely love working with the fiber and enjoy making my family special things to keep them warm.

Knitting and felting aren’t the only things you can do with fiber though.  On my list of “Things I’m Going to do When I Have More Time” is to learn to spin wool, and to card wool.

Carding is probably more realistic because the equipment isn’t nearly as expensive, but, spinning wool on a nice wooden spinning wheel is just like nothing else.  I could sit there for hours and hours…..

Back to reality though!

Since O. was born, I’ve had really limited time to work much on any fiber projects.  I really should have titled this post, “Confessions of a Fiber Arts Addict Who Has no Time for Her Addiction!”.

my current project for O.

I’ve made a few hats for O. and our new nephew N.  Oh, and I’m working on a pair of gloves for baby O….he’ll probably get to wear them once it’s warm enough he doesn’t need them!!

I’m hoping to make that statement false though – and that’s why I added this section to the ‘ol bloggety blog….to help motivate me and keep me working!  Hopefully it will help another fiber arts addict too : )