Things You'll Need:
- Plastic grocery bags
- Pattern
- Size 10-1⁄2 knitting needles
- Scissors
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Step 1
Collect plastic grocery bags with handles. Try to find them in various colors. Each store seem to have its own color scheme.
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Step 2
Clean the bags, flatten them and smooth out the crinkles.
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Step 3
Fold a bag lengthwise several times until you have about a one-inch strip. The handles will be at one end, and you can trim those off as well as the bottom seem.
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Step 4
Cut the folded bag into strips about an inch wide.
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Step 5
Unfold the strips to make loops and tie them together to make a long piece of double-stranded "yarn." To do this, take one end of the loop and put it in the end of another and pull tight. Make sure your knots are tight, but don't pull so tight you tear your bag.
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Step 6
Wind the "yarn" into "yarn" balls.
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Step 7
Use your favorite handbag knitting pattern. You may need to adjust the size of your needles to accommodate the size of your "yarn."
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Step 1
Cast on about 44 stitches, and knit each row until it is 15 inches long. End with a wrong-side row and cast off. This should be repeated so you have a front and back.
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Step 2
Cast on 20 stitches for the gusset and knit until piece measures 42 inches. End with wring side and cast off.
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Step 3
Pin one end of the gusset to the back on three sides. Straighten to make sure the corners are square. Repeat for the front.
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Step 4
Stitch all the way around where you've pinned. Using a large sewing needle and polypropylene string, stitch around all three sides.
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Step 5
Mark where you want the handle. You can either knit a handle or use a leather strip or a purchased handle.
