re-post
I have been coming across the word "plarn" in knitting blogs across several months but never in a context where it was explained until recently.* Plarn. Plastic yarn. Of course! I've been experimenting with plastic yarn – uh – plarn and searched out the dibs and dabs. Some were rolls from Chinatown, some from the Dollar Store, the green roll was purchased at a garage sale from a man who said it was used in the florist trade, the yellow and red rolls were got at a church sale and the ladies had no idea of their use. I can't say I am smitten by plarn. The cat hats (upper right corner – this one too big) and flowers (beside hat) and pot scrubbers are fine and fun. But the green and the red plarn crochet very slowly on a plastic hook and I am all for slow knitting or crocheting (in the sense of evoking awareness) but this is more like crocheting with taffy! A wooden hook is easier but there was not an "aha" moment, more a large shrug and the whole kit and kaboodle got dumped back into the WIP basket and then put into a bag and back on a shelf.
* A digression here. It was on a blog that plarn was explained and I then realized that, in spite of having come across the word a number of times, I had never investigated further as I would if a fellow knitter, in person, had mentioned it. This got me thinking about the much of a muchness aspect of the Internet and how I tend to scoot around (at times – race!) because there is so much to read and look at and one thing leads to another (links!) and often I turn off the computer and feel – well, rather breathless. A bit out of sorts, actually. 'Catching up' to the meaning of plarn has me wondering at trying to stroll more, not scoot.
Having plonked the plarn back in the basket my attention gladly caught and held on several handfuls of first spinning wool purchased ages ago from a woman at a garage sale who had mostly given up the fibre arts due to an increasing infirmity but who had kept her first attempts at spinning. I gladly acquired these treasures and they have been waiting on expression beyond just being beautiful. (She actually did see the beauty in them and I think she was pleased to pass them onto someone else who did too; most people see their first thick and thin efforts as "mistakes".)
I've been wanting to do some more Indoor/Outdoor Vessels and while searching out some baby camel hair I knew was in my stash I came across these handfuls of first spinning. A vessel began.
I love how the crochet stitch shows up the different thicknesses and results in such a play of texture.
The baby camel hair needed to have seven strands put together to get something that would work with the handspun but the colours complemented and the softness of the camel wool gave a nice contrast to the firmness of the spun. I needed it to stiffen up a bit for the top edge of the basket so on the last row I dipped into three stitches and pulled the yarn through all three at once.
Here it is finished. I didn't want to hide the base so one apple sufficed. It could hold a glass bowl with tiny flowers floating in water in it. Or just sit – holding sunshine and the wind.
It is likely destined for an art show in June.
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