There are so many inspiring people in The Adventurous Lacemakers group and Doily Free Zone! One of the first classes I watched on DFZ 2021 was Tarmo making XL bobbin lace. Combining his techniques with plarn (plastic yarn), I thought I could create something to install in the local park.
To make plarn, I need plastic grocery bags. I noticed the online grocery pickup (clicklist) bags were a little thicker than regular bags. I chose to use these so I could maintain the width of each strip when I applied tension to the lace.
First, I clipped either side of the seams of the bag, so I would lay it flat. Next, I cut off the top and bottom of the bag off to have a smooth surface without holes.
Choosing to make half inch strips, I used a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to be precise.
Once I had a pile of .5 inch strips of plastic, I needed to make them into single ply yarn. When you open each strip, you will notice they are infinite circles. Simply cut one of the seams to make a long strip. I snipped a hole in the end of one strip and put a second strip through. To ensure they remain connected, I hot glued each side. Warning – depending on the thickness of your bag, the hot glue may melt the plastic. This is not advisable.
Bobbin lace pillows are normally made from materials that hold pins. Since I am working on a larger scale, I needed something bigger than a pin. I decided to make a peg board. If I created an isometric grid on the board, I could pin/peg as needed, using the same board for any pattern. I created a 1 inch square grid and alternated rows with a dot on every other intersecting line. This gave an isometric diamond shape, even though the scale was not quite right. Normally, the width between the dots should be greater than the height between the rows.
Remember, the board was meant for a sampler piece to ensure the grid and plarn strips were properly sized. The sample board measured about 14 by 17 inches. The piece I want to ultimately create (if this works) will be much larger.
I wound the plarn onto bobbins and hung them on with pegs. I cannot wait to see if this works.