MOM'S BAG...finally

Things are settling back into their slow Oregon pace. My parents left this morning after a whirlwind week of fun that went by much too quickly.

Here, finally, are pictures of the plastic knit shopping bag by my mom. It's very big and wide and as with weaving, the process of knitting here takes an otherwise flimsy material and turns it into a very strong fabric. It's done in garter stitch. Spiral-cut the bags into one or two-inch wide strips (you can tie them together as you go...it's pretty free-form).  Use your instinct with needle size and do a gauge swatch if you like...because this is for fun and recycling purposes, I think it would be acceptable to omit the sacred swatch and just take a stab in the dark.  You don't want it too lacy and loose, but then again, you don't want it too tight, which will make it even more difficult to work.  Knit two big matching rectangles and one long skinny one. The long skinny one becomes the (width) sides and bottom -- you keep measuring as you go, and when it's long enough to span down the side, across the bottom, and up the other side of the rectangles (between them), you cast off. Crochet (or sew) it all together, and then sew on straps. She used canvas strap material from a fabric store -- my elaboration would be to use belts or cut the straps from old purses at Goodwill. The straps should go completely around the bag, as this gives extra strength.  

If and when I make one myself, I will include pictures of each step and more explicit directions, but just looking at it, I think you can see what was done.  Of course she also made the sweater she's wearing in the picture.  

Ooh, the hemp bag is still in process -- it is very difficult to work with, but I am not giving up yet.  It's just going to take a bit longer, and I'll need to figure out a way to make it easier to handle.  Crocheting might be the ticket.

In other news, or news hitherto neglected by me, on January 7th, Continental Airlines successfully completed the first test flight by a North American airline using a biofuel blend. Here's the story in Biofuels Digest. A combo of jatropha and algael oil-based jet fuel was used, and the test came off beautifully. The alternative fuels that made the blend were provided by in house companies Terra Sol (for the jatropha) and Sapphire for, you guessed it, that pretty green algae. The next similar test of note will happen in Tokyo on the 30th, so stay tuned. Some major airlines are predicting for themselves a 10% biofuel use by the years 2012 and 2013, variously. In the article linked above, the value of "drop in" alternative fuel is stated. For airlines, I suppose that solar technology is still relatively a long way off (*note to self: RESEARCH).  But there are those companies that want to do something now about reducing certain emissions, and they need a fuel that will pose no problems to the existing infrastructure.  Bio, when outfitted as jet fuel, seems to fit the bill so far. The test was conducted at George Bush International in Houston...

--Nellamity