Trend setter

Two days ago I started a project I have been meaning to start for at least six months - cutting up some of the mountain of plastic bags we have at home, and crocheting them into a new, stronger shopping bag.

Today I see that the Daily Mail (sorry for uttering such profanities on what is intended to be a relatively family-friendly site) has jumped on my bandwagon with this article.

Actually I can't take any of the credit for the knitted/crocheted bag idea; as many of you know it's been floating around for several years. I'd been put off by the thought of having to cut up all those plastic bags to make the 'yarn' but when I found this link, thanks to Lixie I realised it wasn't as labour-intensive as I thought. I've adapted the method a bit - no need to unroll the 'fringes', just cut through the unfolded bit at the top and when you start to ball up the yarn, the fringes will unroll easily enough.

Anyway, my own version is crocheted, and at the moment I'm using some very handsome purple Ocado bags. I have some other orange and green Ocado bags in reserve for stripes, and will be using some of the thousands of white ones in our house of the bits inbetween.

The Mail's effort looks distinctly small for a shopping bag - how much are you going to get in that, my dear? Two tins of baked beans? Perhaps she was on a short timetable and had to whip one up in time for the arrival of the Mail's photographer. Must try harder, I say.

The media coverage has all been sparked off by the arrival of some 'designer' eco shopping bag which has prompted some people to queue for hours outside Sainsbury's in order to obtain one. Don't ask me why. However I will admit a certain grudging admiration for the Mail's headline..

Pics of my own effort ...