Looptworks Love

Before I began my travelling adventures last year I bought a backpack.

My Kasum backpack, July 2014, Sydney, Australia

I wanted to find one that had been upcycled from discarded materials and looked good. With help from an Ecouterre search I quickly found the Kasum backpack by Looptworks which I bought online.

I have waited to share my love of this Looptworks bag because I wanted to make sure that it would stand the test of time and travelling. So, a year later I can happily report that THIS BAG IS AWESOME!

In sturdy backpack form it has survived being stuffed full, squashed down, sat on, slept on and has also performed successfully as a foot rest on many flights. It has perfectly sized pockets, seems to stretch to hold as much as I have needed to pack, and is REALLY comfortable to carry. Despite the frequent use and abuse it is not even showing any signs of wear and tear.

So, thank you Looptworks for spreading the upcycling love through your well designed and durable products.

Me and my Kasum backpack, November 2013, Wellington, New Zealand

Making T-shirt Yarn

Tutorial to make seamless (no knots) chunky yarn for knitting new cool things, using an unwanted t-shirt.

T-shirts that definitely won't be worn again (irreversibly damaged or stained) are best to use for this project, as it provides a crafty extension to t-shirt life (much better than destroying it forever by throwing in the bin). If the t-shirt has nothing wrong with it, probably keep it as a t-shirt. Someone else will definitely want it, even if you don't.

Time needed - 1 hour
Equipment - t-shirt, good scissors, straight edge/ruler, pen/pencil, flat surface

Step 1

Lay chosen t-shirt on a flat surface and if you want to knit it immediately also locate chunky knitting needles. I think these pictured are a size 10.

Step 2

Fold t-shirt in half  (sleeve to sleeve )

Step 3

Cut off the top of the t-shirt from underneath the sleeves, leaving a square. This is what you'll use.

 (save the sleeves and neckline surplus for another project)

Step 4

With a ruler/straight edge and pen/pencil, draw vertical lines 2cms apart.

Step 5

Cut into each of these lines, cutting from the fold up to the seams, BUT...

ONLY CUT THROUGH ONE SEAM, don't cut any strips actually off. By leaving one seam uncut it means all your strips stay connected.

Step 6

When finished cutting on all lines, fold it out. It should still all be connected by that one seam you didn't cut through.

Step 7

Fold open that one remaining seam. Arrange the strips neatly on both sides and lay flat. I used an ironing board to help with this part, so that strips on both sides can dangle over the edges of the board and keep out of the way.

Step 8

Cut DIAGONALLY from one side to the other.

(Apologies for the basic photoshopping)

Step 9

Unravel...

...and wrap into a ball and Ta-dah!! One ball of t-shirt yarn.

The size of t-shirt will alter how much yarn is produced. This large blue t-shirt produced 25m.

Step 10

T-shirt yarn knitting joy

Everything Must Go

Different items of clothing flocked and turned into non woven materials

Red coat slashed to become 'waste'

Red coat slashing detail

Clothing sorted into piles by colour

Yarn woven from coloured clothing

Blankets made from recycled yarn

Emergency blankets made from recycled yarn

Eco Home Exhibition at the Geffyre Museum, Shoreditch. London

The Pli Design Reee chair! Made from recycled games console plastic, displayed in the exhibition to demonstrate the sustainable lifecycle of a product.
Door mat made from excess material waste from a flip flop factory.
Barley Massey Cushions made from reclaimed materials
Revolve (recycled Christmas decorations)

I visited the Eco Home exhibition today at the Geffyre Museum and it brings together a great and inspiring assortment of eco products, ideas, facts and tips for making your home more 'eco friendly'.

Looking through quotes from the comments book at the end of the show:

- "The future is sooner than you think" - Anonymous

- "Are you going to let your ideas come to life in the real world?" - 7 (almost 8) year old girl

- "The cushion in the shop, being sold for £45. I can purchase a quite adequate cushion from Matalan for £3. Reduce your prices to match and you will have a convert".

Again, the argument of price point and cost. Educating consumers on the Value of products is a vital aspect to overcome.