Knitting with Plastic Bags - the Final Product

As you might have read in my previous posts about plastic bags, I took on a mission to knit a mat for the homeless out of plastic bags.  Clearly I didn't think of how many hours it would take me to create a 3 foot by 6 foot piece of knitted plastic fabric, but it definitely took me longer than I thought.  I must have knitted for a good 12 or 13 hours and only got one foot done.  Not to mention how difficult it was to knit something so long - the stitches were truly forced onto my needles not leaving an inch to spare.

In hind sight I really should have woven this material or crocheted (if I knew how) because of how time consuming it is.  None the less the product is finished... well not so much finished as re-purposed. In the end I managed to get three feet across and two and a half feet down - before I had to leave to go off to school.  Unfortunately I couldn't continue knitting at school since there really isn't much of a problem with homelessness there as there is here in California.

So, instead of chucking all of my hard work in the bin, I decided to turn it into a bag.  When I see homeless people around here it seems they are always looking for bags to carry their supplies and belongings around - so to make it easier for them this works to keep their stuff dry and is also extremely durable and flexible.

I decided to take the rectangle and fold it up and weave in some of the plastic yarn I made to tie it shut at the bottom and on the side.  Then I needed something to carry it with so I created a long strap about 6 stitches wide so it is durable.

To test it out I went to the grocery store with it so that I didn't have to take even more plastic bags home.  Everyone who saw it couldn't take their eyes off of it - they even asked if they could buy one off of me.  I was a bit shocked to see how many people liked it since it's just made out of plastic bags.  The store clerks really appreciated that they could even pick out which bags were from their store.

I still fully intend to give this to a homeless person to use as they have a lot to deal with this winter season here in California.  Especially while they suffer through El Nino.  However, I am thinking that when  I return if people are still not using reusable grocery bags I might as well start making these bags for people. That way they get something cute, fun, and ethical for their shopping trips.

If you are interested in the details of the knitting process watch my tutorial video here: https://youtu.be/FfHSk75-AsE

Help the Homeless, Feed the Homeless

During the holiday season it is always nice to give back, and why not give back to those who need it the most - the homeless.  I have done other projects to help the homeless, but I feel this was one event that really opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.  When I decided to feed the homeless I didn't know what to expect, but it was something I knew was the right thing to do.  Instead of just donating money, or giving canned goods to a shelter I encourage all of you to get out and help the homeless directly so that you can better understand their situation and grow from the experience.

First off, I would have never imagined how difficult it was to set up before going to give food.  I thought you would just need to get food and go, but it is a much more complicated process.  We needed to cook the soups and chili, ask for donations of money and of food products from our neighbors and local bakeries.  Not just that, but we needed tables, pots and pans, socks, a pick up truck and much much more preparation.  Besides the preparation, we needed to find a location that there are a lot of homeless grouped together so that we would be able to set up in one spot to serve people instead of searching for them.  We decided to go to downtown Santa Ana, California where there were numerous groups of homeless in the surrounding parks trying to set up camps/shelter.

Once we finally got there and set everything up, people started coming in hoards.  The line stretched down the street to get some chili, socks, and other holiday treats.  Unfortunately for us it was one of the only days in Southern California that it rained, but it rained hard the entire time.  Thus, the people that came really needed not just the food but the warmth the soup provided.  One thing that shocked me was how polite people were.  They were very respectful in the way  we organized the booth all standing in line patiently, letting others go before them, collecting some materials for their friends, and always saying thank you to us.  For someone who has been so down on their luck because of society it is amazing how high their spirits are - very polite and even joking around.  This really opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.

Of course there are always those who have mental problems, and those with drug and alcohol problems but from what I saw most of those we served were just down on their luck.  All the circumstances differed but why should we discriminate when we are trying to help? No one deserves to be starving and struggling to survive in the rain.

Unfortunately the reaction of those we asked to support our cause was not as understanding.  There were many people who belittled us for what we were doing and others that flat out said they didn't care.  Although it is a personal choice to help others and decide who is worthy of help - wouldn't you like to be helped if you had no one to rely on and you were facing some tough times?  I know I would, that is why I am hoping to go back after the holidays.

There are many people helping the homeless during the holidays which is wonderful, but they matter and struggle just as much when its not the holidays and people have stopped going to help them.  I'm going to try and ensure that they are not forgotten especially during these rough weather conditions.  This time I helped out by feeding them, but they need so much more - socks, clothes, suitcases and bags, tarps to keep them dry, and most of all people to understand their situation.  This is why I want more people to go and help directly because your eyes will be opened to what really goes on in your community - money and donations can't solve everything.

I wish you all happy holidays, and happy helping.