I was watching Knitty Gritty on DIY tonight, and Erika Knight was on with some really cool ideas which could translate easily to crochet. She’s creative about using materials other than yarn to make knitted objects. Her first project was a “woven” rug. She knitted strips and then wove them together to create a rug. Of course it would look *great* in crochet too–and since you’re making small stitches, it’s an excellent way to use up your STASH!

She also translated into knitting a project that I’ve seen in crochet before–using plastic bags to make a beach or tote bag. Marlo’s Crochet Corner has a great one that you’d never guess was made from plastic bags. Erika Knight leaves little ends sticking out of her plastic “yarn” when she knots it together and this looks cool too. Here’s her pattern.

I love crocheting with unconventional materials–string, jute, sisal, wire, rags. And since reusing is a huge step up on the environmental scale from recycling we should turn all our grocery plastic into permanent totes and stop taking bags from the store.

Erika Knight’s Woven Rug