Are You Still Collecting Tea Bag Strings?

"Are you still collecting tea bag strings?" is a question I've been asked quite a bit lately...

And the answer is YES.

You betcha I am!

So I love it when I get mail like this...

Actually, when the kids brought the mail in this time, I knew what was inside before I even touched the envelope... there were tell-tale ends peeking out of the seal!

If you're new to the blog, then you're probably wondering why on earth I want people to send me tea bag strings. Which is a reasonable question really...

Well.

I've been saving them.

And knotting them together...

Until they look something like this:

And then I've been crocheting with them - just as if it were yarn.

It works up surprisingly well. I mean, it's slow going with all those little knots to bypass, but the overall finish is rather special. The hook I'm using is around a 7.0 mm and the stitch is a dc, ch 1 mesh. It results in an amazingly lightweight fabric...

And what am I making with those strings?

My first project was an infinity scarf - as shown, it is wrapped three times...

I'm so pleased with the way that this one worked up, that I've started another. This one won't be an infinity scarf, just a regular long thin scarf which can be wrapped any way you like.

Yes... And I don't know.

YES...

I am still collecting tea bag strings.

I DON'T KNOW...

What I will make with them yet!

My ball now weighs 76 g.

 I've been feeling like it just doesn't seem to grow. No matter how many strings I add to it, that ball just seems to remain the same size...

But then I looked back at my last blog post about it.

And guess what?

IT HAS GROWN!

Last time it was only 22g...

And I still have another 67 g of untied strings.




So the madness continues.

Yes. I am STILL collecting Tea Bag Strings!

Okay. So this is REALLY slow work!

It's been three months now, since I first posted  about my insane plans to collect tea bag strings. I'm not much of a tea drinker - but I have MANY wonderful friends who are - and they have been indulging me by saving their strings (despite the strange looks from their loved ones and co workers).

Even Mr Goldfish has the staff at his workplace saving strings!

Here's my collection to date...



 I feel like I have knotted together THOUSANDS of these tea bag strings... and yet the ball never seems to grow any larger - how is that possible?

String Saving is SLOW work...

String Saving is SLOW work...

But you probably already knew that. right?

So here's the grand total of my collection so far:

One Whole Gram.

In truth, it's probably a little less than that... since the scales kept flipping between 1 and 0.

But I have time. I can wait.

Anyone care to guess at how long it will be before I have enough for a scarf?

I'll start the guessing off with 10 months...

What do you think? More or Less time than that???

Inspired or Insane?

On Friday morning, I caught up with a couple of the girls I used to work with - and we had ourselves  a little craft morning. It felt like forever since I had spent any time with them, though in reality, it's a little over a year since I finished up work. Somehow it feels like a lifetime ago!

Anyhow.

Jo-Jo needed help to "cast on" for a crochet tea towel topper, and Tam needed to finish off her Giant Granny Blanket. Somehow she had worked her blanket into a never-ending spiral... and she didn't know how to get off the Merry-Go-Round!

So, once we had taken care of the "business" end of things we got to chatting...

Tam was telling me the most fabulous story

about a woman who was recycling her tea bag strings into yarn...

Yes.

You heard correctly.

Tea bag strings INTO yarn!

She was even WEARING her string scarf at the time... and a little string rosette, too...

How awesome is that????

 

Well - You know what I'm doing now, don't you?

So far I only have TWO... but I am saving my teabag strings...

I'll knot them as I collect, then skein them up and wash them before use.

Not sure how long it will take me to save a useful amount - But Hey - I'm not going anywhere...

And ALL donations would be gratefully accepted!

So what do you think? Inspired or Insane?
Vote in the poll... it's in the right hand margin... below the Pintest Pin and above Polly the Spotty-Tailed Platypus

And tell me - how do you recycle your old tea bags?