# Newspaper yarn? (pics)



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

After seeing several mentions of spinning yarn out of newspaper, I decided to try it.

I looked at this tutorial (and then did it differently  )

http://greenupgrader.com/2138/handspun-recycled-newspaper-yarn/

The spinner had done this on a drop spindle. All the tutorials showed spindles. 
Well, I dont have a heavy enough spindle really, to use for it. 
So I got out my little wheel, Annie, and she worked just fine. 










I couldnt get the yarn to pick up onto the bobbin very well, so I just took it off the flyer hook each time and wound it on.The cordage is very strong. It spun really well.
I was getting too much twist at first, so I started just letting go of the yarn and letting it unspin some, every time I had to wind it on the bobbin and join a new strip of paper. 

The 'yarn' is more like cordage, really. Kind of stiff and hard. 
I accidentally left it sitting outside on the porch overnight though. 
It picked up a bit of humidity and became quite a lot more supple, which made it sooo much easier to work with.

Then, because I am always so excited to TRY any new yarn, I knit this little basket out of it.










Pretty neat, huh? Even if you dont have any wool you can still spin!
LOL


----------



## sbanks (Dec 19, 2010)

this is what I would call ADDICTED


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

That's amazing!


----------



## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

Whoa.

Cool.

I saw the thread title, then looked to see who posted it. When I saw it was GAM, I said "oh, well, of course." Totally the kind of thing you'd try! Neato!


----------



## susanne (Nov 4, 2004)

just amazing. 
with all the news paper floating around, why not. only thing that holds me up is all the color from the print. i herd it is very toxic.


----------



## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

You guys fascinate me!

Thanks for posting something so unique.
Wow!

Wonder what kind of "life" an item has when made from this.....

My S&EP mind is turning. What sort of use could it have, especially in an emergency/no preferred provisions situation?
Ideas GAM? anyone?


----------



## partndn (Jun 18, 2009)

That'd be nice little gathering basket GAM made. Beans, berries, pecans, etc.

Tote. Even a carrying pack for not too heavy a load?

I guess it would serve well for anything that wasn't going to get real wet.


----------



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Way to go GAM! I saw you post the other day that you wanted to try it or else you made some comment about spinning newspaper. It is pretty cool! Do you think it it had the slightest bit of moisture before spinning it might spin/take up easier?

Susanne a lot of newspapers use soy based ink these days. Even my little town paper does.


----------



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I am not sure how many practical apps the newpaper yarn would have really.
It does get ink on your fingers, esp when you spin it.

I suppose you could make baskets maybe for things like nuts and roots. Dry stuff.
If there was nothing else to work with, I suppose you could fashion lots of things.

I think it would work well for weaving. 

I expected it to be terribly hard to spin, but it doesnt rip. 

& yes, I am addicted to spinning.


----------



## Caren (Aug 4, 2005)

I bet it would be good for beach bags and stuff.


----------



## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

I don't usually post in here, but saw this thread and just wanted to see how well it worked. On Instructables, they had a how to article on how to do this. It's really interesting. I'm glad you tried it and shared your results with us.


----------



## PKBoo (Apr 10, 2008)

GAM that is just amazing! Thanks for sharing (and for trying it!)

Do you remember those Girl Scout "Sit-Upons"? A newspaper sewn inside of a vinyl piece of material, with a shoelace at the fold so you could tie it around your waist... 

So you could make a Sit-Upon without the vinyl covering (although you could only use it on a dry sunny day, and make sure you sit upon it on dry ground! :shocked

ETA this link:http://campfranklinpark.org/images/Creative_Situpons.pdf
Using Newspaper: A Warning! A Great Alternative!
Watch out for the woven newspaper sit-upons. When they get damp, everyone has the news printed on the back of her shorts.  
The sit-upons in the Brownie handbook leak if they are made as suggested. When water gets into these, the newspaper inside 
can become very heavy.


----------



## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

What would happen if you spun it right along with some crochet thread or something like that? It would make it more sturdy. hmmmm I see an experiment coming up! LOL


----------

