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Project
Newspaper Vest
One of my favorite things is to explore with recycled materials and see how they can be transformed into functional and artful items. This passion inspired me to create the "newspaper vest." A vest entirely knitted from newspaper without the use of glue or tape.
Process
1. Newspaper as yarn
Before I actually started the knitting process I first had to experiment with different types of papers to create my “yarn.” Despite it being a very thin material, newspaper made for the most durable material to knit with.
2. Making the yarn
strips of newspaper woven into yarn via handmade drop spindle
Drop spindle made from a dowel a few rubber bands and a CD
Dowel doubles as a spool and stores woven yarn efficiently
no glue or tape applied during this process
3. Knitting the newspaper
Lesson Learned
As I was experimenting with different strip-making and twisting techniques, I soon discovered that hand ripped newspaper proved to create a stronger paper to paper connection than cutting the strips with scissors.
I also found that tearing strips along the newspaper's grain created fewer tears in the paper when twisting.
In process of knitting 5 total panels for the vest
4. 5 panels of knitted newspaper
2x front panel
5. Completed newspaper vest
To this day the newspaper vest is still a fully functioning, recycled art piece
Unfortunately, it is not machine washable nor do I recommend wearing it out in the rain. :)
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