PLARN PROJECT

Plarn.  You may be asking yourself, what is that?  Well, it's plastic bags that can be used in crochet and knitting projects.  Crazy right?  I learned about this from a women's group meeting we had earlier this year at my church.  One of the ladies was telling us about a project that she is a part of with another group.  They make mats for the homeless using plastic bags.  I was very intrigued.  I loved the idea of recycling plastic bags.  I rarely get any plastic bags myself as I make and use my own reusable tote bags when I go shopping.  So, I put the word out to my family and friends to save their bags and I would take them.  

Now, our women's group will be collecting bags over the summer and learn to make this mats in the fall.  Well, being patient was never something I mastered, so I looked on youtube and pinterest for directions on making these mats.   It's quite simple.  First you lay the bags out flat, cut off the handles and the bottom.  From there cut the bag in half, then from each half, cut in half again.  That's it.  All you need to do then is knot loops together.  You can roll it into a ball if you want or just throw all your knotted loops into a tote.  Don't worry about tangles.  Unlike regular yarn, these will not tangle.    You will need a P or a Q crochet hook.  I used a Q for my chain, then went to the P.  Chain a row until it measures about 2 1/2  feet  and then add 2 more chains.  Single crochet in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain across.  Ch 1, single crochet across.  Repeat until the length measures about 72 inches (6 feet).  That's it!  

We will add a blanket and socks before rolling up the mat.  Either a strap can be made to hold it together or sometimes a belt is used to keep it rolled up.  The mat is waterproof so it can be laid on the ground, then the blanket on top so they can stay dry when laying down.  

The place where her group takes the mat, somewhere in Philly I believe, keeps the mats and if someone needs a new one due to wear, they must return the old one.  This helps keeps them out of rivers and other places.  

I hope you found this interesting!

Bag of bags, we will need a couple of hundred to make 1 mat

Cut loops

c

Loops knotted together

Mat in progress

Period Poverty: Part 3

     Our final part of this series.

    So to recap, let's look at some differences between disposable and reusable menstrual pads

Pro:

Reusable:  cost effective.  The upfront cost may be around $100 or so but this will last for years so you will save a lot long term.

Environmental Friendly: these will last for years and when you need to throw them out, they are biodegradable. 

Soft Fabric: made with soft, breathable fabric.  Therefore less skin irritations, sweating and chafing.

Custom sizeable:  there are many different styles, lengths and coverage.   Plus, there are some fun prints and patterns.

Disposable: 

Convenient: easily accessible and toss when done.

Lower upfront cost: pay each month

Cons:

Reusable: 

they need to be washed, and may require extra care like a rinse or soak before washing.  Some people find this the worst part.

Disposables:

Contains chemicals that may harm skin.  Can cause serious health complications as infections, cramping and heavier blood flow.

Harmful to the environment:  Synthetic materials that do not biodegrade.

Higher cost in the long term.

Homeless women would still do best to use disposables because they may lack the water and detergent to wash them.  As well as some in shelters.  But, many women and girls would benefit greatly by using reusables.  I would like to reach out to my local schools in my county to see if there is a need for girls who may lack the supplies they need each month.  Are school nurses or trusted teachers being asked for these items on a regular and daily basis?  We could then make samples to show them to see how well they will be received.  Which brings me to this.  I would like to start a group that would make these to donate to the schools.   Not everyone has to be a sewer.  We could use people to cut out the patterns, iron the fabric, turn right side out,  put on the snaps, etc.  We could have people donate supplies, which really are not that expensive.  Flannel,  terry cloth, cotton, blizzard fleece and snaps.  We could also make some drawstrings bags to place the items in.  We could make kits with an assortment of pads,  2 lights, 4 mediums, 3 heavy and an overnight as an example.   They will then be donated to the schools.

The burden of period poverty has been placed on my heart for several years.  I will continue  to help girls not miss any more school because of not having supplies.  If anyone would like more information, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Here are 2 examples of the drawstring totes for the kits.

Period Poverty; Part 2

    Today is part 2 of the continuing topic of period poverty. 

    Now I know when people hear of reusable pads their first thought might be eww!  But really, it isn't much different than cloth diapers.  Personally, I have been using them myself and absolutely love them.  I have been using the same ones for about 4 years now.  So, right there I saved over $600.  My only regret is that I hadn't learned about these sooner.  Disposable pads are relatively new, as they weren't a thing until after World War I.   In 1921, Kotex came out with the closest prototype to the modern day menstrual pad.  However, rural areas didn't catch on until the mid 1960's.  Have you ever thought about what pads are  made out of?  Without doing our own research we may not ever know because the companies who make pads and tampons are not require to list what they are made from.  So let's take a look, shall we?

Today's menstrual pads are more absorbent, thinner and softer than even just a few years ago.  What that means is that new chemicals are being used.  Chemicals that we don't know too much about or the effects on our health.  What makes the general composition of today's disposable pad?   Cellulose mixed with a super absorbent polymer powder make up the absorbent layers.    The polymer is a fluid absorbing chemical from petroleum or wheat.  It turns into a gel when absorbing liquid.  Cellulose is also known as rayon.  It makes up the cell wall of plants and trees.  The cellulose is turned into a pulp by being grounded and moistened.    The pulp will be shredded until it becomes a fine fluff and then mixed in with the polymer powder.    It will then be measured and molded into the shape of a pad.  Two layers are needed to make a "regular" flow absorbent pad.  Those two layers will be placed between sheets of plastic.  The top will be perforated so liquid can pass onto the absorbent layer.  The bottom layer is left solid to avoid leakage.

Odor control have been added to the pads as well.  That will be added to the absorbent layers.  Let's look at ingredients to prevent odors. Active carbon, active silica, active alumina, ion exchange resin and chlorophyll.  But that's not all.  The top of the pad also includes sodium potassium aluminosilicate, sodium bicarbonate and carbonates, biocarbonates, phosphates and biphosphates, sulfates and bisulphates, ascorbic acid, boric acid, citric acid and maleic acid.  Don't forget additives like fragrance and alcohols for scented pads.

Let's put that into perspective shall we?  This means that one- quarter of your child bearing years, we as women, are coming into direct contact with chemicals that are known to cause cancer.  Not to mention cramps, nausea, vomiting  that these chemicals can also cause.  Plus, an array of infections from the plastic.  This  information should make all of us angry!  Why are we using these products?  But the bigger question, why are these companies using such ingredients?  

Now, let's look at what reusable pads are made from.  Cotton or flannel for the top, flannel or  terry cloth for the middle (the absorbent layers) and blizzard fleece for the bottom layer.  That is it.  Oh, and snaps to hold them in place.  Now, the more they are washed, the more absorbent they become.  

 
Liner, 8",9" 10" and 11" pads

the underside, the yellow ribbon indicates type of flow, (heavy, moderate, light, etc)

Wings go under panties and snap to hold in place

Drying snap

snap pads together, while drying

Period Poverty: Part 1

     In my previous post I mentioned about what I am passionate about, and that is period poverty.  I will go into more detail about that in today's post and it will go over several other posts.  So, let's get started.

    I know that some people may be uncomfortable with this topic.  But, it is something that needs to be addressed.  Some of you may have heard of such organizations like Days For Girls, On the Dot, Period Project and the Pad Project just to name a few.  Days for Girls, for example,  provide reusable menstrual products to girls in places like Africa.  Girls miss school once a month due to their lack of supplies and end up falling behind.  The result is that all too often, girls drop out of school.  In many places, period products are considered luxury items and therefore, many do without because they can not afford them.  Sadly, in many cultures, girls are shamed when they have their periods.  Some even have to live elsewhere each month because she is considered "dirty".  

Let's look at some numbers, shall we? The rate for girls who miss school on a monthly basis due to their cycles is 20% in Ghana, Ethopia and Sierra Leone.  In Nepal, South Africa and Afghanistan it's 30%.  40% in Sengel, 50% in Kenya and in India the rate is a whopping 70%.  But it doesn't just happen in the really poor areas of the world.  1 in 7 girls miss school in the U.K. and even here,  in the United States, that number is higher, at 1 in 5 girls.

The average female will menstruate about 40 years.  She will spend roughly $13.25 per month on supplies.  That is $159 per year and over 40 years comes to $6,360.  That's not all.  Thirty-one states even charge sales tax on menstrual products.  Thankfully, for us in Pennsylvania, we don't have to.  And to add insult to injury, government aid programs like Snap and Wic,  classify pads and tampons as luxurious and places them under the category like cigarettes, pet food and alcohol and therefore do not qualify. That is just unreal to me.  After all 50% of the population menstruates.  It is a part of life.  Why the shame?  Why the unfairness of the way women are being treated?  If men got periods would we even be having this discussion?  I don't think so.  

There is another charity called Cloth Connection Outreach that I have been a part of for several years.  It is based in Michigan.  I came across it on facebook.   Donors sew reusable menstrual products and send them to Michigan.  From there, they go into kits.  Those in need can fill out an application and a kit will be shipped to them.  All they pay is shipping.  If they can't even afford the cost of shipping, which is about $8, a donor will sponsor that person and cover the fee.  Over the past 4 years or so, I have made and donated more than 300 reusable pads.  

    I will continue this topic over the next week or so.  Please stop back to learn more on this topic.

Downsizing

 I have decided to make some changes to my Etsy shop.  I want to pair down my listings and just focus on the favorite things I enjoy making.  With that being said, I am going to be making bags.  I love bags, from messenger bags, tote bags, cinch sacs, drawstring bags and more.  I also enjoy doing zipper pouches, baskets, pillows and pillowcases.  I will still offer crocheted items.   So, stay tuned and visit  my Etsy shop on a regular basis as I will be putting many items on clearance to make room for the things I will be focusing on.  

My main goal of my shop is so that I can continue to focus on what I am passionate about and that is period poverty.  Girls, even in the United States, miss school because of not having the menstrual supplies they need.  I am working on providing kits with reusable menstrual pads to donate to those in need.  I was part of a group that made and donated products for anyone who requested one and they just pay the shipping fee. It was based in a different state and I want to do something local in my community. I will be talking more about that in the near future.