I went crazy: knitting with toilet paper

The virus is flying around, zombies walk the earth and I have time to kill, so what better to do than knit with: TOILET PAPER

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Yes, dear reader, last week I lost my mind and exchanged the yarn with toilet paper. Not only is it still in high demand in our local supermarket, no I also found that the fantasy novel I currently read (and which is some years old) also mentioned toilet paper as the one thing you need to hoard if the apocalypse is coming. Perhaps everybody around me read this novel and so the toilet paper rose in value…. But back to my knitting project.

Joking aside I neither lost my mind nor my yarn stash and zombies are also near to unknown in my city, but I wanted to work on another artwork for our upcoming far away exhibition (I will tell you more later). I thought about a huge blanket made of knitted toilet paper which will cover all the garments I made during the pandemic. A blanket which should symbolize the stillness / loneliness I encountered during the lockdowns which is filled by working on my knitted, crocheted or sewed clothes. These handmade garments will later be worn, and nobody will ever guess that they were made in such a trying time – therefore the blanket which hides everything under its soft white fabric.
Having this idea, I at first wanted to crochet the toilet paper, but every attempt failed miserably. The paper is much too stiff on the one hand and tears too much on the other hand: working with a big hook was not possible.

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After this I researched arm knitting and was amazed how easy this technique seemed…. Sadly, the stiffness of the paper again prevented me from creating the huge blanket I envisioned in my mind’s eye. I was not able to get a lot of paper chains on my forearm… But I was able to get some chains knitted.
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My first attempt looked like a pile of discarded tissues – not very attractive. But the second attempt went really well… until I ripped the paper: AHHHHHHH (please dear needleworkers tell me why toilet paper needs a predetermined breaking point???) Thankfully my husband was at home and came running to my rescue. He taped the ripped toilet paper back on. We repeated this roughly every fifth row (perhaps I need to mention my husband as a co-artist?) and I was able to knit a blanket of 56 cm width and 135 cm length. After this I needed a shower because I was stress sweating because I was in constant fear of ripped paper :-D

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I will make more of these blankets and then try to either sew or tape them into one huge blanket to cover my handmade garments…. But for this I have a lot of time because our exhibition is cancelled. No do not cry, because we already have a rescue plan. Another artist who occupied four weeks in August in this gallery is super lovely and let us have two weeks from her time. Hurray… Although I am a bit disappointed that we cannot start with the project now and that we will have less time to prepare and to build the artworks at the gallery, I am hugely grateful, that we are still able to have an exhibition.

So dear needleworkers, I try again: if you are interested you can still send me your thoughts and experiences about the pandemic. How your life went, and which role crafting played during this time. Read more here.

Sending love and hope to you all

Thank you @crosheille for initiating and @muscara and @marblely for hosting the #needleworkmonday. If you want to see more beautiful projects with yarn, fabric and most of all needles, follow @needleworkmonday. Or even better grab your needles and keyboard and join the #needleworkmonday community.

Ohhh, if you don't have a hive account and want to comment then visit my Wordpressblog Bliss and Blisters and write me there.

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23 comments
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Ah ja you are totally an artist! I wanted to do knitting with my arms but never came up with using toilet paper 😁Respect, Neumannsalva!

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Be careful: do not stroke my craziness too much :-DDDD No I am joking, I am flattered and happy that you like the idea. If you ever come across roving or big wool which is affordable I think arm knitting is real fun and produces a lovely fabric.

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I love this! Why not twist the toilet paper like yarn to make it easier to work with?

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THank youuuuuu <3 And I had a similar idea with the paper, but it look crumpled when twisted. I wanted the blanket to look as big and fluffy as possible and the twisting made the paper somehow smaller. But it is also possible that I need to try a different brand of toilet paper, maybe it will expand back after twisting (if I use a more expensive brand which is thicker and softer)

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I see that you have become an artist and that's why you have the creativity to the maximum, I would never think that I can crochet with paper.

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Ohhhh thank you so much ☺️ I often have some funny ideas, but I am not always brave enough to really experiment. THis time it was ok, because the material (toilet paper) is not expensive and if it did not work out it would not be a big (financial) loss.
I will try again with the paper and use a different brand which is softer... :-D Perhaps I can make some garment out of the toilet paper...

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Haha! This is insane! Who would have thought to do this? You are full of life @neumannsalva!
Sorry, I missed your project. I was nursing my family during that time and didn't have the energy and motivation to do anything else. Is there time to write to you still (seems there is based on the last paragraph)? Let me know?

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I feel with you, being responsible for the well being of loved ones can be very taxing, especially with the current pandemic situation... oh sigh. I hope that all will be well for you and your family and that you have (or get) enough support to not burn out. (If you ever want to be distracted or want to wine or anything, feel free to write me <3 <3)
And with the art project: no pressure on you!!!! If you have the wish and time to write or photograph something this is possible till July I guess :-DDD But honestly, only if you really have the nerve/time to do it.
I send you a big hug <3

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Hi, I had a lot of fun reading your post, what an experience knitting with toilet paper. I have thought of knitting with many things, but never with toilet paper. I can imagine the level of patience with such a fragile material. I admire you... A big hug, may creativity continue to entertain us. Greetings

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Believe me: I also was stressed out :-D I am normally more for simple, relaxing ńknitting or crochet where I do not need to think. But I found the idea of a huge white and fluffy blanket made of toilet paper which everybody hoards like crazy so funny, I had to try (at first I even pondered to sew it on the sewing machine, but I was too fearful, that it will kill the machine)
Sending fluffy greetings back to you <3

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I agree with all of the lovely comments that precede mine...you are one of the boldest, adventurous, creative, daring, innovative woman I’ve ever known! 😍

I’ve arm knitted before with chunky yarn but never dared to do it with tissue. Wowsers! It looks so awesome and I am so looking forward to seeing everything come together.

I am glad there is another option and a solution to the exhibition. I know how hard you both have worked on this and how much this means for you to complete it.

Yes, I think your husband should be named co-artist. 😄

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Oh wooooow what a lovely compliment (especially as I mostly do not feel so bold or adventurous, more headachy and whiny. But it is very nice to get to know a different perspective of oneself) <3 <3
I also look forward to the whole ensemble of artworks... sometime I find it hard to work on them without having the possibility to set them up for real, to see if the idea I had will work in real life.
And ok.... I will mention my husband :-DDDD (joking aside: he is a huge supporter and help, I could not go on without him <3)

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I meant every word! 😘

I can imagine how awesome it will all look once it comes together. That will be the fun part about it...seeing your hard work paying off.

So glad you have such a supportive husband ~

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I love your creativity, resilience and optimism :D

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Happy you like the idea and thank you for the support <3

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Congratulations @neumannsalva! Your post has been placed in the spotlight for this week's NeedleWorkMonday Community Featured Posts #124!

Thank you for your quality post and for being a part of the needlework community!

#needleworkmonday is an initiative that supports and rewards the NeedleWorkMonday Community while inspiring the Hive blockchain. You can read more about us by visiting our FAQs.

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Juchuuuuu, thank you so much for supporting my crazy ideas. Let’s hope that the toilet paper will not sell out again :-DDDD

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Hahaha knitting with toilet paper, I would have never imagined it. I imagine all the patience you had to handle it without breaking. Anyway, the end result was very good ❤.

I'm glad you got the space to do the exhibition 😊💕

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Es una ideal genial, me encanta tu perspectiva y como le sacas partido a los recursos. Nunca hubiese imaginado el papel como hilo de tejer, eres sorprendente

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You are so funny. I love this!
My daughter was arm knitting the other day. She gave up though. I just told her that she might do better with toilet paper and made us laugh 😆

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I agree, either you go mad or you develop black humour. I like the zombie analogy, it expresses what is difficult to put into words. The long days without events are also best endured for me when my hands and mind have something to do. Like solving problems with the design and the material. It keeps the mind alive and distracts from dull thoughts. Of course, even that loses its meaning at some point if you don't get back into living contact with the world around you. All that inspiration comes from the many people who express something creative in the real world, using more than one sense and body organ. Creativity for me comes from observation and trying to imitate something that bears the spirit of a work of art - which can be just as much an everyday object.

It could be that many of us will maintain the state of isolation and limitation and gradually forget why we actually prefer such a confined life. A bit like the monkeys who always receive a punishment when they climb the ladder to get the food from there. At first it was the guards who punished the monkey who climbed up. Later, when the monkeys had learned that something bad always follows as soon as one of their fellow monkeys climbed the ladder, they took over this punishment. Once all the monkeys had been replaced, their behaviour did not change. No one was allowed to approach the ladder any more because they were prevented from doing so by their peers.

That is the story. But I would say that everything would not have to be like that and that this strange behaviour would also come to an end if free monkeys would simply do what is in their nature. Climbing and fetching tasty food from the trees. :)

Thanks for the amusement, I think your idea of crocheting with toilet paper is just great :)

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(Edited)

Just for a bit more amusement... I already pondered to sew the toilet paper on the sewing machine. But in a moment of clarity I stopped myself before I could ruin the machine and know I ponder gluing it into garments.... we will see :-DDD
And with the isolation: you perhaps remember I have this migraine problems and because of this, my daily life is not so much different than without Covid. I often cannot participate on social events or carelessly do anything, as I have to beforehand ponder if it will be worth the (health) cost.
Nevertheless, I feel you. I dearly miss cooking with friends or playing bard games or talking without a screen in between. On the other hand I have even more compassion for people (I have two friends who have MS and take immunosuppressants) who never can go out into the world as easyly and carefree like I can or even healthier people are able to. I think I can now better understand people who have a very limited mobility and are limited to a smaller radius of life or even only their flat. And I really hope (but fear it will not) the pandemic will help to bring this into the minds of more people so that there is more consideration for people with disabilities in future.
The same goes for social or financial inequality which know is much more obvious.... the pandemic could be a chance to hear people who are normally not heard.
But yeah... I fear I am not an optimist in this regard.

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Seeking solitude or being alone is not something I would deny someone, they choose it by choice and who wants to judge that? I myself am not necessarily someone who rushes into the crowds and likes loud and noisy events. I used to love the club life and went out partying every weekend. When I was young. Today I live both more quietly and more frugally. But I wouldn't want to ban young people from going out, because in the world of functional working conditions, they probably have no choice but to compensate themselves at the weekends for functioning within the working week. I don't begrudge those who chose other ways of being together, even at a young age, such as sports clubs, scouts, music, etc., as much as others who didn't get together in smaller communities because they weren't used to it through neighbours or their own family, for example. At the moment we have a paradox. Since nothing is allowed anymore that enables togetherness, people resort to media and material consumption as long as they have money for it. The possibility of moving freely and deciding for oneself what is good for one, however, is currently subject to absolute external control. That cannot be good. It reduces the individual to a mere collective particle; the personal and the self-determined have no role in it.

Just because I myself may be able to cope with isolation because that is my preferred life model and I also have the opportunity to earn money from my home office, I cannot expect that others who live other lifestyles should also want or even be able to do so.

To deny people the freedom to choose how they want to live and work and to believe that a government has the overview or some kind of superior knowledge is, in my view, a fallacy.

I am afraid, that the understanding for "disabilities" is something, which exists superficially on the surface but whatever disables a person to function smoothly (accordingly to what the system demands) it disturbs people more on a deeper level, for what I realized during my life experience is that the environment actually distastes humans who are not functioning and only tolerates those who are disabled in terms of their own professions, through which a disabled or sick person must be treated (physically and psychologically) in order for others to make a living through the sick and disabled. True caring seldom takes place where the conditions are under the clock and profit oriented market.

I agree that the crisis is a chance to make some realisations on an intimate and personal level. That which I haven't seen and realised before, I do so now. That is already something valuable and I think, you and I are not alone in this.

Have fun with your further experiments. I truly like them :)

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