Sam_2.0
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:42:45 GMT -5
Posts: 12,350
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 26, 2016 20:26:37 GMT -5
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naughtybear
Familiar Member
Joined: Aug 10, 2016 17:03:08 GMT -5
Posts: 996 
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Post by naughtybear on Nov 26, 2016 20:29:37 GMT -5
I'm actually teary at this. Someone we know (even through the internet) is actually making a difference. Good job, I'm proud of you.
I'm doing this here. For you Sam.
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Jaguar
Administrator
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
Joined: Dec 20, 2011 6:07:45 GMT -5
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Post by Jaguar on Nov 26, 2016 20:31:50 GMT -5
I'm so damn flipping proud of you Sam, that I'm now saying I know a real live Angel.
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TheOtherMe
Distinguished Associate
Joined: Dec 24, 2010 14:40:52 GMT -5
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Post by TheOtherMe on Nov 26, 2016 21:23:54 GMT -5
So proud of you, Sam, and you are teaching your kids how to give back at the same time.
Warms my heart.
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 14, 2024 15:27:23 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2016 17:25:35 GMT -5
I am SO stealing your technique! If, that is, I live long enough to finish the one I'm doing with crochet, which is barely six inches so far.
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Tennesseer
Member Emeritus
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 21:58:42 GMT -5
Posts: 64,587 
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Post by Tennesseer on Nov 27, 2016 17:37:56 GMT -5
Good for you, Sam_2.0. Putting what would have been most likely dumped in the trash, you are putting the bags to good use. Congrats. |
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haapai
Junior Associate
Character
Joined: Dec 20, 2010 20:40:06 GMT -5
Posts: 5,986
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Post by haapai on Nov 27, 2016 20:04:51 GMT -5
You've inspired me to start braiding my bags. I'm interested in seeing how this works out.
I've done some cold-weather camping and I consequently know the virtues of closed-cell insulated sleeping pads. I have some doubts that anything made out of braided plastic bags will ever come close to that and I definitely have some doubts about how a braided-bag sleeping mat will hold up to compaction and retain water. It might take several layers of braided bags to achieve the results of anything closed-cell and the major virtue of braided bags might be that they are very cheap to assemble and unlikely to to swiped. The only way to know for sure is to braid one myself.
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Sam_2.0
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:42:45 GMT -5
Posts: 12,350
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 28, 2016 13:49:34 GMT -5
I am SO stealing your technique! If, that is, I live long enough to finish the one I'm doing with crochet, which is barely six inches so far. You should come to our next class  we are doing one in Jan. I'll post the event on the FB page |
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Sam_2.0
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:42:45 GMT -5
Posts: 12,350
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 28, 2016 13:51:15 GMT -5
You've inspired me to start braiding my bags. I'm interested in seeing how this works out. I've done some cold-weather camping and I consequently know the virtues of closed-cell insulated sleeping pads. I have some doubts that anything made out of braided plastic bags will ever come close to that and I definitely have some doubts about how a braided-bag sleeping mat will hold up to compaction and retain water. It might take several layers of braided bags to achieve the results of anything closed-cell and the major virtue of braided bags might be that they are very cheap to assemble and unlikely to to swiped. The only way to know for sure is to braid one myself. The tighter the braid, the more dense the mat. I try to keep them a bit more loose to help keep it lighter and easier to roll. I would love to see if you come up with a way to get a tighter weave!! |
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Deleted
Joined: Oct 14, 2024 15:27:23 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2016 10:22:12 GMT -5
OK, I'm up to 7 inches on my crocheted version. Progress.
Two disadvantages I see in this project compared to knitting caps for people who have lost their hair due to chemo, which was my previous project. First, tax write-off is minimal. For the hats I could write off the cost of materials or an estimate of what the hat would have cost in a store. The amount I could deduct for a plastic mat is a lot less that one hat per week, which is what I usually did. Second- I feel guilty using the darn plastic bags! I've been using cloth bags for ages. I know the plastic ones are for a good cause but they're still made from petroleum by-products. I'm tempted to swipe the ones people put in the bin at the grocery store for recycling but I can just picture myself getting arrested for it.
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Sam_2.0
Senior Associate
Joined: Dec 19, 2010 15:42:45 GMT -5
Posts: 12,350
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Nov 29, 2016 17:06:09 GMT -5
You won't get in trouble at all, Athena. I steal from HyVee and Walmart recycle bins all the time  If employees are around I ask first and I've never been told no. Otherwise, I just take them If you need more, I have about 5,000 in my garage waiting to be processed. Hahaha! I am hoping for a couple of snow days to get caught up!
ETA - There's a group at John Knox that crochets the mats. Not all of them live in that community, but that's where they meet up. If you are looking for a group to join to finish your crocheted mat that may be a place to start |
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