NEIGHBOURHOOD LINKS

NEIGHBOURHOOD LINKS is a material based collection, continuing on the theme of plastic upcycling (which I have been using in my latest collections). When lockdown came along, coincidentally, it was also the time when I ran out of plastic bags! Having stopped buying them, the stash I had gathered had finished, so with the help of my local community website, I started to ask my neighbours. I was pleasantly surprised to see people responding so positively to my request of taking away their ‘bag of bags’ (that I think we are all familiar with). Just before lockdown, around January, I started to take an interest in knitting, and that gave me the idea of turning plastic bags into yarn. While I am aware that it is not a revolutionary idea and that it has been done before, my take on it is original and goes further than cutting strips and making shopping bags or pouches. The concept of crocheting the shapes into links plays with the idea of people coming together and helping each other through hard times. Seeing my community in the South West of London being mindful of others and trying to lend a hand where they could, has left me quite impressed. Even helping me with my request for collecting plastic bags, shows people’s willingness to be there for others when they can.