Baling Twine Doormat

For most of us who have rabbits and other animals, buying hay is a regular activity. Hay bale use baling twine that become trash after it's cut to let loose the hay. Our newsletter editor Kathy S. is very creative and very green; she likes to reuse material that would normally be discarded. Here is her creation, a doormat made from the baling twine.

Kathy says,

"Here's a little bit more about the doormat. After seeing a doormat woven out of baling twine in Make magazine, I knit one. While physically tough going, I found this knitting completely compelling. I've written about the doormat in the Guild's Summer '08newsletter, but here are the basics.I used big, polymer needles (Susan Bates #13). Needles of other material and smaller needles reportedly bend or break. I cast on as many stitches as the ten and one-half inch long needles would hold. Jamming on this many stitches made for challenging knitting as twine is slippery. Circular needles would make this project much easier. (Another option is to knit narrower bands and knit them together, though that might make for a floppier doormat, albeit one that is easier to knit.) Garter stitch creates a bumpy surface, well suited for removing debris from footwear.To tie on a new piece, a simple overhand knot works best. I pulled the knots to the doormat's underside, but you may prefer otherwise.Color placement on this doormat is random; whenever I got a new piece of twine I tied it on and knit. Just think what someone with good color sense could accomplish!Finished size: 20 by 30 inches.I'm still pretty excited about the doormat, and greet visitors with "Look what I made". I then have to convince them to wipe their shoes on this handcrafted finery."