Thirroul’s Faith Ellis won her first prize at age seven for an embroidered handkerchief and later spent her 20s crocheting everything from bikinis to jumpsuits. Today Faith is using her 70s to experiment with textiles. 

This experimentation not only scratches that creative itch, but it has the potential to help the homeless and reduce the amount of soft plastics in the community. It is also an activity that Faith, who suffers from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), can do with the help of an electric spinner. 

After REDcycle collapsed in November 2022 and soft plastics recycling was pulled from supermarkets, like many of us, Faith started to notice the accumulation of soft plastics around the house.

“About a year ago I joined a spinners group because I had an idea of wanting to spin paper and plastic because there’s so much plastic around it’s just ridiculous,” she said. 

Back when I was younger, braiding rugs and hats out of plastic bags was all the rage (along with ginger beer plants and making friendship bracelets), but Faith is taking it a step further by spinning the plastic herself.

“I bought a spinning wheel but I have what’s called FND, Functional Neurological Disorder, which is a brain signalling disorder. I’ve found keeping my legs going consistently was challenging, so I bought a little electric spinning machine.”

The result is ‘plarn’ or plastic yarn.

“It’s actually quite hard work to spin plastic,” Faith said. “It doesn’t always run through your spinning wheel, it catches…

"It’s quite labour intensive but it’s meditative. It’s something I can do in front of the TV.”

Faith's love of experimentation and play has led to her forming a small craft group that meets on Wednesday mornings. “We just play,” she said. “We’ve played with eco dying. We’ve played with gelli plate printmaking.” 

This playful approach to craft and textiles has also inspired her to spin tissue paper, which will later be woven into cloth, and tea bag paper, which could be used to make baskets.

“I’m a very practical person so I want to make something I can actually use,” she said.

Faith also got the Thirroul Men’s Shed involved, with local member Dave building two different types of looms for her next project. The plan is for the plarn to be woven into bags and mats for the homeless, a project Faith is hoping to involve the community in later this year.

“It gives me a practical purpose in the community to be able to help other people.”

If you’re interested in joining Faith’s Wednesday craft group, please contact her on 0418 408 061