I can’t tell you how happy I feel looking at these little balls of t-shirt yarn! Though I save just about everything, colorful t-shirts were not in my stash, (I know, hard to believe) so a few weeks ago I actually went and bought some from a local thrift store. And I’m so happy to have finally found the little pocket of time to cut up those shirts into yarn! You can find a very nice tutorial here, from one of my regular Craft Schooling Sunday contributers.
I just love the accidental yet gorgeous color combination, and even if you never get around to actually using the yarn, well it sure looks a lot cuter than a pile of t-shirts collecting dust in your dresser! And the really great news is that after I cut up the t-shirts for yarn I actually had my thinking cap on and realized that the leftovers could be cut into strips for weaving! (I’m planning on using the balls of yarn to crochet something.)
I’ve already got my daughter working on a placemat-sized weaving which is unbelievably gorgeous! The only thing is, that it looks like I’ll have to give her some of my yarn to complete the project, as the scraps just won’t be enough! Oh well, today the thrift store is open, I think I just might have to venture out of the house in search of some colorful t-shirts. Stay tuned!
Note: When looking for t-shirts to recycle, you’ll want those with minimal printed graphics (the printed areas can’t be used for yarn) and try to steer clear of t-shirts with lycra. Also I noticed that some very heavy t-shirts are actually ribbed when you take a close look, and this is also not ideal as the fabric doesn’t curl nicely like the regular weight simple t-shirt.The ideal garment to look for would be a long t-shirt fabric night-gown, as you’ll be able to make a nice sized ball of yarn from one. And by the way, to make a project of any substantial size you’ll need quite a few t-shirts, so stock up!
Leave a Reply