I discovered there is such a thing as T-shirt yarn. Companies like Lion Brand sell it. Remnants from T-shirt making (and other textiles) are cut into strips and then rolled into a skein. You know the cool thing about this? You can make it yourself from old T-shirts, sheets, and other cloth things you have lying around the house.
Here’s a quick how-to with pictures from Mollie Makes about creating T-shirt yarn. Very simple. And just in case you (like me) happen to snap your T-shirt during the pulling process it’s totally okay. Don’t stress. There’s an easy way to connect the ends that doesn’t involve tying them and having an unsightly knot.
This video about locker hooking on Youtube shows how to make the fabric yarn using cotton (non-T-shirt) cloth as well as how to join the ends so you have one continuous strand. Or you can check out the non-video blog post with pictures at Tottie Talks Crafts.
Here’s my skein (two views). This is three navy T-shirts (one medium and two extra-large) worth of yarn. I didn’t measure the yardage but that’s my hand beneath it. Suffice to say it did a fair amount.
Now that you know how to make the yarn, here’s something you can make with the yarn. This free pattern for a Mandala Rug from Tuts+ Blog is how I first learned that T-shirt yarn was a thing.
Note: While the pattern calls for a 15mm hook, I used a 10mm because that was the right size to fit the T-shirt yarn I made. Remember to always use a hook that complements your yarn.
Stitches you need to know to complete this pattern:
– Magic Ring/Circle
– Double Crochet (dc)
– Slip Stitch (sl st)
I’m assuming you know how to chain, so I didn’t include that video.