Creating T-Shirt Yarn: A Step-By-Step Guide To Upcycling

T-shirt yarn is a fun and easy DIY project that can be made from upcycled t-shirts. It is a great way to repurpose old t-shirts and can be used for various projects such as crochet, knitting, and weaving. The process of making t-shirt yarn involves cutting the t-shirt into a rectangle, trimming the bottom seam, and then cutting the fabric into connected strips. The width of the strips can vary depending on the desired thickness of the yarn. The strips are then stretched to lengthen and thin the yarn, and it can be wound into a ball for ease of use. T-shirt yarn is ideal for bulkier projects such as rugs, baskets, and tote bags.

Cutting the T-shirt into a rectangle

To cut a T-shirt into a rectangle, first cut off the bottom hem. Then, cut the shirt straight across from armpit to armpit, making sure to cut through both layers. This will leave you with a rectangular piece of fabric. If your cut lines are not perfectly straight, don't worry—it doesn't need to be perfect.

If your T-shirt has a logo or screen print that you want to avoid including in your yarn, be sure to cut around it. You can also choose to unpick the hem instead of cutting it off, and then use it as part of the rectangle.

The size of your strips will depend on how thick you want your yarn to be. For example, for a 10mm hook, you can cut the strips into 2.5cm/1in strips. If you are using finger crochet or a bigger hook, you can cut the strips larger. T-shirt yarn is very forgiving, so it's okay if your strips aren't perfectly symmetrical.

Cutting the fabric into strips

To make t-shirt yarn, you will need a t-shirt (preferably one without side seams) and a pair of sharp fabric scissors.

First, cut off the bottom hem of the t-shirt. Next, cut the shirt straight across from armpit to armpit, making sure to cut through both layers. This will leave you with a rectangular piece of fabric.

Now, decide how wide you want your t-shirt yarn to be. The wider the strips, the heavier and bulkier your yarn will be. Cut your strips about 1 to 1.5 inches wide. Beginning at one edge of the fabric, cut a strip straight from the bottom to about 1 or 2 inches from the top fold. Make sure you don't cut all the way to the end.

Repeat this process until you have cut strips across the entire t-shirt. Try to maintain the same width for all your strips, but don't worry if they're not perfect.

Now, gather the shirt where the strips are still connected at the top. From now on, you will cut diagonally. To begin, diagonally cut from the outside edge to the point where you ended cutting the first strip. This will be the beginning of your yarn.

For the second strip, cut from the cut end on the bottom to the cut end at the top of the next strip. Continue cutting diagonally across all the strips until you reach the end.

You can now choose to leave your yarn flat, or stretch it out to make it curl and resemble traditional yarn. This will also make the strip longer. To curl your yarn, simply stretch it or pull it between your hands. You will notice that it curls up and thins out. Do this along the entire strand.

Stretching the strips

Stretching the t-shirt yarn is an optional step in the process of making t-shirt yarn. However, it is a good idea to stretch the yarn if you want to make it curl and become thinner and longer, more closely resembling traditional yarn. This also gives you more yarn to work with.

To stretch the yarn, simply pick up a length of the yarn and stretch it or pull it between your hands. You will immediately notice it curling up and thinning out. The yarn will also become longer. For example, a Men's XL Shirt yielded about 22 yards of unstretched yarn. After stretching, it measured 28 yards of t-shirt yarn, adding about 6 extra yards. Do this along your whole strand of yarn.

If your t-shirt had any kind of graphic on the front, those pieces will not stretch. However, this shouldn't make too much of a difference to your final product, especially if you are making something like a crochet rug.

Once you have stretched your yarn, you can wind it into a ball, and it is now ready to knit or crochet.

Connecting the strips

Now that you have cut your T-shirt into strips, it's time to connect them into one continuous piece of yarn. Pick up your shirt and place it over one arm with the top, uncut fold on top of your arm. If you are right-handed, place the shirt on your left arm and vice versa.

From now on, you will cut diagonally. To begin, cut diagonally from the outside edge to the point where you ended cutting the first strip. This will be the beginning of your yarn. For left-handed people, work from left to right, cutting diagonally from the bottom left to the top right.

The second strip will be cut from the cut end on the bottom to the cut end at the top of the next strip. Continue cutting all across until you reach the end. When you get to the end of the shirt, simply cut off the last strip diagonally to the edge. You now have one continuous strip of T-shirt yarn.

If you are using a printed T-shirt, cut the fabric strips vertically, so that when you pull the strips to stretch the yarn, the print will be visible on the outside.

If you are using a T-shirt with side seams, you can either cut the side seams off and then sew the strips together, or you can cut the strips and then sew them together. To sew the strips together, pull the ends of the strips that you are going to sew together to see which side curls in. Put the curling sides facing down, flatten it out, and take the other strip that you’re joining and place it on top with the curling side facing up.

Overlap the strips by about a quarter of an inch and sew from notch to notch at an angle using a quarter-inch seam allowance. Clip away the two little ear tags. When you open up the seam, it will be at a diagonal, and when you pull it, the seam will be tucked inside.

Curling the yarn

To curl the yarn, pick up a length of the yarn and stretch it or pull it between your hands. The yarn will immediately begin to curl up and thin out. Repeat this process along the entire strand. If your T-shirt had a graphic on the front, note that those pieces will not stretch. However, this shouldn't make a difference if you are making something like a crochet rug.

After curling the yarn, all that is left to do is wind the new yarn into a ball. It is now ready to knit or crochet into a fun rug, coaster, purse, necklace, or bracelet.

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