GUEST POST: Selma Brings Her T-Shirt Yarn

You will not believe what happened this morning when I opened the door to my blog. It’s quite an old, creaky, woodwormy door, as you can see from the photo below:-

…and when I opened it, I gasped because there was someone in there! I was scared, I can tell you. I almost slammed the door shut and ran away. But then I realized that there was nowt to worry about because the visitor was the lovely Selma from the EclecticHomeLife blog, and she had kindly come to share some of her clever, artistic skills with us folk here at the ‘Yarn. So instead of running away, I sat down beside her and read over her shoulder whilst she typed, which probably annoyed the hell out of her. Sorry, Selma. This is what I read:-

 

GUEST POST BY SELMA AT ECLECTICHOMELIFE: T-SHIRT YARN FOR THE HOME

What fun!  I had such an addictive pleasure using t-shirt yarn and I can see myself using it again and again for so many things.  What took me so long to come round onto this particular band wagon, I do not know.  But being asked by the wonderful Twisted to guest blog on her fantastically written and inspiring blog gave me the final push.  I’m glad it did.

All you need to crochet t-shirt yarn:

Old t-shirt (obviously) preferably clean and not too many stains on it!

Scissors

Crochet hooks

First you need to cut off the hem and the sleeve section, just leaving the torso part to work with.  This will create an amazing amount of yarn.

Next, cut through both sides of the t-shirt at the same time, depending on the thickness of the desired yarn will determine the width of your strips, but for a first attempt, I suggest strip width should be about 1- 1.5cm wide.  IMPORTANT:  do not cut the strips all the way to the end of the t-shirt, see photograph.  You must leave at least 3cm gap.  All will be revealed in a moment, just heed this advice!  Keep cutting strips until the whole torso section is cut.

The next part is the clever magical bit, let’s make a continuous strip of fabric yarn.  Read and watch carefully…

Lay the t-shirt flat out so that the uncut section is in the middle, see photograph, then carefully place this over your arm, see second photograph.  Excuse the very blurred picture here, but you try and photograph with one hand suspended in the air with a t-shirt dangling from it and photograph it one handed, not easy I tell you, this was probably attempt number five and see how poor it is, it’s the best of the bunch.  Twisted, will never ask me to write a post again!?!?!

With scissors begin to cut from the lower strip to the right, this first cut will make you cut to the end of the torso section and this strip should fall away to the floor, this is the beginning of the continuous yarn.  Cut each strip diagonally from left to right.  I have drawn pink (Twisted’s favourite colour, not) to show the direction and where to cut for clarity.

When all sections are cut you should be left with a heap of t-shirt yarn.  We’re not finished yet. To create a rolled edge to the yarn, pull the t-shirt strips through your hands from left to right, and once you have done that, do it again pulling the yarn through your hands from right to left.  This gives it a polished finished look.  Ball it up and you are ready to crochet!

How to make a heart bowl with t-shirt yarn

You will need:

I x t-shirt yarn ball

5 or 6mm crochet hook

After every row, chain one and turn

Chain 3, (remember to also chain one and turn too)

SC into each stitch (3 st)

Now we begin to increase, we will be adding 2 sc into the first and last stich of each row

2 sc into first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in last stitch (5 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 3, 2 sc in last stitch (7 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 5, 2 sc in last stitch (9 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 7, 2 sc in last stitch (11 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 9, 2 sc in last stitch (13 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 11, 2 sc in last stitch (15 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 13, 2 sc in last stitch (17 st)

2 sc into first st, sc in next 15, 2 sc in last stitch (19 st)

For the next 3 rows:  Sc into each of the 19 st (remember at the end of the last row to still chain one and turn)

Now we begin the right side of the heart lobe:

Sc into the first 9 st, this is the end of this row, so remember to chain one and turn

We are now going to begin decreasing to form the heart shape.

Decrease the first two stitches and then sc in the remaining seven st (8 st)

Decrease the first two stiches, sc in the next 4 st, and decrease in last two stiches (6st)

Decrease the first two stiches, sc in the next 2 st, and decrease in last two stiches (4st)

Decrease the first two stiches, decrease in last two stiches (2st)

Pull yarn through and fasten off

To make the left lobe of the heart:

Sc into the ninth st from the left side, so you are effectivley starting to crochet this lobe from the centre, there should be one sc between the base of  both lobes.

Continue to sc for the next 8 st (9st)

Sc into the first 7 st then decrease in last two st (8st)

As with the previous lobe we will be decreascing at each end of the row.

Decrease the first two stiches, sc in the next 4 st, and decrease in last two stiches (6st)

Decrease the first two stiches, sc in the next 2 st, and decrease in last two stiches (4st)

Decrease the first two stiches, decrease in last two stiches (2st)

To neaten the edges and make the heart more smooth, sc around the heart.  BE CAREFUL not to add extra stitches and on reaching the bottom point of the heart, remember the 3 stitches we began with, sc 3 times into that middle st to create a sharp point to the heart.  When you get to the meeting of the two lobes, decrease one stitch which pulls them together and creates a more heart like shape at the top of the heart too.

You could leave this as a pot trivet or I was keen to make it into a heart bowl, read on …

To make the sides:

Ch 3 and then tr crochet into each st using back post only.  This forms a small ridge and allows the crochet to begin to curl upwards to aid the growth of the sides.  All will reveal itself as you crochet on. Keep the tension slightly looser than normal so the bowl does not creep in too much.

Ss to join

Ch 3 and tr into each stich again

Pull yarn and fasten off

But at this point I hit upon a problem, I know that Twisted likes to add colour to her home and as I only had old white t-shirts that were able to be cut up, felt this too bland and not worthy of our friend.  I hunted through my stash and found some thick felting wool.  Seeing that the purple had perhaps a tad of pink shade to it, I mixed it up with some blue, here’s hoping that it will meet with Twisted’s approval.  I just single crocheted around the edge of the bowl toad the splash of colour.