Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

How to Make Yarn Out of Old Jeans

by

How to make denim yarnI have been making a lot of plastic yarn out of old shopping bags lately as part of a project for my daughter’s school. It’s a lot of fun to use unconventional materials on a traditional handcraft like knitting or crochet.

You probably know that you can make yarn out of T-shirts and fabric as well, but have you ever considered making yarn out of old jeans? Fiber Artsy & Craftsy has a great tutorial, and it’s actually pretty easy, but you do need sharp scissors and strong hands to do it.

The tutorial doesn’t show what she did with the yarn — though there is a pattern on the site for crocheted trivets — but I think it would be great for hot pads, baskets or bowls, or other home items. It could also make a really cool pillow for a kid’s room or a man cave.

What do you think? Would you make denim yarn? What would you do with it? It’s kind of pretty just in balls, too.

[Photo via Fiber Artsy & Craftsy.]

How to Make Yarn Out of a T-Shirt Say goodbye to those well-loved shirts taking up space in your closet and hello to a world of crafting possibilities. Join me as I guide you through the step-by-step process of creating soft and versatile yarn from your T-shirts. From cutting to rolling, you’ll be amazed at how easy and fun it is to upcycle your old tees into fabulous yarn ready for all sorts of knitting, crocheting, and crafting projects. So, let’s dive in and discover the magic of transforming T-shirts into beautiful, eco-friendly yarn!

How To Make Yarn From A T-Shir-T-Shirt Yarn Tutorial – From small projects like coasters and trivets to larger ventures like rugs and baskets, the possibilities are endless with this eco-friendly and budget-friendly yarn. So, grab those T-shirts, and let’s make yarn that’s not only fun to craft with but also a fantastic way to reduce textile waste and contribute to a more sustainable world!

Recycling, Plarn in the bag! Plarn! In this exciting tutorial, I’ll show you how to make yarn out of old plastic bags, opening up a world of possibilities for creative and sustainable projects. 

 

Next Pattern:

Comments

  1. I love this… I think I would use it to knit, crochet or weave placemats. I have denim placemats, but they’re pretty blah, although exceptionally practical… These might be fun!

Have you read?

Book Review: Cable Knitting Stitch Dictionary

Stitch dictionaries are a fun way to learn new-to-you knitting stitch patterns or to take a deep dive into a particular technique. Debbie Tomkies offers 100 cable stitch designs and thoughts on how to incorporate them into projects in her Cable Knitting Stitch Dictionary.

Each stitch pattern is shown in a large swatch photo and with written and charted instructions. Any special stitches are included on the page. The stitches are rated on a difficulty scale of 1 to 3, and the pattern notes also indicate how many extra stitches you should add to a project if you’re going to work this cable (since cables pull the fabric closer together you need to compensate for that) as well as how many stitches and rows are in the repeat if you want to design a project yourself.

The cables are arranged into sections: classic cables, combinations, all-over panels, creative cables, motifs and panels and cabled edges and borders.

It’s fun to flip through the designs to think about projects you can add a single cable or two to or make with an allover cabled design. Or you could make swatches of different cables and sew them together into a pillow cover or a throw.

At the back of the book there’s a section on general cable knitting techniques, reading charts, working swatches and avoiding errors (though it mentions working the wrong number of rows between cable turns, it doesn’t share how to count rows between cables to avoid this mistake).

It also talks about how to design your own cables, combine cables in a project, choose the right yarn and needles and determine how many more stitches you need to cast on when working cables instead of stockinette stitch. There’s also a glossary of symbols and abbreviations you may find in cable knitting and other patterns.

The book provides a good overview of things you can do with cables, as well as some fun things you might not have tried like infinity cables and horizontal cables. It’s a great book for a designer who likes to work with cables or a knitter who wants to play with different stitches in their projects.

About the book: 176 pages, paperback, 100 stitch patterns. Published 2024 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $26.99.