How to Make Yarn Out of Old Jeans

I 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.

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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