Crocheting with t shirt yarn is a bit like marmite – you either love it or hate it! The finished make is a lot sturdier than all of the other yarns out there so it’s great for making bags and baskets, and other items that need to keep their shape. However, crocheting with it is an acquired taste and takes a bit of getting used to. I bloody love it and I’d love you to love it too, so here’s my 5 top tips for crocheting with t shirt yarn.
- When you’re crocheting with DK or chunky yarn, it’s likely you’ll use your wrist to manipulate the hook around the yarn. With t shirt yarn, it’s A LOT thicker and can be harder to work with, which may make your wrist hurt. Try using your whole arm to create bigger movements, starting from your shoulder, rather than just small movements in your wrist.
- Whether you use your wrist or your whole arm when crocheting with t shirt yarn, something on your body will start to ache so it’s important to have plenty of rests. Please don’t attempt to make a whole bag or basket in one evening otherwise you won’t be able to lift your spoon to eat your cereal the following morning!
- There are a few different brands of t shirt out there; my personal favourite is Hoooked. Because the yarn is made from recycled textiles, there are only ever a certain amount of bobbins available in a particular colour or pattern. When you’re buying t shirt yarn, always make sure you buy enough for the project because if you run out of yarn halfway through your bag or basket, you might not be able to get hold of the same colour or pattern ever again.
- As many of you will know, I’m a massive fan of a soft grip hook but when I’m crocheting with t shirt yarn, I actually find a plain metal one much better for the job in hand. As the t shirt yarn is a lot thicker than ‘normal’ yarn, it needs more room to spread out on the hook. The soft grip hooks don’t offer a lot of space but the metal ones do. A bamboo hook would work just as well.
- Because of the nature of t shirt yarn, in that it’s made from recycled textiles, all bobbins differ in thickness and elasticity. You might find a lovely smooth t shirt yarn to crochet with and you’ll think to yourself, ‘what’s she on about, this isn’t hurting my arm at all?!’ And then the next bobbin of t shirt yarn you choose might be as tough as old boots. If you can have a feel of the t shirt yarn before buying then you get to know what the ‘better’ bobbins feel like. If you’re not in a position to feel it in person, try asking the person on the other end of the order form.
Have I convinced you to have a go with some t shirt yarn?! I really hope my 5 top tips for crocheting with t shirt yarn has persuaded you to have a go, as it can be so rewarding to crochet a beautiful basket which is sturdy enough to hold the logs next to the fire or to display the not so beautiful toilet rolls in the bathroom. If you do fancy having a go with some, there’s a huge selection over on my website. Click HERE to have a browse of all the colours and patterns available.
And I’m also happy to have a feel of it for you to advise on what’s the smoothest and easier ones to start with.