Upcycled Continuous T-Shirt Yarn

Yarn t, upcycled shirt
Upcycled Continuous T-shirt Yarn Ball
I use t- shirt yarn for a lot  my Upcycles and it is an Upcycle just making it. While I was working on an upcycle last night, I decided I should post how to do some of the crafts I use most. I started with this one because I needed more yarn.


Upcycled Continuous T-Shirt Yarn



For a continuous strand you will need:


  • T- shirts with no seams
  • Sharp scissors or rotary cutting tool
To begin lay the shirt flat on a work surface and cut the bottom half off just below the armpit seam. Straight cuts are best for t-shirt yarn. Jagged cuts will make the yarn look messy and sometimes prevent it from rolling together naturally.

Lay the top half aside to use later. Cut the bottom hem off and turn the T-shirt tube so the cut pieces are on the sides.
Fold the bottom tube up to the top tube and leave about an inch on the back side.
Cut from the bottom up to the first tube. I cut this to 3/4 an inch. I like my t-shirt yarn to be thinner. Some shirts are too thin for this small of a cut.
Continue cutting strips of the same size for the rest of the shirt. Remember to leave the 1 inch allowance uncut.
Put your arm through the allowance and give the shirt a little shake. For the next cut I put my rotary mat in between the shirt so I do not cut strips by accident. You can use cardboard or scissors as well. 
Start on the left side of the shirt. Cut diagonally from the inside of the bottom first strip to the top second strip. Continue cutting diagonally for the remainder of the allowance. I leave the first strip attached until I cut my last strip.
 Pick up one of the end pieces and begin stretching and pulling. I try not to run the yarn through my hands to pull it. I grab two pieces and pull in opposite directions. (After a few blisters and rug burns I learned it was easiest for me.) Or I tell the kids it's time to pull.
I like to roll mine into a Center Pull Ball as I pull. 

I find this to be a great way to Upcycle and it saves me money for knitting, crochet and macrame projects. I mostly make yarn out of our old clothing but I do not to sell yarn with stains or holes which might make it weaker.