How to Recycle a T-Shirt into Yarn

Originally posted 2012-09-20 08:00:19.

Turn an Old T-Shirt into Something Fabulous!

My son cleans out his dresser on a regular basis. He’s one of those neat-freaks (a trait he obviously did not inherit from me) and keeps his room super-organized! He had a pile of perfectly good t-shirts. I usually cut the shirts into pieces to use as rags for painting or staining but decided to go another route this time. I figured I would make “yarn” from the shirts and today, I’ll show you how to recycle a t-shirt into yarn!

I started by cutting the hem off of the shirts.

Then, I started cutting a narrow strip and continuing in a circle up the shirt to the sleeves keeping the strip evenly spaced.

If you give knitted fabric a tug, it will naturally curl up on itself.

I rolled it into a ball and cast 15 stitches on size 17 needles.

I used a stockinette stitch to create a square which can now be used as a hot pad, a dish cloth, or a bath scrubbie! Just think of the possibilities… Several t-shirts could be turned into enough yarn to make a hat or a scarf. The wheels are turning already!! For other ideas using t-shirts, click here. Any questions on how to recycle a t-shirt into yarn? Leave a comment below!