Demystifying T Shirt Yarn Series: What the Heck Do People Make With It?

Last month we discussed what t shirt yarn is, how to properly use it, and what to look for in quality.  So what do people make from it?  Well, this month let's look at some of the teamUpcyclers shops and see what they are doing with it. 


Rose from Sew Ecological likes to knit with it.  Rose also makes many things from upcycled sweaters, as well as working with handspun yarn.  I really enjoyed browsing her shop and admiring her work.  She has a cowl up in her shop that is a wonderful example of how you can knit and crochet with t shirt yarn to create one of a kind items.

This pretty cowl is available for purchase here.

Mike from Mike's T Shirt Yarn has many lovely items made from t shirt yarn in his shop.  Of course, Mike also makes fabulous t shirt yarn so he has a wonderful inventory to work with.  You can find knotted bracelets and some fun crochet pieces in his shop, as well as t shirt yarn.  I personally know that Mike has a strong commitment to eco friendly products and supplies and am grateful for the support and encouragement he has always given me.  I would recommend his shop to anyone.  Here are just a few examples from his shop.  

This stylish and earthy bracelet is available for purchase here.

This bright and cheerful pencil (or crochet hook) holder is available for purchase here.

Katie Jo from Pink Poppy Seed has a variety of jewelry made from t shirt yarn.  Stylish necklaces and fun bracelets abound in her shop, as well as crocheted fingerless gloves and a wonderful selection of scarves for all seasons.  You won't be disappointed in a visit to this shop.  Here are just a few of her jewelry pieces:

This soft statement necklace is available for purchase here.

This beautifully braided necklace is available for purchase here.

The fashionable bracelet is available for purchase here.

Kristy from Scratch Made has a delightful shop full of bright and pretty jewelry made from t shirt yarn. She displays a variety of styles and colors that are sure to please the eye.  She only submitted one listing to me so that is all I will use, but you won't be disappointed by visiting her shop.  Personally, I think this bracelet is all you will need to want to see what else her shop has to offer.

This fabulous bracelet is available for purchase here.

Susana From Recosas tells us on her shop greeting that "'Recosas" are things which have been given a second chance".  Beautiful, isn't it?  She also told us that the spanish word for t shirt yarn is trapiño and it is used to make a kind of carpet called jarapa.  I really must learn to speak spanish because it uses the most lovely words.  Susana makes a lovely array of upcycled items and I encourage you to browse her shop.  What you see below is just a sample of what Susana has to offer.

This lovely necklace is available for purchase here.

This stunning necklace is available for purchase here.

These pretty hairpins are available for purchase here.

Last, but certainly not least, is Rain from Remaine Wicked.  Rain has a large selection of items for children and some adult items, like fabric cuff bracelets, cell phone cases, and beautiful bags.  There are also many soft baby blocks, upcycled clothes, and educational quiet/busy books.  I would encourage anyone to look through her shop, especially if you have small children.  She uses t shirt yarn in her quiet books for the braiding and God's Eye pages.  Below are a couple of examples of her quiet books.

You can see the t shirt yarn on the braiding on this book, which is available for purchase here.

You can see the t shirt yarn in the God's Eye in this book, which is available for purchase here.

As you can see, there are many uses for t shirt yarn.  Other popular uses are pot holders, rugs, coasters, and trivets.  I also know of people who use it in their gardens to tie plants.  Weaving with it is also popular.  I have seen many people use it in making baskets with great success.  The possibilites only end with your imagination.  What would you do with a ball of t shirt yarn?  Were would your imagination carry you?  I hope you will get a ball and find out because next month I will give you some tutorials on things to make with t shirt yarn.  I'll have some knitting and crochet projects, as well as braiding and weaving.  There will be something for everyone, from beginners to more advanced projects.  The perfect way to end the series.  So be sure to catch the next and last article in this series on August 20.


Love and Peace, 


Luci

Shop Feature: Instinctively Indie

Recently through the Upcyclers team on Etsy, I met a wonderful woman named Ann who owns an Etsy shop named Instinctively Indie.  Not only is this a beautiful shop full of treasures, but she has devised a way to recycle crayons into stunning jewelry.  That's right.  You heard me.  The girl recycles crayons into jewelry!!  I have never seen anything like it!  This jewelry is truly one of a kind.  See for yourself...

An example of Ann's amazing recycled crayon jewelry available for purchase here.

She advises not leaving this in a hot car or in any extreme temperatures like that, but it will stay perfectly intact with normal storage and wear.  So how do you decide to make jewelry from crayons?  Well, I was dying to know myself.  Ann said, "I have recently seen a lot of melted crayon art on canvas and was immediately inspired. Whenever I see something I like, my first thought is 'How can I make that wearable?'. The biggest challenge was coming up with a way to create them on a small scale. I won't go into how I do it, but the process evolved through a lot of trial and error."  I think the trial and error was well worth it.  This is most definitely not the work of a novice.  I asked Ann how long she had been making jewelry and how she got started and she told me she "started making jewelry when I was 10 yrs old. I started with fishing line, seed beads, and findings that were way too big! The older I got, the better my techniques became and the more I loved the results. I've only been good at it for a few years. Jewelry making is something I learned on my own and I didn't have anyone I could ask for helpful tips, so it took me much longer to master."  And master it she has!

Not only does Instinctively Indie make jewelry from crayons, they also many other fun items.  Their shop is like a carnival for me!  It is so bright and fun and you can find the neatest items, like the fried marble jewelry for instance.  And the pretty button decorated pillboxes that Ann's mother makes.  She has a fabulous eye for matching colors and textures!  And beautiful handbags too!  And many more things that I don't have the room to mention.  You really just need to look through her shop.  I asked Ann what inspired her.  She said, "There are so many things in the world that have the potential to be beautiful. I am most often inspired by things that other people would throw away. I don't purchase items in perfect condition very often. Items have meaning when you've taken the time to create or refurbish them. Flea markets are my favorite places to go and find inspiration. I carry a small notebook with me and write down or sketch ideas. I often buy something and have no idea what I'm going to use it for. That item may sit around for a year or two, but it becomes the perfect solution to a design problem I have!"  I just love Ann's approach.  

One of Ann's pieces of fried marble jewelry available for purchase here.

Ann's shop also has many wonderful button pieces, everything from pillboxes to jewelry, that I had to find out more.  I needed to know how she started working with buttons.  My enquiring little mind was on overdrive!  Probably because I also have a respectable button collection.  Ann told me, "My first passion is sewing. My mother made most of my clothes when I was young and taught me everything she knows. I loved going through her buttons and I've always been amazed at the detail that can be found in these tiny notions. I bought a mason jar full of them at a flea market on a whim. I had so much fun going through them. Unfortunately most of them were singles, so I didn't have much use for them in sewing. I experimented with turning them into jewelry and found it to be incredibly relaxing. I was pregnant at the time and needed to stay off my feet. When friends and family members found out about my button jewelry, I was given jar after jar of buttons as gifts. I started with one quart sized jar of buttons and now I have thousands upon thousands of them!"  And they are put to good use too!

Button embellished barette available for purchase here.

I love that Ann's mother taught her to sew, but now Ann is "taking it to another level" and teaching her!  Ann said that her mother was "also lured by the siren song of the buttons and wanted to create some things for my shop. I am constantly bouncing ideas off of her."  I love when the "student" becomes the "teacher"!  


Please visit Ann's Facebook and Twitter and show her and her lovely mother some love!  


Peace and Love,


Luci
Idle Hands Yarn Supply

Shop Feature: Re-Creations

I recently joined a new website that I found quite by accident.  On a previous shop feature I had done, I noticed that I was getting a lot of traffic from this site.  So I clicked on the link to see what this site was and it took me to her post in the forums.  Much to my delight, she was thrilled with her shop feature (whew!).  As I read through her thread, I noticed how supportive the members were and really enjoyed their comments.  So I poked around on some other threads and liked what I saw.  I decided to join and posted another one of my shop features and said that I was the one who wrote up the feature that had been posted previously by the shop owner.  At the bottom, I asked anyone interested in a shop feature to contact me.  Luckily for me, someone did.  A lovely woman named Stacy who, with the help of Jacqui, started not only an Etsy shop called ReCreationsProject, (they also do summer markets!), but a program for the developmentally disabled that enriches their lives, helps the environment by doing upcycled projects, and does community outreach in the form of workshops and demonstrations teaching people about upcycling and all of the nifty things they can make!  I honestly stopped breathing for a minute.  That is like the trifecta for me!

This item is available for purchase here.

Stacy's description of the group and their work blew me away.  I worked with people with developmental disabilities for several years, so what she had to say in her email tugged at many of my heartstrings.  Then I read the links she had sent me.  This is the first thing I read on the first website I visited; I took this directly from the Re-Creations Project website on the Home tab:

The Re-Creations Project consists of me (Stacy) with support from my fearless sidekick Jacqui Atkins, and some awesome freelance crafters who pitch in to help.  We started in 2011 in the hopes of creating a sustainable social enterprise for people with learning disabilities that would give them a chance to do meaningful creative work and help the environment in the process.

In October 2011, the Project received a Level 1 Millennium Award from Un Ltd, helping us to buy tools and materials for the group.  Off to a good start!  Since then we’ve been working with a small group in Cambridge, as well as delivering “roadshows” to schools, youth groups, and other social enterprises.  We’ve opened our etsy shop, and are preparing for the upcoming summer market season.  Along the way, we’ve met loads of inspiring people, and had a great time.  We’re always looking to connect with new people, so if you have fresh ideas, please get in touch!

I couldn't wait to learn more about this incredible group.  I asked Stacy how she got started.  She said, "In 2011, Jacqui and I were both facing redundancy from our job at a local disability charity.  Having been in the situation before, we wanted to try setting up a group of our own that could run without all the overheads of a large charity.  So we met with a group of people with disabilities to find out what was important to them and what kind of project they would like.  They said that their ideal project would a) involve arts and crafts, b) give something back to the local community, and c) help the environment.  So the idea for the Re-Creations Project was born".


By this point, my heartstrings were playing a concerto.  I was struck by the fact that the mission of this group was designed by the people it was meant to benefit.  The best way to empower a person is to let them make a decision.  I have always strongly felt that people with developmental disabilities should be as involved as they can be in the decision making process of groups whose mission it is to enhance their lives.  My experiences in the States have not been so completely inclusive and I was very impressed with Stacy and Jacqui for taking that approach.

This item is available for purchase here.

I asked Stacy about the size of the group.  She said, "Our existing group has six members, and we're currently recruiting more.  Jacqui and I also have support from several freelance artists who help us with specific projects, and many of the group members employ their own support staff to help them access the group".


They may not be a large group, but they get a lot done.  Stacy told me more about their community and outreach programs, "Our core group meets every Wednesday to process materials and try out new crafts (with lots of coffee and a good old natter in the process!).  But at our markets and public demonstrations, we realized that many of the passers-by were keen to try making our crafts.  So we started to offer private parties and workshops to help finance the core group.  So now kids (and adults) can have birthday parties with games that teach them about upcycling and make cool crafts to take away with them!".  I thought all of it sounded wonderful and asked about the what the community involvement had been like.  Stacy said, "The community support has been fantastic!  We've had support from several recycling champions around the city, and have held workshops and demonstrations for youth groups, fairs and other social enterprises to exchange ideas to provide mutual support".

This items is available for purchase here.

And they have some fabulous recycling champions!  Stacy describes where and how the acquire their materials, "We've had wonderful support from local youth groups, recycling champions and "being green" representatives from the county council, who have responded to our appeals for particular materials  We even have dedicated individuals around the country who post us certain items when they've finished with them!  It's inspiring to see so many people who are motivated to find better solutions for their waste packaging materials.


Some of our project ideas are motivated by the groups desire to practice a particular skill.  So, when they wanted to learn about jewelry making, we set about finding ways to make beads from upcycled materials and incorporating used inner tubes instead of leather.


Other times we're motivated by a random donation of a particular material.  Right now we work in a great community Centre, that's been inundated with donations of plastic bottle tops - so they asked if we could do anything with them.  Our stock response is 'Ummm....  Sure!' and then we hit the internet to work out what the heck we can do with them!


Our biggest appeal at the moment is for the metal ring pulls from drink cans.  One of our group members has an ambitious project idea, but we're going to need thousands of ring pulls to make it work."


This group is impressive in every way.  I am going to end this with Stacy's words summing up what this group is out to accomplish, "Our main goal is to help people with learning disabilities develop their skills and showcase the results of their hard work.  We're always looking for new members who want to connect with the local community, learn craft skills, or work on sales skills.  Each of our group members has the option of displaying a gallery of their work on our web page, so we love it when people stop by and offer feedback on their work!


Our second aim is to inspire other to try upcycling, by demonstrating that anybody can do it!"


Please visit their Etsy store, ReCreationsProject, and their website, Re-Creations Project, and show this group some love by leaving some feedback for these talented and hard working artisans.


Peace and Love,


Luci
Idle Hands Yarn Supply

My First Love2Upcycle Blog Post

My first article for Team Upcycler's blog, Love2Upcycle, is live!  It offers some options for eco friendly crafting supplies and some tips from some of the team's artisans on where they find their materials.  I have featured some fabulous shops and they have shared some thoughtful and practical advice on how they obtain supplies for their upcycled products.  Take a look and visit the shops to see how the pros do it.

Some Thoughts on Eco Friendly Crafting Supplies (Love 2 Upcycle blog)

Love and Peace,

Luci
Idle Hands Yarn Supply

Shop Feature: Prairie Threads

As our month of shop features continues, please let me bring your attention to a couple fabulous shops owned and operated by Laura, who is a talented textiles artisan.  Prairie Threads and Prairie Peasant both use only upcycled materials.  We are focusing on Prairie Threads today, but be sure to check out Prairie Peasant also.  It has a fun selection of journals, including travel journals, sketchbooks, envelopes, and more.  It makes my heart happy just looking through her shops, both of which are bright, fun, and very well laid out.  You will have a wonderful time browsing through her many fabulous items.


As we are doing a focus on tarn this month, one of my first questions to Laura was how started working with tarn.  Laura has had an incredible adventure with tarn, as she describes it, "My first foray into using tshirt yarn was in 2009. I was part of the TransCanada Etsy Team, and as a promotion for Canada Day we did a joint project where members cut up t shirts into strips, and the shop FiveForty wove them into a gorgeous rug that one lucky person won (see the lucky winner and rug here. After this, I learned that after cutting the strips you can stretch them, making the edges curl, and making a yarn that is nice to knit or crochet. I made a set of rainbow t shirt yarn for a gift the next year, but the rug I am currently working on is my first project where I am actually using the yarn myself!"  The gift of a rainbow of balls of tarn was a wonderfully thoughtful gift.  If you haven't already clicked on the link you should give it a look.  


The rug is turning out beautifully, as you can see from the pictures below.  

I just love the colors on this rug!  So beautiful.  Laura said that the thicker tarn, which would be a 4 or 5 WPI, is working well for this rug.  The thicker tarn WPIs are wonderful for rugs and what I usually recommend using, however, she said that she has seen thinner tarn (6-8 WPI) used for everything from hot pads and placemats to tote bags and even a bikini!  The bikini is a new one to me, but I would love to see it.  The thinner tarns are wonderful mediums for all of those things.  


*I often throw around terms like WPI, which if you are a tarn person is very common, but if you aren't you have no idea what I am talking about.  WPI simply means Wraps Per Inch.  It is in indication of how thick the tarn or t shirt yarn is.  For example, 4 WPI would be 1/4" thick and 8 WPI would be 1/8" thick.  If you would like to learn more please read my article This Wonderful Thing Called Tarn found in my archive on the side bar.*


I also want to give a shout out to Laura's coiled bowls and mats.  They are absolutely lovely.  A must have for any home.  Laura was kind enough to send me a picture of a set of her blue bowls with a mat.  One look and you can see why I am so in love with these.  They are made from coils of fabric that Laura then sews together to create durable and long lasting items you will be proud to use for many years to come.  You will even find coasters made in the same way.

Laura told me that enjoys what she does creatively and it shows in her work.  In Laura's words, "It's so much fun to take some unwanted object and transform it into something new and useful. I am proud of my work and would never sell something that I myself wouldn't be happy have in my home".  


Laura has two wonderful shops going and says, "The focus of both of my shops is on making beautiful functional items out of recycled and repurposed materials. I would like to be able to say that there is a shortage of materials to work with, that all goods were used until they wear out, but unfortunately there is so much that is routinely discarded and I make new finds at thrift shops or friends give me unwanted fabric or paper all the time".  Well said, Laura.


You can find Laura on Etsy, of course, but be sure to check her out on her social media sites I have listed below.  Give her page a like or follow her to be the first to see the new items as they come out!  Tell her Idle Hands sent you!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrairiePeasant

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/PrairiePeasant

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31327632@N06/

Blog: http://prairiepeasant.blogspot.ca/

Love and Peace,


Luci
Idle Hands Yarn Supply

Shop Feature: Gooses Golden Eggs

May is going to be the month of features of shops that use tarn and other upcycled goods starting with Gooses Golden Eggs.  Ilse has a fabulous shop going full of goodies.  While browsing her shop, you will find a variety of jewelry and knitted goods, as well as the household items that we will be looking at today. 

Of course, I am a sucker for tarn.  I asked her how she started working with tarn.
Ilse:  "I had a bunch of old t-shirts laying around.  Normally I chop them up for dust rags once they've passed their prime.  I got the idea to use them for craft projects from a magazine, Disney Family Fun I believe it was.  They had a project to make pot holders with old t-shirts.  So I looked around on the internet for ideas on what to do with these old t-shirts.  I stumbled across a webpage that showed how to make yarn out of them.  It just grew from there.  I've been doing it ever since.  My family and friends find my habit of buying old tie dye t-shirts amusing." 

And how did the pot holders turn out?  Well, Ilse was kind enough to provide us some pictures.  Take a look for yourself!

Ilse:  "This was the first time I dyed the t-shirts to make a set of matching pot holders.  They used to be two, white, mens undershirts that had seen better days.  I love the idea of giving the t-shirts a second lease on life."

Ilse:  "These used to be an old tie dyed souvenir t-shirt from Hawaii and a red souvenir t-shirt from San Francisco.  I like that they mirror each other. I found both t-shirts in a second hand store just waiting to be reborn into something new and useful."
You can purchase these adorable pink and red potholder here.

Ilse started her Etsy shop in February of 2011.  Like all of us shop owners, she closed her eyes and jumped right in.

Ilse:  "My shop was opened on a hope and a prayer.  So many people had suggested I try my hand at selling my hats online. I'd made a few sales through friends and word of mouth.  I finally got the courage to put myself out there in February of 2011.  I encouraged my friend to join me last summer and she has a few items in the shop as well."

I have gotten to know cyber know Ilse a bit and find her to be just lovely.  I was curious to know how she got started and what motivated her.

Ilse:  "I'm a single mom of two wonderful little boys, ages 2 and 9.  They are the driving force behind everything I do.  I've been making jewelry for 15 years, crocheting for 8 years and knitting hats for 5 years.  I got my need to create from my mom who was an amazing candle maker, painter and jewelry maker.  I always thought my mom was an artist but have a hard time labeling myself one.  I am an avid recycler/upcycler.  This I also got from my mom.  She could turn random "trash" into beautiful things.  Around my house everyone asks if I have any use for things before they throw them away.  It's kind of a joke these days.  I love creating beautiful things for others to enjoy."

Ilse doesn't just make potholders from tarn.  She also says she has made coasters, hats and used it in jewelry in place of chain, ribbon or other cord.  She's also made a couple scarves.  I also want to give a shout out to her rugs.  They are not made of tarn, but from upcycled fleece.  The one below used to be a Snuggie.  I personally find this to be a huge improvement over a snuggie.  Talk about the definition of upcycling (talking something and increasing its value)! 

Ilse:  "This rug was super fun to make.  Watching it come together was cool.  It's made from about a yard of black fleece and an old second hand snuggie. I had used this particular technique to make some coasters once in middle school and figured if I just went bigger I could do a rug.  These fleece rag rugs make really awesome bath mats because they are absorbent but dry super fast.  They also save your feet from a cold tile floor when you get out of the shower."
I just love the wild kinda jungle look of this rug.  This rug is available for purchase here,

Ilse has also been kind enough to offer an awesome coupon for 25% off!  Just use coupon code Luv2Upcycle25.  The sale will run from May 3 through May 10 so don't miss out!  You can thank Ilse for her generous sale by visiting her on Facebook and on Twitter.  She often displays special deals on both sites that you won't want to miss out on.

Thank you Ilse for allowing me to feature you!  I had a lot of fun browsing your shop and getting to know you. Next week we will feature a shop that upcycles fabrics into bowls.  I can't wait to introduce you!  Til then...

Love and Peace

Luci
Idle Hands Yarn and Supply