Demystifying T Shirt Yarn Series: What is T Shirt Yarn?

I was ready for many things when I opened my supplies shop.  I was ready to spend many hours creating inventory.  I was ready to spend many hours building up my social networking and involvement in online communities.  I was ready to build my accounting system and work out all the business details.  I was ready to make mistakes and learn from them.  However, I was not ready for the question I would most frequently be asked, "What is t shirt yarn?".

The other thing I hear a lot is, "I've seen/heard of it, but haven't tried it because I don't know how to use it".  So I have decided to do 2 things with this article.  First, I am going to clearly explain what t shirt yarn is and how to use it correctly.  Second, I will tell you how to tell what to look for in a high quality t shirt yarn.  Third, I will tell you what your expectations should be.  Fourth, I will tell you all the ways this is eco friendly.  And fifth, I will link you to my t shirt yarn giveaway, where you can enter for a chance to win a literal rainbow of t shirt yarn and try it for yourself for free!  Wanna see it?

What is T Shirt Yarn and How Do I Use It?
Very simply, t shirt yarn is made from t shirts that have been cut into a continuous loop and then carefully stretched into a cord.  It usually ranges in widths from 1/8" to 1/4".  Depending on the t shirt it is made from it can be rather stiff or it can be very soft and some a little stretchy.  Once you learn how to use it, it becomes a very versatile and eco friendly medium to work with.  

Let's quickly discuss some t shirt yarn terms.  T shirt yarn is measured in WPIs.  That means "wraps per inch".  I like to use a ruler to describe this.  So if you wrap a 4 WPI yarn around a ruler you should have to wrap it around 4 times to equal 1 inch.  I like to remember that a 4WPI t shirt yarn is 1/4" wide and an 8WPI t shirt yarn is 1/8" wide.  The larger the WPI the thinner the yarn is.  8WPI is about as thin of a width as you can get.  Anything smaller tends to not curl up well so it is really tattered looking and tends to break easily.

So how do you use t shirt yarn?  You use it the same way you would any bulky yarn, but there are a few things you should know to help you get started on that first project with t shirt yarn.  T shirt yarn has 2 sides.  One side is flat and the other side shows the cord.  There is not a twist in it like traditional yarns so you will need to keep your yarn straight, by keeping the same side up when holding it in your fingers, to keep it consistent throughout your project.  Good t shirt yarn should be a consistent width throughout the entire ball, but sometimes you see a spot that is a little wider.  When/if you see this, gently stretch the yarn a bit and it will thin to the width you need.  You also need to remember that even an 8WPI, which is usually the thinnest you will see, is still pretty bulky and you will need to use a size J crochet hook (or the equivalent if knitting) to properly work with it.  If you are using a bulkier t shirt yarn like a 4 WPI I recommend nothing smaller than a size M crochet hook or the equivalent if knitting.


How Do I Look For Quality T Shirt Yarn?
The most important thing to look for in a quality t shirt yarn when you are purchasing is good cording.  By that I mean that the cord has curled nicely into the yarn and you don't see any edges.  You are looking for the cording to be like this photo:

See how the ends curl in and there is none of the outer edge showing?  That is what you are looking for.  Of course, you don't want any stains or any holes from the t shirt showing either.  A quality shop will cut any areas with a hole or stain out of it.


What should your expectations be?
In the world of t shirt yarn, it can be difficult to find matching colors and textures.  Just like each t shirt feels a little different, so does each ball of t shirt yarn.  For me, that is often part of the charm of it.  Each ball is original and cannot be copied.  That charm can wear off fast if you are wanting to do a large project and want everything to match.  That doesn't mean that you can't use t shirt yarn.  Yes, it is difficult to find large lots of matching t shirt yarn, but it isn't impossible.

There are a couple of ways you can get around this.  First, shops that sell t shirt yarn will sometimes have yarn from event t shirts.  These are brand new shirts that are headed for a dumpster, until someone like myself or Mike from Mike's T Shirt Yarn, comes along and rescues it.  These are sold in bulk packages and are fabulous for a project that you want a uniform color and texture to, as each ball will be the exact same color and texture.  The other option is to use a shop that dyes their shirts.  They can dye up a batch of matching balls for you.  


How is T Shirt Yarn Eco Friendly?
Not all t shirt yarn is what I would consider eco friendly, but I am a bit of a purest when it comes to this.  Why am I a purest?  Because 11 million tons of textiles go to the dump each year.  Because creating 1 pound of textiles emits more than 7 pounds of CO2 and the average t shirt wastes 700 gallons of water during manufacturing.  You see where I am going with this?  There is a great info graphic that shows all of this information on the Naturally Advanced Blog.  Upcycling t shirts into yarn is a fabulous way to save t shirt from going to the dump and help reduce the 11 million tons of textile being dumped annually.

So what makes t shirt yarn eco friendly?  Eco friendly t shirt yarn is usually made from gently used t shirts.  The exception for me is event t shirts that a company or group is going to throw away.    That being said, when it comes to a product like t shirt yarn, there is room for all kinds of variety.  I have seen many people who cut new shirts to make t shirt yarn and others that dye them like I mentioned before.  Outside of event t shirts that are one breath away from a dumpster, cutting up a new t shirt to make yarn is in no way eco friendly, as a new t shirt is in no immediate danger of seeing a dumpster.  I think dying t shirts can be eco friendly if they are using a used t shirt and the dye that is being used is biodegradable and doesn't contain any harmful chemicals.  There is still some water being used in manufacturing these kinds of t shirt yarn, but if handmade the water used would be minimal and certainly no where near the 700 gallons needed in mass manufacturing.


Didn't You Say Something About A Giveaway?
I most certainly did!  If you want to win that beautiful rainbow of t shirt yarn, all you need to do is log into your Facebook account and use this link.  Sorry Facebook haters, but this does everything for me, which leaves me more time to make more yarn.  The drawing ends on June 30 and there are no shipping charges.  

I hope that t shirt yarn seems more comfortable to those of you who haven't tried it yet.  New mediums can be intimidating to work with if you don't know anything about them.  Next month I will be featuring some shops that use t shirt yarn to show its versatility.  You will see everything from rugs to baskets to clothing!   And then in August I will post an article full of tutorials so you can begin using t shirt yarn yourself!  

I also want to thank Mike from Mike's T Shirt Yarn for contributing to the article.

Love and Peace,
Luci

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

This wonderful thing called tarn

Tarn, or t shirt yarn, has been one of my favorite things for decades now.  My mom had t-shirt yarn rugs when we were kids.  As a teenager, I decided I wanted to make one because I loved them, but hated the colors of hers.  They were sooooo 70s, in the very worst way!  I made it 20 years ago and my mother still has it in her house.  What is this magic thing called tarn that will make a rug that lasts that long?  Well, it is yarn that is made from t shirts that is strong and durable and often good for the planet (yay!).  If it is done in an eco friendly way, the t-shirt used is a gently loved thrift store find.  It is wonderful for making rugs that can stand up to heavy traffic, pot holders that are thick and heavy that seriously protect your hands, and for bags (solves the sagging problem you often encounter in many types of yarn).  Let me show you a close up of what I am talking about:

In this post, I am going to offer advice for using t shirt yarn and answer some common questions.  Let's start with a synopsis of how it is made.  Once a suitable t shirt is found, the top of the t shirt and the hem are cut off and set aside.  The tops and hems have separate uses.  The tops of the shirts are often used to create crafting cords.  These are cut into long strips, usually around 20" or so and corded in the same way as tarn.  The hems are often used for weaving rugs.  I will talk more about these cords and rugs in another article.  After taking of the top and the hems, the t -shirt is cut into a long continuous loop and then a cord is created.  This is the finished product. 

Some people will dye the tarn and can create some very stunning color combinations.  I do not dye mine, as to not introduce chemicals, but to each their own.  I have seen some beautiful tarn that has been dyed.  As long as they are not using new t shirts, and if that doesn't bother you, I can still consider it somewhat eco friendly and wouldn't  discourage you to look into it.  If they are using the dye on new t-shirts it is not eco friendly at all.  I'm shaky on the eco friendly aspect of using dye already.  But cutting new t shirts, in any way, is just not eco friendly.

The weight of tarn is also measured differently.  While conventional yarn uses weights like bulky, medium, baby weight and things like that, tarn is measured in WPIs.  What are WPIs you ask?  Well, WPI stands for Wrap Per Inch, meaning the number of times you will need to wrap it around a pencil or a ruler to reach 1".  A tarn that is 4WPI means that you will need to make 4 wraps to get to one inch or that the tarn is 1/4" wide.  Most of the tarn you will find will be somewhere between 4 and 8 WPI.  4WPI being a bulkier weight than 8WPI.

You will also need a larger guage crochet hook or knitting needle to work with tarn.  I love projects that use a larger guage, as they tend to be faster projects.  Speaking in terms of crochet hooks, for a 4 or 5 WPI, I would recommend a guage of L (8mm) as the smallest I would use.  For 6 to 8 WPI, I would recommend a guage of J (6mm) as the smallest I would use.  This is not written in stone and is open to an artists inspiration to try something new.  So try other guages and see what kind of texture you can create.  Always be adventurous in your art and never be afraid to try something different.

Also understand that tarn will have little pieces of t shirt dust that will occur with working with it.  These are easily disposed of by washing your finished product.  It is not an indication of the quality of tarn, as all tarn is susceptible to this fraying of the edges as it is being broke in.  The wash will take care of the fray and you won't need to worry about more returning afterward.  As far as quality, look for a good cording in the yarn.  By cording I mean that the outside edges roll in to create a clean look.  Like this:

You can see in this picture how the two ends curl in and leave a very clean looking cord behind.  This is what quality tarn will look like. 

Care of tarn is super easy.  It is just like washing your t shirts!  I recommend washing in warm water with like colors on the regular cycle and tumble drying on medium.  Depending on the finished product, you may need or want to adjust it to cold water or a delicate cycle.  You could tumble dry on a low setting, but it will take a long time and a lot of energy.  If you are out to conserve energy, I would recommend drying in the sunshine.  It will be stiffer if you do it that way, so depending on the project you may want to use a dryer.  Anyway you do it, t-shirt yarn is very durable and easy to care for.  I love things that are easy.  Life is already complicated enough, right?

Hopefully this will be a good starting point for anyone wanting to use tarn for the first time.  You can find several free patterns online and even some tutorials on how to make it yourself, if you would like to give that a go.  Mostly, I hope that this will inspire anyone who is afraid of working with a new medium to grab a ball and try it.  Believe me, once you make a rug out of this, you will never go back to rug yarn again.  This is just as durable and much nicer on your bare feet!  If anyone has any questions please feel free to comment below or contact me directly via email.

Coming up in May I will be featuring artists who use tarn in their creations.  I cannot wait to show you all of the things these talented artists make from this medium!

Love and Peace,

Luci