T-shirt knitting

I have been toying with an idea for a bit now, just with getting knitting patterns finished for Christmas and other projects on the go, the idea needed to be put on hold for a bit.

I had a bit of spare time yesterday.

I got the t-shirts out I had put away ready.  Just short sleeved t-shirts that my son no longer wanted.

To remind myself how I needed to fold the t-shirts for what I wanted, I researched how to cut up plastic bags in one continuous yarn on the internet.

I cut the bottom seam off the t-shirt and the top from the start for the sleeve seams.  I folded the t-shirt length ways so only an inch was left on the far seam unfolded.

I cut through all the folded parts of the t-shirt till the cut was slightly into the inch at the far side, I repeated the cut so I had 1 1/2 cm strips.  Then I opened the cut t-shirt up and cut at an angle across the remaining inch of the t-shirt.

I had a very long length of continuous t-shirt yarn.

Using some very big 8mm needles, I cast on 20sts.  I used stocking stitch to knit a square till the t-shirting yarn from the one t-shirt ran out.

I was left with a VERY stretchy square of knitting.  Because of the way the t-shirt is cut the square is stretchy all ways.

I think the t-shirting yarn would be good for knitting stretchy shopping bags, bath mats, door mats AND if you used garter stitch – hard wearing dischclothes.

Making your own dishclothes out of used t-shirts would be quick and easy and a very cost effective way of using up old t-shirts.

I will have to get my thinking cap on and write some patterns for t-shirt knitting.