Hobby On the Road: Crocheting with T-Shirt Yarn, First Time Experience

Hi Steemians,

This post is an aside from my usual travel-related posts.

It's about crochet - the best hobby for those on the road, if you ask me! I tend to take my hooks and some yarn everywhere I go...

I recently got back into crocheting in a big way and have wanted to try out T-shirt yarn for a while now...

... and finally, it happened!

A basket made of pale dusky pink yarn, and a bathroom rug to match.

This little project of a rug and basket set was a sort of mini-break from a large and very fiddly Irish crochet project I am on at the moment (there might be a post about that in the near future).

So after working with 0.6mm hook for months, a 15mm hook, which I ended up using, and a chunky T-shirt yarn felt like crochet heaven for my eyes, my fingers, and hands.

The best place to get the material and tools.

I thought initially, it would be hard to get the right color yarn, but thanks to Amazon, it's not a bother at all!

There are lots of yarn colors for sale on Amazon, have a look here for some examples .

One thing I realized after working with this type yarn is that if you are making a rug, it's best to buy the largest ball of yarn available as it's much better value.

For this project I needed 2x120meter (140 yards) yarn balls, something like this one here

My rug's diameter is- approx 70cm (25")
basket diameter - approx 21cm (9"), basket height - approx 11cm (4")
And I used up almost all of the yarn from the two 120meter balls.
So if you get the smaller size balls for a similar project, it'll end up being quite costly.

After looking for the right size crochet hooks in the local shops here, I had to go back to Amazon for those too :-)

I needed a 15mm hook but ended up getting a whole set of larger size hooks complete with large size needles - couldn't be happier! I got these ones here

In fact, I distinctly remember that wonderful feeling the day the yarn and hooks arrived on my doorstep...I actually hugged my purchase, like some people do with new shoes or a fantastic handbag... (crocheters will understand...).

Working with T-shirt yarn.

A really cool thing when working with T-shirt yarn is that the item you are making works up really quickly and can be finished in a day or half-day.

One thing I noticed though because T-Shirt yarn is chunky, the item gets heavy, so your wrists get tired after a while. Therefore, it's really important to take breaks as you work as well as keep your posture straight in order to avoid back and neck pain.

The rug pattern I chose for this project is very simple, I actually got it from some crochet book in some local library. Unfortunately, I can't remember the title of the book, but if you look closely, you can work out the pattern for yourself, it's really quite simple.

The basket pattern is really nothing special at all, you can find hundreds of instructional videos on 'how to crochet a basket' online, here's one, for example:

It's really very easy to make - this was my first ever attempt at making a basket and (I think) it looks pretty good :-)

Using items made of T-Shirt yarn.

These household items made of T-shirt yarn are really practical - the material absorbs the water well, so they are perfect for the bathroom. Plus they are easy to wash, just treat them as you would a t-shirt.

Of course, the fact that every time you step on the rug or use the basket you made with your own hands, gives that extra special feeling of homeyness.

And the best part about T-shirt yarn is that it's an upcycled material, made of what's left from the clothing industry.
Which means we can not only make beautiful and cool things but also reduce waste while doing so. Win-win!

Get a hobby, enjoy your life!

Let me know what if you have made anything from T-Shirt yarn and if you liked the experience!

All photos and text is my @originalcontent / @originalworks

I normally write about European travel, but since I take my crochet projects everywhere I go, it'll be something I'll be writing more about.

If you liked this post, let’s connect – leave a comment or follow me at @vliet , I’ll check out your profile as well.

You can also find me on my travel blog www.curioustovisit.com or Facebook Page HERE