I started by taking a look at my t-shirt inventory, which turned out to be not very many.
 |
| Pattern weft colors, taken from our bathroom stained glass window. |
 |
| Warp yarn at the top, and potential tabby weft |
For some reason, I thought I'd collected more t-shirts that this, which obviously won't be enough.
The next thing I needed, was idea of where the colors would go. By envisioning the pattern as quilt squares, I came up with this rough sketch.
 |
| I'm thinking the black would actually be brown. |
According to the pattern instructions, each block is treadled for 16 shots and this sequence repeated 5 times. If I use my 10-dent reed, I'll have a weaving width of approximately 23.25 inches.
Based on this information and my above color diagram, I calculate that I'll need:
- Yellow: 96 shots x 23.25" = 2232" or 62 yards
- Orange: 128 shots x 23.25" = 2976" or 82.66 yards
- Red: 96 shots x 23.25" = 2232" or 62 yards
- Brown (pattern only): 320 shots x 23.25" = 7440" or 206.66 yards
- Brown for borders (still undecided here): another 20.66 yards
That's assuming I make my borders one block width. So the total for the brown would be 228 yards.
Tabby weft will be 228 yards.
My next step was to determine about how much yarn I can get from one t-shirt.
 |
| There is some waste because the top above the sleeves and hem must be cut off. |
 |
| A good video tutorial to make t-shirt yarn can be found here. |
 |
| Cutting the tube into strips like this is what makes it continuous. |
 |
| Cutting the strips on the diagonal |
 |
| Grasping the strip in both hands and tugging causes the edges to curl in on themselves. |
 |
| My ball of finished t-shirt yarn. No fraying edges! |
One extra-large t-shirt gave me a tad over 24.5 yards. A larger shirt would yield more, a smaller shirt less. If I'm able to find all extra-large t-shirts, I'm looking at needing the following:
- Yellow, total 3
- Orange, total 4
- Red, total 3
- Brown, total 10
- Tabby weft (if I use t-shirt yarn), total 10
So! I have a ways to go to get enough t-shirts. In the meantime, I'm going to look at getting another project on the loom. More on that soon.
© March 2024 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal
Related post:
7 comments:
I had no clue about t-shirt yarn, so this was very educational!
So, do you buy Ts thinking of their second lives? Because these colors are perfectly coordinated.
Michelle, actually, I recently ran across some youtube videos showing how to make t-shirt yarns. I just thought it would be something to try, especially considering how many cheap t-shirts are available at thrift shops. That it doesn't have raggedy edges is a real plus!
Meg, yes, that's definitely part of it. I mean, I wouldn't go out and buy a bunch of new t-shirts just to make yarn.
The colors do work well. The challenge is going to be finding matching colors in another batch of random t-shirts. There are so many shades of the same colors! I should probably keep some samples in my purse for when I'm looking.
Leigh, I very much like the pattern with the black background. It reminds me of some 1980's related video game with its stark colors. Video nostalgia in fabric form - not sure it could be a trend, but who knows.
TB, indeed. Weavers and fiber artists take inspiration from all quarters!
Is there a Goodwill or Salvation Army store anywhere near you? Or how about church rummage sales? Around here those are good places to pick up used T-shirts really cheap.
Valerie, yes! That's exactly where I've been looking. T-shirts for a dollar or less. I think in the end, it will turn out to be very economical.
Post a Comment