Dr Sandra Lebrun - T-Shirt Yarn: Projects to Crochet and Knit

T-Shirt Yarn

PROJECTS TO CROCHET AND KNIT

Sandra Lebrun

STACKPOLE BOOKS

The publisher would like to thank DMC, who provided the materials used in this book.Hoooked products are distributed exclusively by DMC in France, Spain, Italy,the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Go to www.dmc.com to find the retailer nearest to you.

The author would like to thank the passionate women, both novices and experts, at the creative workshop Des fils en aiguilles, of Paizay-Naudouin in Charente, for their wise advice.

Originally published as Tricoter et Crocheter avec le fil coton XXL by Dessain et Tolra/Editions Larousse

Original French edition Dessain et Tolra 2013

English language edition Stackpole Books 2014

Published by

STACKPOLE BOOKS

5067 Ritter Road

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

www.stackpolebooks.com

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Stackpole Books, 5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg PA 17055.

The contents of this book are for personal use only. Patterns contained herein may bereproduced in limited quantities for such use. Any large-scale commercial reproduction is prohibited without the written consent of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First edition

Editorial direction: Colette Hanicotte

Editorial and artistic coordination:

Corinne de Montalembert

Interior design: Ano

Photography and styling: Cactus Studio

Technique photos: Olivier Ploton

Illustrations: Sandra Lebrun

Cover design: Tessa J. Sweigert

Translation: Kathryn Fulton

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Lebrun, Sandra.

[Tricoter et crocheter avec le fil coton XXL. English]

T-shirt yarn : projects to crochet and knit / Sandra Lebrun. First edition.

pages cm

Translation of: Tricoter et crocheter avec le fil coton XXL.

ISBN 978-0-8117-1453-2

1. CrochetingPatterns. 2. KnittingPatterns. 3. Textile wasteRecycling.

4. T-shirts. I. Title.

TT825.L3882613 2014

746.43'4dc2

2014014767

Contents

Introduction

The craft and the materials 4

Knitting: basic techniques 6

Crochet: basic techniques 8

Accessories

White scarf * 14

Black headband * 16

Small blue purse * * 18

Ballerina slippers * * * 20

Red handbag * * 22

Blue beanie * * 24

Mottled tube purse * * * 26

Blue cowl * 28

Pink hat * * 30

Leg warmers * 32

Fuchsia laptop bag * * * 34

Beige beret * * 361

Millefiori purse * 38

Home Dcor

Two-color catchall * * 42

Green basket * 44

Toy box * * * 46

Tricolored ottoman cover * * 48

Neon pillow covers * 50

Beige footstool * * 52

Multicolor basket * 54

Round blue rug * * 56

Bathroom baskets * * 58

Coffee and cream pillows * 60

Coral-pink baby blanket * * 62

Knitted project

Crocheted project

The number of asterisks after each project name indicates the level of difficulty

The craft and the materials

A rich and varied fiber

Theres no need to be an expert to knit or crochet with recycled T-shirt yarn. Its the ideal material for beginners! And if you are already familiar with one of these crafts, the fiber will make the experience new and exciting. With T-shirt yarn, the work goes much faster, and your hand movements will adapt to this fun material. The variation between yarns from one ball to another will pleasantly surprise you as you work.

With hook or needles in hand, brush up on your skills on the next few pagesor jump right in to your T-shirt yarn project.

The adventure of recycled fiber

The idea of recyclingand, in general, of reducing wasteis prominent in our thoughts today. T-shirt yarn is, as the name implies, made from excess fabric left over from factories that make T-shirts and other knit fabrics. These leftovers, usually discarded, are recovered and re purposed to make a great fiber to knit and crochet with.

In this way, this trendy fiber sliding between your fingers, with its colorful motifs that give it so much of its richness, will havethanks to your creationsa second life.

And the adventures continue...

Sandra Lebrun

Things to know

This is a book for beginning knitters and crocheters and only uses the basic stitches; you dont need any special skills to make any of these projects. [And to make the patterns easier to read for beginners, I do not use any abbreviations in the instructions.]

T-shirt yarn comes from recycled fabric and is often available only in whatever colors or patterns were on hand at a particular time. Always make sure you have enough of the color youre using to make the whole project; you may not be able to purchase more of the same color or pattern later on.

The instructions for the projects are not always exact. Often, they are written to be adapted to the material you are using and the use you have in mind for the project. T-shirt yarn is a flexible material to work with and allows you to relax and let your creativity flow.

The elasticity and thickness of this fiber allows you to make most projects with it very quickly. It also allows you to knit and reknit fabric over and over without the yarn unraveling. Crocheters and knitters know that reknitting is often something we have to do a lot!

Since different T-shirt yarns may be very different in thickness or other factors, its best to make these projects based on actual size rather than the number of stitches.

Choose your crochet hook or knitting needles according to the thickness of your yarn. For simplicity, all the projects in this book were made with 12 mm hooks and needles; you may substitute any close size (such as a size P-15 crochet hook or size 15 knitting needles, both 10 mm) that gives you a finished fabric youre happy with.

Ready? Then onward to the stitches!

Knitting: basic techniques

Casting on

Wrap the yarn twice around the needle.

Pick up the first loop and pull it up and over the second one.

Place the loop you just picked up behind the point of the needle.