Making T-Yarn from Recycled Tee-Shirts | My Recycled Bags.com

Making T-Yarn from Recycled Tee-Shirts | My Recycled Bags.com

Making T-Yarn from Recycled Tee-Shirts

Posted on June 5, 2009

This is a tutorial on how to make T-yarn from old recycled tee-shirts. T-yarn maybe a new term to you. T-yarn or Tarn is what the yarn is being called that is made from cutting t-shirts into strips for crafting.

The best t-shirts are ones that do not have side seams as you can cut around and around starting at the bottom. First cut off the hem and then with a sharp pair of scissors cut strips about 1/2″ to 3/4″ wide. Cut in one continuous strip as I have shown here.

All photos are clickable to supersize them

I stopped at the armhole openings as this was the end of my continuous strip that is completely one piece cut in rounds. You can cut off the sleeves and start another continuous strip at this point but it’s not as smooth as the main body because you will have curves in your strip where you have to turn the corners.

To create the circular T-yarn, you gently pull on the strip. I found the best way to do this is by taking a short length about 1-2 feet long and stretching it. The stretching causes the tee-shirt strip to turn in on itself thus creating your rounded T-yarn. One important warning is not to pull too hard otherwise the strip breaks. I did have this happen on my first attempts so be advised to gently pull on the strip until it won’t stretch any further. Then you move to the next section of your strand and stretch it again. Continue stretching your strip until the whole long continuous strand has been stretched and is curled as shown in the photo.

Click to supersize
Here is a small sample of what the curled T-yarn looks like when you crochet with it. It’s smooth to work with and has a nice finished look. You can either crochet or knit with the recycled yarn that has been created. This circular T-yarn would make excellent potholders, trivets and of course is perfect for a recycled tote bag. One large tee-shirt netted about 90 yards of T-yarn once stretched. So grab your crochet hook or knitting needles and experiment with this recycled material to create some wonderful eco craft projects.

Organic Cotton Coffee Sleeve - Free knitting pattern

Organic Cotton Coffee Sleeve - Free knitting pattern

Organic Cotton Coffee Sleeve Knitting Pattern

Doesn't your coffee or latte deserve an organic cotton coffee sleeve? This one feels nice and soft in your hand, and is the cosiest coffee sleeve you can knit! Pattern is designed to not stretch out of shape despite multiple uses/washes.

Specs: Patons Pure 100% Organic Cotton (1 ball)

Needles: 3.5mm / #4 needles

The knitting pattern is FREE! You can get the PDF here.

BBQ salmon recipe

BBQ salmon recipe

BBQ Salmon in honey-mustard marinade

2 things a salmon is great at: swimming upstream & being BBQd!

Ingredients
300 grams (10.5 oz) salmonfilet
3 tbs lemonjuice
3 tb oliveoil
1 tbs mustard
1 tbs of garum fish sauce (any nonprocessed fish sauce full of chemicals will do)
2 tbs honey

peper and garlic powder (or seal salt if your diet permits it)

Instructions:

Cut the salmon filet in 4 pieces of equal size. Grab a big bowl and pour in the olive oil. Add the honey, mustard, fish sauce, lemon and stir well. Put in the pieces of fish cover thel with the oily goo and leave to marinate for at least 30 min.

Grill them on a clean BBQ, depending on the size of the filet and your preference :o)

Absolutely lovely with a fresh, green salad!

paleo meatballs and sweet potato chips

paleo meatballs and sweet potato chips

Paleo Meatballs...

There ain't no such thing as too many meatballs...

Ingredients
250g mince
1tsp salt
1/3 cup almond meal
3 cups baby spinach
1tsp dijon mustard (optional)
25g tomato paste
2tbs sage
1 sweet potato, medium
Olive oil

Instructions

Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180o Celsius/350o Fahrenheit.

Place spinach in a bowl and cover with boiling water,leave for 2 minutes before draining as much liquid as possible from the spinach. Chop well.

Place spinach in a bowl along with mince, salt, almond meal, mustard, tomato paste and sage. Combine well.

Roll into 2.5cm size balls and place on an oven proof baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until browned
and cooked through.

Meanwhile, heat enough oil in a frying pan for deep frying. Peel sweet potato then slice into ribbons using a vegetable peeler.

Place a small handful of sweet potato ribbons in frying pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Remove from frying pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining sweet potato.
To serve, place sweet sweet potato ribbons on a plate and top with meatballs.

Chicken and Egg Salad with Almond Satay Sauce

Chicken and Egg Salad with Almond Satay Sauce

Chicken and Egg Salad with Almond Satay Sauce

From the author of the paleo cookbooks.

Ingredients

2 eggs, boiled, cut into quarters
1 chicken breast, steamed and shredded
2 cups rocket leaves
1 carrot, diced
½ green capsicum, diced

Almond sauce
1 small white onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1tbs oil
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup coconut cream
1tbs soy sauce (optional)
Chilli flakes

Instructions

To make the almond sauce by placing the oil into a fry pan. Fry onion and garlic on low heat for 5 minutes or
until slightly browned.
Add almond butter, coconut cream and soy sauce, stir constantly until thickened. Remove from heat and stir
in a desired amount of chilli flakes. Leave to cool slightly and remove excess oil.
Place chicken, rocket, carrot and capsicum in a mixing bowl and combine well.
To serve, place rocket salad on a plate with egg quarters and spoon almond sauce on top.

paleo diet - salmon with garlic and dill

paleo salmon with garlic and dill

Salmon with Garlic & Dill

Salmon is one of the healthiest foods you can eat (period)

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. salmon fillet
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 sprig fresh dill, minced
6 slices lemon
2 green onions, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place salmon fillet on heavy duty foil large enough to wrap around salmon. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic, and minced dill. Top with lemon slices and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

Bring up foil around salmon and pinch edges to seal, leaving room for expansion in the package. Place on baking sheet and roast at 450 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until salmon is opaque and flakes easily when tested with fork.

Tuesday, January 18th

I am on day 2 of working 3rd shift this week
it's rough!!
I don't know how people do this on a regular basis.. everyone says "you get used to it"
but I was seeing lots of the regulars more tired than I was last night, early this morning!!

the first night, we set up all the valentine's stuff in the front of the store.
they have some REALLY cute stuff this year... lots of SOCK MONKEYS!!
but, man, the prices are pretty high for some pretty cheap stuff!!
as I was putting some of the stuffed animals out on the shelves, I was seeing lots of holes in the seams.

I wish I could find a way to get MY products out on the shelves of a major store like that.
you wouldn't see any holes in the seams of MY products!!
lol

ANYWAY, I have been trying to do alot of changing this year.
i NEED to spend more time with my kids!!!!
not that I don't, but the reality that my kids are becoming teenagers, and will soon be out of the house for college, etc, in a handfull of years HIT ME HARD!!!

and my next project is ME.... EVERY year I say i'm going to lose weight this year,
but I want THIS year to be the year I do it.
I really don't care how much weight I lose,
I mostly just want to fit back into the closet full of clothes I have, and stop wearing just the handfull of items that fit me that sit in a pile outside my walk in closet.

my problem is consistency and schedules
i've NEVER been able to do it!!!!
i don't know what it is
it's not that hard

WHY
can't I do these things???

::sigh::

on another note.
I am seriously in need of ideas and suggestions on what to do with my etsy page
how to promote it
what items I need to add/remove to make it better
etc,etc, etc

so, if you are still reading, and you have any ideas
i'd LOVE to hear them!!!
:o)

YARN giveaway!!!!!

http://www.favecrafts.com/sweeps/Deborah-Norville-Collection-Serenity-Chunky-Weight-Yarn

giveaway

http://www.theundomesticmomma.com/2011/01/snapware-giveawawy.html

AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!
go check it out!!

belle and burger: Scrappy, Stuffed, Heart Tutorial; ‘ Scraps of my love’

belle and burger: Scrappy, Stuffed, Heart Tutorial; ‘ Scraps of my love’

Scrappy, Stuffed, Heart Tutorial; ‘ Scraps of my love’

~These stuffed hearts are made mostly from my scrap pile. They are a little bigger than an open paw…measuring at about 7” across the heart at its widest part. Mine are stuffed with fluff and I had someone in mind for each as I pieced each one together using tiny bits of love and thought to make it as special as it’s recipient.

Another fun and cool option is to add a pocket to hold reading glasses a valentine treat (sexy or chocolaty), a remote control, or even baby teeth for the toothsome fairy!

Yet another idea you might try is stuff with rice add a few drops of essential oil to make a hot/cold pack (microwave/freezer) for someone’s aching head or crampy muscles.

Tools and Materials for this variation
Scraps of fabric
Buttons
Ribbon and random bits of
Loveliness that need homes
Thread
Needle
Iron
Pins (optional)
Interface (optional)
Sewing machine (optional)


1. Cut and iron two hearts from my pattern (or make you own heart pattern (sew easy!!) If you want to use mine just print it at 100% on an 8.5”x11” paper. The pattern uses 1/4’ seams.

2. Design and apply the layout of your embellishments, pockets or what have you for the top and a bottom of your heart (if you used two different fabrics; which I did on all mine). I used appliqués as sort of my main theme (I like to use fusible interface with my appliqués) Then I added buttons and bits of fabric and ribbon here and there to move your eye around. Remember to attach your embellishmets from the bottom up , ...with buttons and bows being attached last.

Iron after each layer is attached. Ironing will help keep it clean and make it easier to attach the next layer in your design.



3. Sew your heart out! With wrong sides together, sew a 1/4” seam around the heart ... leaving about a 2.5-3” opening to turn out of. Start your seam about and inch or so from the bottom of the point of your heart so your opening will be on the bottom side of your heart.(about where my scissors are lying is where I started sewing down)
4. Turn your heart out carefully. Using a pointy stick (knit needle, chop stick, etc) check all your seams and poke out your point.

5. Iron your heart. Shape it up and tuck under the opening and iron it making it even with the rest of the heart.

6. Stuff your heart. Use fluff or whatever you like. I used fluff combined with serger scraps.

7. Sew up the opening. I like to use a blanket stitch for this and I use doubled thread for a nice thick stitch. You could also use embroidery thread for this.

8. Fluff your heart and give it away! Give it to your valentine and feel the waves of appreciation and love roll over you…

How To Make Your Own Aromatherapy Hot Bag

How To Make Your Own Aromatherapy Hot Bag

How To Make Your Own Aromatherapy Hot Bag

I did a giveaway for one of these aromatherapy hot bags last week, and I had lots of questions about my ingredients, so here is a quick how-to:

1. Sew yourself a tube of fabric long enough to reach comfortably around your neck. Leave one end open.



2. A little printed tag tells the recipient what's inside:



I don't have an exact measurement for the herbs. Generally, my bag is six cups lentils (or rice) and one cup mixed herbs. I use roughly equal parts of the following herbs:
chamomile, spearmint (relaxants)
white willow, rosemary, peppermint, lemon grass (relief for aches and pains)
cinnamon, valerian root - finely ground, not big pieces (antispasmodics)
saw palmetto berry (rejuvenator)
lavendar (headache relief)
rose hips (for scent)
yarrow (promotes healing)

3. Mix all the herbs together, then mix them into the six cups of lentils/rice.



4. Fill the fabric bag with your mixture. Your bag should be 1/2 to 2/3 full. (Any more than that, and the bag doesn't curve nicely around your neck and shoulders).



To use the bag: Heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Misting the bag occasionally will help prolong the life of the herbs. Can also be placed in the freezer for a cold pack.

I make many of these. This is my standard gift for "the person who has everything". My source for the dried herbs is a local health food store. They carry all the bulk herbs in large dark glass jars (which helps protect them from light damage). If you have a natural food store in your area, give them a call. If they don't sell the herbs, they might be able to point you to another source. And don't fret if you can't locate all the herbs; I think any combination would be lovely.

Posted by The Sewing Dork

Bounce Hat

Bounce.pdf (application/pdf Object)

please note ---- a friendly user pointed out there is a mistake in this pattern - on the line that reads:

Row 2: *k1, knit into the row below, k1, rep to end

it should read just like the “each row hereafter” row.

k1, *k1 into row below, k1, ending with k2.

sorry for any headaches this caused/is causing.