Another TShirt Craft.. This one is more time consuming

Welcome back to my Recycled Tshirt Craft Extravaganza!!

Since we can only really use so many bags and scarves, I've moved on to my next recycled tshirt craft: A Rug.

There are a number of different kinds of rugs you can make. I am currently working on a crocheted rug. I MIGHT tackle the other basic latch hook kind if I don't burn out first.

This rug is not hard to make. Just time consuming, a little messy cause of the t shirt fuzz, and hard on the hands.

To make the rug, first gather shirts and cut strips. Personally, I keep the loops intact. Others cut the loops to have longer pieces and then cut a notch in each strip to tie together. Not me. I like the bulkier weave.

When you have a big pile, decide if you want to have your strips mixed up or together. I went with all one color together, but I think I would have preferred mixed. Too late now.

Now take a strip and pull it through the next strip to make a chain. I don't know how to explain it, you are just making a knot without tying a knot. Roll up the chain as you go. 

The ball of tshirt yarn is not quite the size of a basketball, but much larger than a softball. It is about 8 shirts worth of yarn.

Next, get a LARGE plastic crochet hook. The bigger the better.

Start a basic chain stitch. Or whatever crochet stitch you know or make up! Google how to crochet and you will find tons of tutorials!

I started working on this in the car on the way to the Texas Rangers baseball game on Sunday.

Make your chains looser than you think you should.  I am a tight crocheter and it always bites me in the rear the further I get in a project as it's more and more difficult to crochet in the next row.

After about an hour to hour and a half I had the rows below completed. The "rug" is about 4 feet long, so it took a while to complete one row. As you can see in the picture, I have used three different tshirts at this point. My hands were ready for a break when we got to the ballpark!

Bright and early this morning, I pulled out the "rug" and got to work while watching the Olympics. I go back and forth from one basic chain stitch to a fancier/bulkier stitch. At this point, I've completed a number of rows, but I have a feeling this project is going to take a while!

I'm planning to watch more Olympics tonight, but I got a massage this afternoon and am kinda sticky.. I don't know that I want tshirt fuzz to stick to all of my limbs!

And don't worry, just cause I'm stuck working on this project, it doesn't mean my tshirt craft extravaganza is over. I've got at least one more project in me!