This post contains affiliate links. That means I make a little commission if you buy something after clicking through. All affiliate links are marked with an *.
Of course you can go to the store and purchase a skein of yarn.
But you can also make the yarn yourself!
Some of these are fabulous options if you’re on a budget, or maybe just looking for a way to get creative!
Spin Yarn
Spinning is using either a spindle or a spinning wheel to create yarn from fiber. You can make it as complicated as you want… you can sheer the sheep, wash and card (organize) the fiber yourself (free if you own a sheep or are friendly with a farmer!) or purchase some roving online.
Tips
- If you’re giving spinning with a spindle a try, I highly recommend one with a notch. You can find one for less than $20 on Etsy.
- If you’d like to take a class, check out Ply to Knit: Spin the Yarn you really want* on Craftsy
- Before investing in a wheel, shop around. Try borrowing one from a local spinning guild or renting one from a yarn shop so you can see if it really suits you.
- Shopping for fiber is as much fun as shopping for yarn! Search for ‘hand dyed roving’ on Etsy to get started!
Make t-shirt Yarn
T-shirt yarn is yarn made from t-shirts!
I made some t-shirt yarn a little while ago and crocheted a bath mat. So much fun!
I absolutely love this tutorial on how to make it.
Make a Magic Ball!
Do you have lots of scraps laying around? Join them together to make a magic ball! Here is a tutorial.
Tips:
- Select yarns that are the same weight to join together
- Yarns with plies work best
- Wind the ball as you go to keep it tidy!
Once you’ve finished, you have a fun rainbow-y yarn that you can use to knit or crochet anything!
Unravel a Sweater
Some beautiful yarn in the world has been knit up into really ugly sweaters.
If you find one of these gems in the thrift store, you can unravel the yarn and put it to good use! I once retrieved skeins of cashmere yarn from one lucky find!
And more…
This Mollie Makes post has links to even more techniques for making yarn that I haven’t tried yet. Newspaper yarn? Whoa!
How many of these have you tried?
Are any of these ways of making yarn new to you?
Or have you done them before? Let me know your experiences!
Best,
Stacey
I have heard of making waterproof garments out of plastic grocery bags, although I have not tried it myself. The bags are cut into strips and crocheted.
Hi Mary, now this is a great idea. Sometimes you just get caught outside when the heavens open up and need a little something you can keep in the car for just this purpose! I’m reminded by the summer concert where **this** very thing happened to me. I was sitting on the lawn in the rain! 🙁
Anyway, I don’t know about the crochet thing, but maybe you can share more details.
Thanks.
I have done a lot of Girl Scout camping and was always prepared…rain hats, ponchos, sleeping mats, shower mats…it beats walking around camp in a garbage bag…my daughter loved it too, then we had to teach her troop…we were a hit at a service unit camping weekend…we were the only troop prepared for the precipitation when we ended up getting caught in the edge of a hurricane…FYI they were warm too
Great post! I’ve been interested in spinning my own especially because I might get some sheep soon but I haven’t got into that. I have to many hobbies already!
Since I have been crocheting and knitting for eons, and taught by my elders, I have been exposed to making yarn from t shirts, bed sheets, plastic bags, and yes even the newspaper. I was quite successful with everything except the newspaper…although my elders were quite capable at it, mine either fell apart or disintegrated…lol. To this day, I still occasionally do or instruct how to do the other 3. I have also taken my childrens old flannel throw blankets, cut them into strips and crocheted a rug…sweatshirts/sweatpants work well too.
I’m always on the look out at yard sales, and places for tee shirts and sweaters. I love the idea of recycling.