Chunky Knit Tee Scarf

You can buy a recycled tee scarf at my Etsy shop.

This project started because I've been wanting to satisfy my chunky knit fix. There's all sorts of projects out there on repurposing t-shirts into fabulous scarves, so I thought I'd give it a try. A free t-shirt is like yesterday's business card, so they are not hard to come by. Besides, is it really necessary to keep an ill-fitting article of clothing that commemorates the junior banquet of your high school Latin Club? yes, I was a geek. Probably not. Seeing as I love to make things for free, I set out to deconstruct and reconstruct a few t-shirts by knitting them into an item I can actually use now. Here's how to do it:

Start with a few t-shirts you really shouldn't own anymore:


I used two large t-shirts. Cut them into 1 1/2 in. strips. I chose to cut only the shirt below the arm-holes, and not to use pieces with the applique on them.


do you see me?

Then sew all those strips together. It doesn't matter which sides you sew together, just that you end up with one long strip of cut t-shirt. This is your "yarn".


Now cast on 6 stitches. I used cable cast on. I love using my large wooden needles.


Then knit one side, purl the other as you would an ordinary scarf until you have no more "yarn". If you do not know how to knit, there are plenty of sites and videos on the web to learn. Here's a video I found that covers the basics.


You'll want to block the scarf, too. Lay it flat on an ironing board and iron it flat. Let it sit until it cools down.


To close this scarf, I chose a pin I'd recently gotten at a fun clothing store named GaGa in Iceland.


so cute!!

Next I might try a tie-dyed number, or shirts with patterns, which will give the scarf a nice depth.