Crochet guide
Crocheting with fabric strips
Rag crochet is crochet worked with strips of cloth in place of yarn. Old sheets, fabric scraps and T-shirts are cut into strips, the strips are joined end to end, and the long strand is crocheted with a large hook. It is used most for rugs.
On this page 7 parts
What rag crochet is
Rag crochet uses cloth as yarn. The cloth is cut into strips, the strips are joined into one long strand, and the strand is wound into a ball and crocheted in the ordinary stitches.
Two kinds of cloth are used:
| Cloth | How it is cut | The strand it makes |
|---|---|---|
| Woven cloth, such as old sheets and fabric scraps | Into separate strips, joined end to end | A flat strip |
| T-shirts and other jersey | Into one continuous strip | A strip that curls into a cord when pulled |
Strips from sheets and scraps
Cut the cloth into strips about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) wide. A wider strip makes a thicker strand.
Then join the strips end to end. There is more than one way:
- Sew them. Lay the two ends together and sew a few stitches by hand with a needle and thread.
- Knot them. Lay the two ends together, tie them in a knot and pull it snug. A knot is quick, but it shows more than a sewn join.
Yarn from an old shirt
A T-shirt is cut so that it comes apart in one long strip. Choose a shirt with no seams down its sides if you can: the yarn comes out smoother.
- Lay the shirt flat. Cut straight across under the sleeves, and cut off the hem. What is left is a tube.
- Lay the tube flat with one folded side near you. Cut strips about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide from that side toward the other, and stop about 1 in (2.5 cm) short of the far fold.
- Open the tube so that the uncut band lies flat. Cut on a slant across the band, from the end of one cut to the start of the next, all the way along. The loops become one long strip.
- Pull the strip along its length, a piece at a time. The edges of the jersey roll in and the strip turns into a cord.
- Wind it into a ball.
T-shirt yarn is also sold ready-made.
A plastic bag is cut into yarn in the same way. See crocheting with plastic bags.
Which hook
Fabric strips take a large hook. Rag rugs are worked with hooks of about 9 mm (M/N-13) to 10 mm (N/P-15).
The right size depends on how wide and how thick the strips are. A smaller hook is harder to work with thick strips, but it makes a denser fabric. See what a bigger or smaller hook does.
Which stitches
Simple ones. Rag rugs are worked in single crochet (double crochet in United Kingdom terms) or half double crochet (UK half treble crochet), in rows or in rounds.
What it makes
- Rugs and mats. See crochet rugs.
- Baskets and bowls.
- Bags.