Knitting Loom T-Shirt Rug

Yes, another t-shirt project! I found a knitting loom at the thrift store and decided to try knitting t-shirts together, not knowing how it would turn out.

Well, it turned out GREAT. The double knit creates a thick rug that you can really sink your toes into. It can also be used as a sitting mat or rolled up and used as a neck pillow.

Each rug took 16-20 t-shirts worth of t-shirt yarn.

Supplies:

• Extra Long Knitting Loom (62 peg)
• Strong Fork and/or Knitting Hook
• Scissors
• Needle & Thread
• 16-20 t-shirts (Only use T-shirts without side seams and without decals below the armpit!)

Make your Tarn (T-shirt yarn). I measured it into 1 inch strips for rugs. Make a slip knot about five inches away from one end of the yarn.

Hook the slipknot on an end peg. Start wrapping the tarn around the pegs in a figure eight pattern. When you get to the other end, wrap off the yarn on the other end peg and push the yarn down on each peg.

Unloop loose end from the center end peg. The last knitted pegs will not follow the previous figure 8. Bring the tarn down between the last two rows of pegs. Re-wrap the last bottom peg. Now make a figure eight and wrap the last top peg. Resume the figure 8 wraps around the rest of the pegs. Loop the end onto the other center end peg.

See how there are now two loops around each peg? Knit each peg. Use the fork or knitting loom hook to pull each bottom loop up and over each peg. After you've knitted each peg, push all the remaining loops down each peg. I started at one end and pushed down the center with my thumbs until I reached the other end.

Repeat wrapping and knitting. After you've done a few rows, release the slipknot from its peg. Let it fall into the center of the wrapping area. Sew another t-shirt end to your tarn when necessary.

I recommend that you sew the shirt ends together securely (not just the few stitches that are shown in my picture!). I used a no-sew slit-and-slip-through technique when making other rugs. I wasn't impressed with the results.

When you reach the desired length (or you run out of t-shirts!) make sure that there is at least a four-inch tail after the last peg is wrapped and knitted.

Situate the loom so that the yarn tail is on the bottom row. Start pulling the loops from the top pegs onto their corresponding bottom pegs. All loops should now be on the bottom pegs.

Knit each bottom peg.

Start at the end that does not contain your tarn tail.

Pull the loop from the end peg onto the next peg over. Knit.

Pull the loop to the next peg over. PURL: Pull the top loop open towards you. While you hold the top loop open with your finger, use the hook or fork to pull the bottom loop under and through the top loop. With your hook still in the bottom loop, let the top loop come off the peg.

Place the bottom loop onto the next peg over. Repeat until you reach the last peg.

Knit the last peg. Let the last loop come off the peg and slip the tarn tail through the loop.

Knot the tail. Pull the tail through an inner row of knitting. Knot again. Cut off the excess, leaving enough so that you can sew the last of the tail into the rug. Repeat with the beginning tarn.