Since I’ve been experimenting with different materials, I wanted to have a go at crocheting with denim. I had to cut the strips one inch wide (instead of 2 or 3 for the T shirt yarn), and wait for my giant bamboo crochet hooks to arrive from the Wish shopping app/website*.  I’m using the 15mm.

A combination of working with tight tension in another fabric basket, the plastic basket, and the physical effort needed for the denim meant my thumbs, wrists and shoulders really started to hurt. I got pins and needles and had to take a few days off to recover. I was super twitchy without anything to fiddle with, but I did process a bit more fabric yarn, finish reading my book*, and repair the Hellbeast’s toys***.

When I went back to working the denim, I made sure to keep the tension loose, and not to just try and pull the hook through the loops by main force. I practised my twist and then pull technique, and tackled the two loops in double crochet in two separate stages instead of trying to pull through both together.

So far, I’ve used the legs from 4 pairs of jeans and I only have the basket base.

I let the denim fray deliberately, as I wanted that feeling of favourite pair of well-worn jeans.

This basket is on hold until I get more cheap used jeans, although I may mix in other materials too. Meanwhile, I have another rag basket to finish, and at least 2 more designed in my head, plus a pile of freshly-washed second hand clothes waiting to be turned into fabric yarn…

* I have only bought yarn or tools from Wish, and they have all been good or great. I have learned my lesson about buying clothes from Chinese websites – the sizes never fit me no matter how many Xs are before the L.

**The Possessions by Sara Flannery Murphy. Creepy and compelling, even with my poor concentration levels.

*** Mr. Stripes has come back from the dead more often than Beric Dondarrion.

Mr. Stripes getting some “love” from the Hellbeast.