Crocheted T-shirt Basket

The people of the Little Yellow House on the Hill are afraid. 

I've learned how to cut T-shirts into one continuous strip of yarn, and now... no shirt is sacred. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I did start the Russian Rug, but I didn't love how it was hooking up. It's very simple, but I think I need different colored shirts; and I think they need to be cut into wider strips. So I put that project on hold and decided to try my hand at a little basket making. 

I found a great (free) pattern online. The directions are easy and the pictures are helpful. 

I ran out of white yarn, so I had to switch to blue. I was surprised how much yarn this project consumed. The white part alone was three (xtra large) shirts and the blue handle is one (medium) shirt.

It was a quick and easy project, taking only a couple hours start to finish, but was physically demanding. Using a smaller hook (10mm) for the yarn size, made it very difficult to move the hook with ease. After I finished, my hands and some random muscle deep within my upper right arm, were sore for two days. If I hadn't had to fight the hook this basket would have stitched up in less than an hour. Having to work that hard made the project a little less enjoyable. One of the benefits of crochet is that it's relaxing... running the hook through the yarn with repetitive ease is good for what ails you. I didn't love the cardio by crochet method this project required. Although... maybe I should start a new extreme exercise fad.

With that said, until I can get some T-shirts in colors I like for the Russian Rug, I was thinking I might try my hand at this Mandala Floor Rug. It's also made with T-shirt yarn, but a 15mm hook, and a weave that doesn't look quite as tight might not make it so cumbersome. Maybe crocheting with super bulky yarn is like giving birth... your forget about the pain when the hard work is over, and the next beautiful project overrides your fear. Maybe...