Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make it Do, Or Do Without...

 In the old days, well, back when my parents were children, there was a saying often used when someone complained about their 'thing' situation:  "Use it up.  Wear it out.  Make it do, or do without."  Our folks were not as hard-nosed about this as some people but still, we were fairly careful with our stuff as we were growing up.  Sometimes this adage comes out in life today!

Some time ago I came into some used sheets.  Sheets make great starting places for so much!  I am hoping to crochet a basket with the pink sheet that I turned into yarn yesterday.

To make the 'yarn' I went to YouTube because I wanted a continuous strip of bias fabric.  I knew how to do it but had not done it for so long that a little refresher was in order.  Pam Damour gave a wonderful tutorial on how to make bias strips of fabric.  

If I had watched that  video before I started,  it would have saved me an hour or more of work.  There were several things that Pam said that are such a help.  The first, and maybe most important one, is that you do NOT have to cut your fabric into a square before starting.  A rectangle will work just as well.  She used a fat quarter to show us what she meant.  

Starting the project, I had already gone to the work to fold, re-fold, square up, etc a pink nearly threadbare sheet  so I could make yarn to crochet a basket.  Being somewhat frugal, well, being frugal in SOME THINGS, I cut the remaining fabric in squares after squaring up the main part of the sheet.  There were four small squares.  When I finished with those four small squares they made 26 yards of bias strips.  The main sheet made 116 yards of bias/yarn.

Here is the yarn ball ready to crochet (or knit) with:

From sheet to this ball of 147yards of bias strip took most of the day.  The cutting of the strip took almost three hours...Having said that, if the basket turns out, it will be worth the effort. I will send an update at some point.  Well, the point will be when the basket is made!

Here is a Ravelry link to the basket I hope to make. I love the way it looks. I hope it is not too hard to make. I  may start on it this week. (The only things stopping me are the healing fingers and the "Use It Up Yoked Fair Isle Sweater"...but since it is way past time to be wearing such a heavy sweater, I may only do a few rows every day--once I start knitting again.)

Here is a screen shot of Esther Chandler's diamond trellis basket. I love it.  I do not know if I have the fortitude to make it but it looks sturdy, which is what I want.  The pink sheet I used for the yarn was a cotton/polyester fabric of which only the polyester threads are remaining.  The actual crocheting will not be as much fun as it would be with new 100% cotton bias strips but--use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without...especially since I am again on a no-spending challenge.This time I am challenging myself to a full month!  Can I do it?  I think so. I managed almost three weeks in February.  This will make Dear One happy because he can "catch up" with our savings ago more easily.