How to Make Twine with Yarn

How to make twine with scraps twining is essentially twisting two or more strands in a way that locks them together and adds strength. This technique is thousands of years old and has been used with many types of natural fibers for making ropes, clothing, and so much more. We'll be using this technique to create a two-ply yarn without the need for any additional equipment and it's a great way to use up your scraps. To do this you'll need some longer material. These strands are your base that brings the whole thing together. Some scraps, it can be yarn, fabric, something more or less in strands or strips at a minimum of about one and a half inches long.

This project can be done with all scraps, though you'll need varying lengths. For my scrap twine, I'm using pure superwash and bliss superwash chunky merino wool yarns for my base strands and my scraps are various colors of reclaimed chiffon ribbon - all from Darn Good Yarn. The only tools you'll need are scissors and a couple of clothespins or some way of securing the end and wherever you leave off. Let's get started!

To begin, you'll take two longer strands. tie a knot at the end, and secure it in place. I'm using strands of different lengths for two reasons. They're less likely to get tangled as you twist and you don't want them to end at the same time because it'll leave a weak point in your twine. You'll start by twisting each strand in the same direction, go with any twist that's already present in your yarn. So, i'm twisting both to the right. You'll notice that with enough twist, the strands will actually tend to cross over each other, which is exactly what we want. Once you have some twist in your strands, cross them over each other in the opposite direction as you twisted. So, I'm crossing mine over to the left now. This is the ply and how it locks them together, so you'll continue twisting and crossing in these same directions the entire time.

Once you get the hang of that you can start adding scraps. So, place one scrap end between the two strands and twist it. With one of them you can wrap it fully aroundor leave some to hang out. You can really play with the texture here, just be sure that if you are leaving some to hang out that you give them a little tug to check that enough has been locked in. Throughout the process you'll want to be sure not to pull too tight or over twist. You can check this by giving slack every so often and making sure that your twine doesn't coil up on itself. If this does happen, not to worry, just let out a little of the twist and keep going. When you need to add another length to your base strands, overlap the ends by at least two inches, so that your twine stays strong

Once you've created a length of scrap twine that you're satisfied with, tie another knot at the end to keep it from untwisting. Now you've finished your scrap twine and you can put it to use. How you use it will depend on the materials you've made it with and the strength of your finished product. I consider this to be more of an art yarn for decorative purposes and as a weaver I decided to incorporate mine into this woven wall hanging. Thanks for watching!