The yarn for these spats is made from a T-Shirt (tarn) cut into one continuous ½” strip. For a tutorial on this please visit http://www.kits-crafts.com/t-shirt-yarn-tutorial.html#.Ud.... With most tarn projects, you can hide the seams of the T-Shirt, but that is not so with this pattern due to the use of the bullion stitch. To bypass this, either find a shirt that does not have side seams or purchase your tarn. You could also use a bulky yarn instead.

Just a couple of notes about tarn; not all tarns are made equal and the type of T-Shirt you use can greatly affect the outcome of your spats. Generally, I have found that the pure cotton tarn (which is what I used here) stretch and will give you a greater quantity, but are also harder to work with. A synthetic blend will still be quite stretchy and easier on your hands, but you won’t necessarily get the large quantity or the sturdier outcome. One medium women’s adult size shirt is likely to create enough tarn for these spats.

About the bullion stitch; this is a tricky stitch and takes some getting used to. The best tutorial I have found on the web is a video by Margaret Hubert and can be found, along with written tips, at: http://pwalker281.hubpages.com/hub/6-Tips-for-Making-the-.... Just remember to keep your wraps loose.

This pattern was written using US standards and worked flat from the top down. Due to the bullion stitches and working with tarn, I would consider it to be an intermediate pattern.

Tested in the Free Pattern Testers Group.