Rag Crochet: Upcycled Textiles into Functional Art

Rag crochet is a sustainable textile practice that transforms old clothing, sheets, and fabric scraps into “yarn,” which is then crocheted into rugs, mats, totes, and baskets using large hooks and simple stitches. With historical connections to early African and Egyptian textile traditions, rag crochet combines creativity, durability, and environmental mindfulness. In this class, students will learn how to prepare fabric strips and crochet them into sturdy, textured forms. This accessible technique requires minimal equipment and no prior crochet experience, making it an ideal entry point into sustainable fiber art. For ages 13+, no experience necessary.

Torreah “Cookie” Washington is a fourth-generation needleworker and nationally recognized fiber artist based in Goose Creek, SC. Her work centers African American textile traditions, ancestral memory, and environmental responsibility through art quilts, Gullah rag rugs, basketry, and sculptural textile forms.

Fee: $72 (Eventbrite) + $45 materials fee to be paid directly to instructor on day of class.

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Host or Publisher City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department