CREATIVE CORNER: Reclaiming Yarn and Loving it Again

By Carolyn Hanson

Sometimes it happens, a sweater or garment is no longer worn or no longer in style. Yet, the yarn is so lovely, it’s sad to say goodbye.  Sooo, I don’t. Instead, I rework it into a new creation.  Reusing and repurposing is quite popular today. Designers and retailers are working to keep fabric out of landfills. Everything from full garments to scraps can now be recycled, donated and repurposed.

Reworking means disassembling and making something new. It can mean opening seams and unraveling, or cutting and sewing into something new.  I’ve done both, here’s how.

Remove Seam Stitching and Unravel

Sweaters can easily be unraveled and the yarn reused. If you made the garment, chances are you know quite a bit about its content. Here is a good checklist for evaluating a potential garment for reuse.

– Fiber Content – What is it made of?  Best to use natural fibers: 100% wool, linen, bamboo, cotton, and silk. Check your Ravelry projects; this info is probably available.

– Good Condition – Ask yourself, can any stains, holes, or worn areas be avoided and still leave long strands of yarn?

– Color – Do you still like the color? Choose solids; colorwork is too troublesome to disassemble, though it can be repurposed as a pillow cover.

– Seams – Are the seams hand sewn or crocheted together? If so, it can easily be disassembled.  Best to avoid machine-sewn or serged seams since they are cut and sewn leaving short pieces resulting in many knots.

– Yardage – Most full sweaters can yield 1100-1800 yards. Your Ravelry project data can probably help with this one too, providing an estimate of the yardage used. If this is not available, some simple math can help; continue reading.

If the project passed the initial scrutiny, it’s worth disassembling. Roll up your sleeves and start reclaiming your yarn.

1. Clean the garment, if needed.  This is done by hand washing and allowing time to dry.
2. Tackle the seams first. Locate the yarn used to weave the pieces together and remove them. Start disassembling in the reverse order of assemblage, e.g., for a sweater, remove the neck first, then the sleeves, then the side seams, then the shoulders, leaving 4 pieces: front, back, and 2 sleeves.
3. Begin to unravel each piece.

– If yardage is important, measure out 10 yards and weigh it using a kitchen scale; record the weight.  We’ll use this later.

  – Make skeins using a niddy-noddy (a t-shaped hand-held tool used for winding yarn into skeins), yarn swift, or my preferred method, 2 kitchen chairs facing back to back about a foot apart. With each of these methods, the purpose is to wind the yarn around to make a skein of yarn.  Once complete, before removing the unraveled yarn, tie it in 3 to 4 places with scrap yarn,  Remember to identify the ends; best to tie them together with a bright-colored yarn.

4. Remove the kinks. The yarn will be full of kinks from the prior stitches. Remove them by placing the tied skeins into a basin of warm water with a bit of soap. Let soak for 30 minutes, squeeze out the water, roll in a towel, then hang over a hanger, and finally, hang another hanger onto the opposite end adding a bit of weight to help remove any remaining kinks. Let air dry.
5. Once dry, fold in half and twist in opposite directions. Fold in half again and the yarn will twist on itself. Tuck one end into the other.
6. Calculate the yardage of each skein by applying simple math, solving for “X”.

Weight of 10 yards (oz) (weighed earlier) / 10 yards = Weight of skein (oz) / X

where X = Yardage of the skein

Record the yardage and attach to each skein

You did it!  The yarn is now ready for reuse. Remember to roll into a ball when ready to use.

Note: Secondhand stores are a great source of sweaters for reclaiming yarn.

Cut up and Sew into Something New

Either from your own closet or a thrift shop, use your old garments to cover pillows, make totes, and more. You will need scissors and a sewing machine.

1. Clean the garment, if needed.
2. Select a project that will fit onto the garment.
3. Cut open all seams
4. Create a pattern for each piece adding 1/2”-3/4” seam allowance for seams and finishing.
5. Cut out the pattern, finish edges to prevent unraveling, and sew seams.
6. Add zippers, buttons, handles, etc.

For non-sewers and sewers alike, did you know that Eileen Fisher will take back all of their used clothes in any condition and give you $5 toward a future purchase? They either recycle, resell or repurpose the garments. Visit the Eileen Fisher Renew shop in Irvington, NY if interested in purchasing these garments. It’s worth the trip. They have 2 locations in Irvington, just over the Mario Cuomo Bridge. (Tip: Go with a friend and add lunch at Red Hat on the River-lovely view of the Hudson River. Reservation recommended.)