Recycling Yarn & A Tip

The idea of recycling yarn has intrigued me for some time. When I saw this sweater in a thrift store, I knew the yarn was meant to be something else.



First, I recognized the yarn to be Lion Wool-Ease Thick and Quick. A check of the seams confirmed it was beautifully hand crocheted. And it appeared to be recently completed -- no wear or pilling. A discarded Christmas gift perhaps? I even tried on the sweater, and immediately discovered why it was at the thrift store. First, the obvious -- the yarn is just too warm for a garment worn indoors. But the clincher was the beautiful trim -- it had no stretch to it. It constricted the wrists and hips. That sweater begged me to take it home and give it a new life. So I did.

I happened to disassemble it at work. My coworkers watched askance as I took apart the pieces, then proceeded to unravel them. My arm got tired from swinging back and forth as I pulled the yarn away from the sweater, but I kept on. In the end, I had over 2 pounds of yarn! What a great deal for a $3.50 investment!



In the process of liberating the yarn, I discovered the answer to a pesky problem I've been having. Even though I weave in my yarn tails and trim them close to the knitting, over time they work loose just enough to stick out. The crocheter of this sweater showed me the solution: use sewing thread and teeny stitches to tack that yarn tail down.

So what will this yarn be reincarnated as? I've knit up a fun hat and scarf set, but it won't debut until this fall. The rest is waiting patiently, requests welcome.