How to Recycle a Sweater (A Story Told in Pictures)

sweater purse

How cute is this? It's the sweater I couldn't pull the yarn from, but had found a picture of a similar purse and decided to try to copy it. I still need to make the handle and sew in the lining, but the bulk of it is done.

off-label uses for kool-aid

So I decided to try my hand at recycling yarns again. I tried it a few months ago and just got frustrated and threw everything away. I went to the thrift store this morning and picked up two sweaters that looked like I'd be able to take apart. The first one had some issues with the yarn breaking, but I have a back-up plan for that sweater which you will have to wait to see what happens with that.

The other sweater surrendered its hood quite easily, so I got that yarn pulled apart and moved on with what I was planning. I gave it a little bath in kool-aid. Here it is, bathing away in the strawberry goodness.

And here it is drying on my front porch.


I'm planning on making a set of handwarmers with this yarn, but who knows what direction it will actually take? I don't.

"linked stripes"

Another slip-stitch pattern. So purdy!

"jacob's ladder"

This is my first project that used slip-stitch color patterns. I'm in love.

"st. ives"

"seeded diamonds"