So much for recycling

[shalna]

Yesterday I tried to felt an old sweater (knitted by mum about 10 years ago) and use it to make something like slippers, mittens or maybe even a skirt. I seriously thought the sweater was (mostly) wool and would surely felt when washed in the highest temperature that our washing machine can offer. But, it didn't felt at all, not even a bit. So, I

Comments

[coconutswirl]

I haven't tried felting (yet). I have been thinking about going through charity shops to find old sweaters to recycle .. but I do have too much yarn as is!

[shalna]

I bought a very inspiring book about felting recycled materials, so I think I'll also try finding some old sweaters in charity shops.

I'm thinking about going to yarn shopping this week as a friend is expecting a baby and I'd love to make my first ever baby blanket to her baby :)

[emmuzka]

It's hard to try to find whole or almost-full wool shirts in reasonable prices anymore. Do I want to pay over twelve euros for a disgusting old wool sweater for an experimentary craft project? No, I don't.

The craft teacher students in Helsinki University actually have an agreement that they will receive all wool material that is too poor to be sold from Fida. Clever, that.

[shalna]

Good to know :/

Yes, that's clever. I think I'll ask around if anyone I know has old sweaters. Those felted slippers look very nice and easy to make.

[emmuzka]

I had the urge to go check Fida in Sörnäinen after work, and even when the only woolen sweater cost 16 euros (!), I found this magnificent 70's glass bead necklace for 4 euros that had been mistakenly categorized as loose beads in the crafts junk section. So yay for that!

[shalna]

Wow, a great find! :)

[littlemimm]

Ah, that sucks. :/ Especially when it's a handmade sweater.

Felting's always a bit difficult, but with material you don't even know it's even worse. Eep. The worst that can happen (at least I think so) is that the sweater explodes into shreds. Or if there's nylon in it it just turns into this huge tent-like blob. So yeah, it's not surprising that I've tried felting very rarely and only with smaller projects. You're brave for trying something that big. :D

Anyway, I meant to ask if it was possible for you to use the sweater as fabric? You could probably still sew (by hand or by machine) a pair of slippers, unless it's become a big clump. Or mittens or an oven mitt. Or if it looks hopeless, you could you make a batch of wool monsters of various sizes, applying a pair of eyes and some "clothing" on them and all that. Christmas presents for friends/family members? I don't know. :) Just throwing ideas so there'll be some kind of an afterlife for the poor sweater.

Damn, now I feel like doing a bit of felting myself. :D

[shalna]

A huge tent-like blob is what is looks like now :( Well, at least it didn't explode! o.O

I was going to felt the sweater so that I could safely cut it like fabric and use it as to make small thinks like slippers and mittens. I'll have to see there's anything to be done out of the poor sweater once it has dried out. I've never tried cutting and sewing anything knitted before and I'm not sure if I'd succeed, but I don't have anything to lose, so I might just try it. I've wanted to make some silly little wool monsters for a while now, so this might be the time to try that :) Thanks a lot for the ideas!