by Kimberly Schimmel

Created on: January 06, 2011   Last Updated: April 27, 2012

Yarn from hand knit sweaters and other projects can be recycled under the right conditions.  Clean, moth-free items with few seams are the best sources for reclaiming yarn.  Learn to identify knit or crocheted items from your closet or a thrift store that can be converted into yarn for new projects.  An evening of raveling and winding in front of the television can give you free yarn and save an unused item from the trash bin.

Follow these simple procedures for reclaiming yarn:

Select Usable Fabric

First, reject anything with a musty smell or with moth holes.  Also reject items with commercially sewn seams, since these seams are hard to remove.  Anything cut and sewn is out, since you will not be able to get a continuous strand of yarn.  Your best bets are hand knits or hand crocheted items:  perhaps that sweater you knit five years ago for a child who outgrew it before you could get it finished or the afghan that has a hole.  Crocheting, plain ribbing, stockinette, or seed stitches are easiest to unravel.  Cables and twisted stitch patterns require more effort to unravel. Fuzzy angora or mohair yarns are almost impossible to unravel because the fibers’ texture tends to lock the stitches together.  Large items such as sweaters, long scarves or afghans will yield long, continuous strands of yarn.

Disassemble the Sweater or Afghan

Next, take the item apart.  Carefully remove seams, then unravel each piece by finding the finished end.  If you are unsure about which end to choose, just start trying to unravel; if the row unravels easily, you chose correctly.  If unraveling is difficult, try pulling the opposite end of the piece.  Remember you are knitting or crocheting in reverse, so you must start at the finished end.

Straighten and Wind the Recycled Yarn

As the yarn is freed from the stitches, it will have a kinky look.  To smooth the yarn, wrap firmly but not too tightly around the back of a chair.  Let the yarn rest a day or two, then remove from the chair after securing the coil in a few places with a small yarn tie to form a skein. Hang the skeins in a steamy bathroom to see if the warm humidity will relax the fibers.   Once the yarn is smooth enough for your purposes,  wind it loosely into a ball.  Yarn that won’t release its kinks may be used for doll hair. 

Use Your "New" Yarn

Use reclaimed yarn as you would new yarn, allowing for the fact that the old yarn might not have the same elasticity or durability as new yarn.  Pillows, potholders and rugs are good projects for reclaimed yarn.  If you are making items for sale, be sure to disclose that the item is made from “reclaimed yarn.”  This might even increase sales to environmentally-conscious customers.  Finally,  rest in the satisfaction that comes from saving money and making the old new again.

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