How to Unravel a Sweater to Recycle Yarn (Old Video)

Unraveling sweaters is a great way to use yarn and re-create something new.
This Free Tutorial was made by Ashley Martineau
Author, Spinning and Dyeing Yarn

[@petermatten3315]

This was done a lot in Britain during the second world war, reusing wool, to make new clothes, wool was rationed, only darning wool wasn't. After unraveling the wool it was not made into balls , hanks were made ,then steamed over a pan of boiling water , to remove the crinkles in the wool.

[@sueboehm]

Informative and enjoyable. We got to take a trip to a porch with wind chimes as well as learn about reusing yarn from sweaters. Thank you!

[@christielamb2894]

I've heard, recently, that "donating" yarn bits to the birds is actually very bad for them. Most common yarns are acrylic and retain moisture which will make the nests prone to mold, mildew and freezing. Also, the hatchlings and adult birds can become entangled in it and get strangled. Other than that "donation" bit, 😊 I really appreciate your informative video and may have to check out the thrift shop and yard sales. 💜✌️🧶

[@leotabaca5476]

Loved your video. Wonderful information on how to save money and also make something useful. I have always loved shopping anywhere where there is used clothes,bedding,just anything I could make something out of for next to nothing in cost.nice to see a young person do this. You will have many blessed days as you get old. Lots of memories. Thanks for sharing this ,brought back a lot of memories to this old lady. 80 years old.

[@gerlinderosensteiner8250]

Cool! I love the wind chimes!

[@michellenash6802]

how have I not ever found you??? This is awesome!!!

[@bp9036]

Only just came across this brilliant video, thank you Ashley😊.

[@neauveau]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lynnegerwitz348]

I enjoyed watching you, you're funny. I have two over sized men's sweaters I can take apart and make something to fit me. Thank you for posting this video!!

[@helenjg4857]

I loved your video, easy to follow and you explained everything so well, thank you! I loved your wind chimes, even though they nearly drowned out your voice at one point 😁. Beautiful coloured hanks of yarn drying behind you on the veranda. You sound like you are somewhere hot as I could hear macaws calling. Stay safe, best wishes from Kent UK.🙏🌈

[@HiddenBlessingsHomestead]

Thank you very helpful!

[@lynnegerwitz348]

What a great idea, giving yarn to the birds for their nest!

[@craftycrafter1960]

I was just wondering though, some sweaters haven’t worn that well with a lot of pilling and maybe it’s not worth trying to reuse it.

[@kangaroofuno]

I like the way she talks. She don't explain on length of why she does every little thing while making yarn from sweathers.

[@stevenofford495]

The short bits could be just what's needed if you're darning socks.

[@rotnkiley]

omg best video ever...so easily and well explained...love how you shove it right in the camera so we can actually see what you are talking about...totally can learn from this...very realistic teaching method.

[@cassandracalderon7422]

Awesome yarn recycling. I hope you'll do an updated video to this one to show us what you knitted the sweater yarn into. :D

[@AlexR05e]

This is such a good video. I was watching one that was 20 minutes long and not getting anything. I understand a lot better with yours. Also the atmosphere is so warm and peaceful. Made me wanna lay on that porch. Heehee.

[@shonnacline6730]

This is a fantastic idea for those that can't afford to buy yarn. My only concern is that the yarn is actually unsafe for birds because yarn felts, and gets tightly woven around their feet, and they can't get out of their nest to eat and starve to death. I used to so the same thing before seeing how it can harm them.

[@heididietrich9800]

Please don't do that with the yarn for the birds. I had a pet bird die in my hand as I tried to untie Easter grass from his leg. He had been hanging and flailing till I got home from work and as I tried to untie it, he died in my hand. I started crying and went out and buried him.

[@lindaclark5911]

Make sure the scraps are shredded to tiny pieces to avoid harm to birds.

[@ms.fraser4084]

Love your presentation. Feels like I'm sitting with a friend. I actually don't have any friends who knit so I really enjoyed this. Thanks.

[@helenjg4857]

There are knit and natter clubs who can't meet up at the moment because of the virus restrictions. So they knit while online on zoom or WhatsApp or messenger. I am the same, I knit every evening but none of my friends knit sadly. I am in Kent, UK.😊

[@rosamunda4713]

I have been unraveling sweaters for years but never thought to wrap them like a burrito! Thanks for sharing that.

[@mel123pink]

.......great instructions and loved the calming wind chimes! Off to the charity shop (goodwill) first thing on Monday. Cheers.....also from Scotland! :)

[@neauveau]

merlyn holmes thank you!

[@sallyvandergraaff5622]

With all those short pieces of yarn, you could make multi-colored tassels, sew into pillow tops as a decorative element, use as colorful filler inside a jar, glue onto cardstock, save for children's craft supplies . . . lot of fun things!

[@mariegodfrey5438]

Wow that was brilliant. Thanks for explaining it so well. Really inspired now. All the best from London Uk.

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

Great video and really loved the wind chimes.

[@hipretty]

such pretty colors in that sweater…nice find :-)

[@puddleduck3197]

Thanks for the video. This is the best out of all the others. I shared with my group.

[@alexandraabraham6698]

This is an excellent tutorial, and one that will save a shedload of money, buying new yarns...! Would you permit me to make one small suggestion, if i may? When you begin to wind off the yarn, it's important to take the tightness off the yarn and give it some slack, in order to not stretch it. I always wind balls of yarn over my fingers, that way, when I remove my hand to shift the direction of the winding, the yarn I have just wound on, 'relaxes' and regains its elasticity. If you wind a ball without enabling some slack, the fibre stretches, loses its elasticity, and your finished product will be less "giving".... Thank you for your video - and yes, I too LOVED the wind-chimes!

[@LovelyAmberLight]

Love your chimes.

[@shellybucci3196]

I love this video, Thank you so much for this information.

[@joanahlee28]

A pleasant tutorial from a pleasant personality. Thanks a bunch.

[@FollowSarah]

Great video! I love the "burrito" trick. :)

[@leroybrownie9188]

My goal next year is to be even more eco-friendly! That means no buying NEW stuff. I adore thrift stores and have been wanting to learn to knit. I'll be on the look out for old afghans and old sweaters to turn into something new! This is the first video I watched on how to unravel old sweaters, the wind chimes made me wish it wasn't winter right now, lol. I look forward to sitting in my back yard come spring with a pile of goodies to take apart :) with the breeze, the sun and some wind chimes nearby

[@marilynalberts4508]

wonderful explanation...very inspiring

[@chermajic]

great idea about using a sweater you knitted. I have one of those too. lol. And she was great on tutorial.....I liked it aloy.

[@A.chromat]

fantastic, informative video. Thank you!

[@ericahobbs6677]

Liked your video. I have felted sweaters on purpose to make jackets for my MinPin, and also some to make warm slippers. I will look for more sweaters at my local Goodwill store. One caution about the threads for the birds, you should really cut those up with a rotary cutter, for birds feet have gotten entangled in too long strands.

[@ChemChic55]

so cute! I love this video of yours....

[@nettle_head]

"I'm not a perfectionist" I laughed, so relatable. thank you for the great tutorial :)

[@PinkSander]

Can I just say that I am itching for garage sale season to start! I was going to post to free cycle for anyone who want to get rid of some yarn as I'm on SSI so my yarn budget is tight, but this looks like fun!

[@dawsie]

This was very interesting I have frogged numbers and sweaters that Mom or myself have made but never thought of doing this with factory made items. I will have to go and check out my local Op shop and see what they have now that they have brought out the winter ware 🤗😹 thanks for sharing this, I have been changing the yarn back to rovings for my needle felting as I use mostly wool with a little acrylic in it too much acrylic and it does not needle felt too well. Thank you for sharing 🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@anniepower8549]

Really useful tips there, and I like the leftover donations to the birds for nesting materials! Thanks ;-)

[@katherinejackman5303]

Ashley, I posted this video on Pinterest today, and it's super-popular. 17 pins and 9 "likes" within a couple of hours. People are hungry for this info!

[@shonaferguson2529]

Loved the tutorial. Have just the sweater too..... One I knitted lol!

[@yungrolex1992]

if you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as I walk away

[@irenephillips1523]

Lol yes

[@christielamb2894]

WEEZER!! 💜

[@burnsienewton]

THANKS,.THAT..WAS.SO.INFORMATIVE.AND.COOL!.wish.i.had.a.bunch.of.sweaters!

[@lyric142]

I love your hair!

[@andreachard276]

Oh god, I was terrified throughout the video, thinking that any second your gonna take your eye out with those scissors .

[@lindaclark5911]

Omgoodnessssss i luv this!!!

[@vizulfun]

thank you for video - from Scotland :)

[@vanontheinternet8596]

Thanks! This was very helpful!

[@neauveau]

you're welcome!

[@PamelaEllis]

good quality video, she's fun to watch and I learned something about unraveling seams... hint: Frogging

[@macilak]

Thanks a lot! Very helpful.

[@dcrunicycles]

Thank you. Kudos nice job 7:50 burrito trick

[@Learngerman2gether]

Very helpful. Thank you. :)

[@lucillegoudreau441]

Baby birds feet, will get tangled up in the nest ,instead fill a cushion

[@chermajic]

i liked it alot....

[@doloressaunders8531]

Than you for video

[@debbie.mckenzie]

I never knew WHY it was called flogging...duh...THANKS for that tidbit!

[@D206116379]

So helpful thxxxxx

[@leereadman9940]

cool TFS

[@LoveoftheDarkFiberArts]

I LOVE seeing all of your fiber sitting on the railings, but i worry that a bird will poop on it!

[@row1landr]

In regards to bird nests, string is ok if it is 1 inch long and made from natural fibers. Anything longer should be only natural fibers like hay/straw, and certain grasses. The parent birds are smart and know how to weave short, 1 inch, string into the nest. Some people like to tuck dryer lint under their garden shrubs for birds to use as nesting materials. This is ok as long as it is from natural fibers, like 100% cotten, wool, linen, ..... anything that is not "natural " is man made and is virtually plastic, and therefore will not dry out in a timely manner after a rain and the birds could die of the chill from the cold, wet material , ....instead of staying warm in dry nest.

[@danamartin1056]

yea i would love to see what you do with your yarn like Susa S. Howell asked. yup birdies loves us fibers artists huh ? :)

[@hh0520]

She looks like Kelly clarkson....really pretty

[@lisaquigley2002]

I love that sweater..I’d have worn that! Lol

[@patbruno8388]

Very clear explanations Ashely. I have a couple of questions, maybe you an help me. Once that pewparatory work is done you just go and use the "new yarn" or it has to be washed some way? And, sometime during the ripping proccess, the wool is tangled with the stiches. Why does that happen, I usually don´t see I knotted wrongly. Thank you

[@sKt4uRy]

it seems lots of wind went through your place. At first I didn't realize what sound it was in the background. Then I noticed that it was the aluminium bamboo shaped sound that was blown by the wind. How many do you have? Love the video and the background sound. ^__^

[@apsutton336]

tks

[@glamygirlie]

If you get the start of the braid, you can just pull it and it will unravel all the way in one pull.

[@suzettefamespinosapina5604]

it's also the technical term in crochet.

[@rjadams9397]

We can make many things with use yarns

[@crismeloearth]

I like this woman, who is she? I could really learn with her.

[@jenniferjones-paull1548]

Nice vid, thx for demonstrating unraveling old wool 'frogging' lol. Eeww eew eww the chimes, I hate that sound.

[@heididietrich9800]

Is that all yarn behind you?

[@tinydancer7426]

I would be inclined to carefully clip the serged sticthing and pick it out - you could be pleasantly surprised with the knitting going all the way thru the shoulder shaping.- why waste the yarn if you don't have to.

[@upperbound5853]

Please make sure you don't donate acrylic yarn to the environment!

[@janeclermon83]

My sweater has seems that are tight what do I do?

[@Five3Design]

Maybe just try a seam ripper instead of scissors... Patience too!

[@lindaclark5911]

Does this mean i found my tribe? & we're froggers? Lol.,i love unraveling cashmere. Borderline ocd about it. Bahahaha, that couldhave made a cute poncho leave the bad seams& stitch another ponche to it inside out reversable . nice crow calls.

[@jeanscott9492]

Was given a gift of about 50 skeins of yarn, most not even used. But the box had evidence of a dreaded mouse, in it. What is the best way to launder or clean it, before I use it. Mice give me the creeps.

[@aclark30121]

I ordered some yarn from an ebay seller--and after getting it--I told them the odor of the yarn made it unusable--they refunded my money--So I no longer buy yarn without smelling it first--at thrift stores, goodwill, etc--Those bad smells usually are permanent--

[@Andrettianna]

somebody should hook me up with a pattern for the scarf using the short lengths of yarn she was talking about. ;-)

[@danamartin1056]

Love love this! never know how to do this...thanks! Can you elimate maybe your wind chimes...love wind chimes but on videos it is a little distracting with it's high pitched sound on the audios. But again, thanks so much...you give the instructions so great...(ouch! the wind chimes just got loud....windy day lol...you even had to speak up)...arghhh sorry really don't want to sound crititcal....you are so GREAT ...I will be watching all you vids. your porch rocks!

[@Five3Design]

Omg! Great! Sooooo many cheap sweaters at thrift stores!

[@debbie.mckenzie]

FROGGING...darn spell check!

[@runrabbitrun4342]

Ahhhhhhhh so the cartoons are true, One can grab a piece of the clothing while one is running away and unravel them completely.... 😜😜👕👙

[@TheDearestOfThings]

It is a bad idea to give birds yarn or bits of fabric.

[@anitawilliams2187]

Please don’t... they can get tangled up in fibers, etc.

[@TheDearestOfThings]

Anita Williams that's why I'm saying don't, lol. It's also littering.

[@runrabbitrun4342]

@@TheDearestOfThings I had full grown birds this spring come to my yard each and everyday while building nest,,they were picking at the yarn of a blanket i had on the backyard line then they were building their nest with the parts they had taken, I left the blanket there as a gift to them. They built the nest in a grapevine in part of my fencing guess what All baby were alive and well untangled and freely moving in the nest until they flew away. The same blanket was on the line in the fall Guess what happened next??? Ready for it ?? a SQUIRREL started taking pieces from it tho build his winter nest go figure ..It was the cutest thing watching him He would hang from the pieces and wiggle all around trying to break the pieces off When he did he'd run up the tree and load his nest.... 5 minutes later he was back doing a repeat, I know you're gonna ask How did i know it was a He / him. Well i seen the squirrels Nuts Lmao.... The morel of the story is Don't tell people what to or not to do If you're clueless as to what really happens in nature. Learn from experience, Not from what People tell you to think and do.🐥🐥🐿🐿 Next i'll tell you about my wild rabbits and how they evolved if need be.

[@elizabethkehoe5749]

Just because it didn’t happen to those animals doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Don’t be ignorant and wait for something bad to happen. It’ll make you feel terrible if it DOES happen to the animals around you, at some point. People comment these things to inform and keep animals safe. Not to tell you what to do 🙄

[@runrabbitrun4342]

@@elizabethkehoe5749 The Earth & Mother nature have a natural balance. I will never disrupt it in an intentional manner, If the birds and squirrels took from the line in the yard it was meant to be & it shall be, & it will continue to be that way. It will never make me feel terrible if it DOES happen. Natural selection happens all around us each & everyday. I guess you can put your energy into banning all cars /phone's / texting behind the wheel ...etc..Have you noticed how everywhere you go people's heads are down each and every minute glaring into these little boxes. Those are the thing's that are killing the life around us in all manners, Those things are the things you should put your energy into ...not my natural backyard With it natural easy living. Or are you to busy with you're personal devise to notice these real threats!

[@adamwaldren3425]

Will you be my new bestie?

[@violinistx100]

Die, wind chimes, die

[@xxDADDYDAYCARExx]

Hate to moan but ...... I HATE WIND CHIMES!!!! They let people know the wind is blowing???? Great instructions though...... the ones I could hear anyway!!!!