RECYCLED, UPCYCLED, REUSED, REPURPOSED, AND RECLAIMED YARN

In this video I discuss the environmental issues surrounding textile waste and how recycled yarns can be made using different processes that are eco-friendly. Leave a comment below to share your experiences with recycled yarns.
LINKS TO THINGS I TALKED ABOUT:
Marks & Kattens LOL: (discontinued, sorry!)
Berroco Remix: goo.gl/LN6NSq
Wool & the Gang Billie Jean: goo.gl/XhRx1m
Wool & the Gang Heal the Wool: goo.gl/Czy81h
Darn Good Yarn Silk Baby: goo.gl/hiRCm3
Wool & the Gang MixTape: goo.gl/qUkhHx
Darn Good Yarn T-Shirt Ribbon: goo.gl/ZFJ1wA
Darn Good Yarn Silk Chiffon: goo.gl/XUcdAX
Darn Good Yarn Newspaper: goo.gl/kDb44h
Pattern for making newspaper basket: goo.gl/ehVw4k
Twice Sheared Sheep: goo.gl/KqGztx
A Wool Story: goo.gl/WLw5PX
T-shirt Yarn Tutorial: • How To Make T-shirt Ya...
Plarn Tutorial: • Plastic Bag Yarn - Ho...
Buy Plarn on Etsy: goo.gl/8PY2pU
Tutorial on Unraveling Thrift Shop Sweaters: • Get Reclaimed Yarn fro...
Knitting Patterns Using Recycled Materials: goo.gl/RWgeCz
Darn Good Yarn Subscription Box (use code EWE15 for 15% off first box): goo.gl/2zgCFm
*This video is not sponsored.*
*All products were purchased by me unless otherwise announced.*
Ravelry: goo.gl/M2z96P
(If you are not already a member, you should definitely join--it's free.)
My Monkey (who's always peeking out from somewhere in the background in my videos) was made for me by my friend, Gail. She used this pattern: goo.gl/BaWF2W
SUPPORT THE SHOW: goo.gl/pCBHx6
My Etsy shop provides financial support for my KZbin channel. I don't accept paid sponsorships, so everything I review I purchase myself. Your patronage of my Etsy shop helps out with the expense of buying products to showcase and review on Ewe University. Thanks so much for your support of my channel.
MAKEUP I'M WEARING:
Primer: Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner goo.gl/u2JD4r
Foundation: Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation Serum bit.ly/2x01QL4
Setting Powder: Becca Hydra-Mist bit.ly/2IxtVPe
Blush: Lancome Blush Subtil--Pink Pool goo.gl/5dBhiQ
Eyeshadow: Too Faced Natural Matte Palette goo.gl/sDN4cd
Mascara: Benefit Roller Lash goo.gl/jepNSR
Eyeliner: (none today)
Lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous Creme #668 Primrose goo.gl/3wnedv
CONNECT WITH ME:
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@halcyarn
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Kristine Kelly
P.O. Box 74
Monmouth, IL 61462
If you are passionately curious and never get tired of learning new things, new skills, new ideas...I hope you enjoy watching my videos and learn something. Have a sparkly day!

[@MeghanNavoy]

This is Meghan of A Wool Story - thanks for featuring my yarns here :-) The wooden thing is a Christmas ornament made from recycled wood by my friends at Mutual Adoration. Glad you liked the mystery box!!!

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Meghan -- so nice to hear from you. Thank you for the wonderful mystery box. It was very fun to open up -- the yarn was lovely, and I loved all the extra little goodies. 💜💜💜

[@DixieGirl9876]

Another great episode! I've re-cycled yarn from thrifted sweaters before as well as taken apart old projects I'd made in the past. I up-cycling a lot of clothing, my own and thrifted items into other projects such as project cushions, bags and quilts. The main way we can help with waste is not to over buy, be a thoughtful consumer.

[@katrind.8523]

Thank you so much for bringing up this important topic of waste and under-use of textiles. I am a bit of a minimalist myself and only have few pieces of clothes that I love, but I never thought about my yarn usage. You inspired me to unravel a cardigan I knitted last year and never wore. it took me a while, but now I am looking forward to thinking of something new to make with my "new" yarn.

[@lauraarmstrong4601]

I'm a huge fan of recycling the pop bottles into yarn, but there is a drawback to it - When the items made from that fibre is washed it leaves small micro fibres in the water which then heads into our lakes, rivers, etc.

[@danbev8542]

This is true for our fleece garments as well! It is so discouraging- it seems that nearly everything we consume causes some serious problems for the planet!

[@Kelliandetc]

That was a super informative, eye opening episode. I love recycling yarn from thrift shop sweaters - once you get the hang of it, it goes pretty quick. It’s a great way to get a sweater quantity of cashmere yarn for around $10 😄

[@lizhand53]

Hello Dr. Kelly. I remember my grandmother crotcheting kitchen rugs out of bread wrappers back in the 60s. I'm not sure how she prepared the bags but it reminds me of that old saying, everything old is new again. Thanks for another fun post.

[@denisecoit192]

Was excited to see you used my bag for a demonstration of Billie Jean yarn from recycled denim. Enjoyed working with it. Knit with the skein until I ran out of yarn and then switched to the white yarn. From the picture you can see how much can be knit with one skein. The bag is very durable and when I use it as a purse nothing falls through the knitting and I get lots of comments on it. Enjoyed this podcast as i always do. Thanks for taking the time to do this. My church has a group that collects plastic grocery bags and crochets blankets for the homeless. Great humanitarian project.

[@sunshinesue4131]

What a great video! I took an online class to learn how to deconstruct a sweater and repurpose yarn, then I went to my local Goodwill store and bought a sweater to deconstruct. It was quite a long process from start to finish, and I will say that I bought a woman’s size 2X sweater but only yielded enough good yarn for a woman’s size small top. Since it was my first time doing it, I made a few mistakes along the way, but I now know what to look for next time.

[@cayenned.8608]

Great episode Kris! It was really fun to see my shawl on your show. :) One way I recycle yarn is if there is a sweater I knit but don’t like anymore I will unravel it and use the yarn to knit something else. Or I will felt the sweater and cut it up to make slippers or bags or other things out of it. Thanks for all the information and ideas on recycling yarn!

[@differentperspective4124]

I have a crocheted rag rug that my DH’s grandmother made in the 1950’s, if it is any indication of how sturdy recycled yarn projects are, I’d say this is a wonderful concept! She was recycled before there was recycling as most of her generation, born in the 1800’s, lived through two world wars, the Great Depression, had a string drawer in her kitchen where she kept everything she thought she might reuse. Salute to these ladies!

[@annea3567]

While I applaud the recycling of plastic I have lately become aware of water pollution from the fibers that these yarns/fabrics shed when they are washed. Marine animals accumulate these fibers in their bodies and they move up the food chain. Also they are in the water system as can even be found in bottled water. The sad truth is that plastic must be replaced in our packaging. Love the recycled denim yarn!

[@katrinascreationscrafting]

I have spun rovings that were called Ecospun that were made from plastic bottles. I've also spun recycled denim, and when I was at the MD Sheep & Wool Festival there was a booth where the lady was selling unraveled sweaters that she got from Goodwill and second hand clothing stores.

[@lillygodfrey3306]

I subscribe to darn good yarn. As a new knitter it is very fun inexpensive, good yarn to practice with for knitting and learning to read patterns, and your helping empowering women on the other side of the world. And you are being environmentally friendly. There are so many pluses with Darn good yarn. I just received my 2nd box this past weekend and am looking forward to knitting up their free pattern for the mermaid shawl.

[@bettybanks5367]

I have shopped the thrift stores and bought sweaters made from expensive yarns. I undo and wash them myself. I'm on a fixed income and I can't afford to buy expensive yarns from yarn stores. I also rip up old sheets and t-shirts to crochet or knit with. I enjoyed this video very much!

[@dpreeper]

My Dad recently passed and I was planning on reclaiming the yarn from some of his sweaters (already tucked away on my craft shelf) to make memory bears for me and my siblings. I was also going to reclaim some of his work clothes, full of grease stains and little holes from welding sparks, to make work clothes for the bears.

[@janniagonzalez5459]

wow, that's really special. God bless you

[@sherylhutton138]

Hi! I never knew half of these types of yarns existed until I saw them on this video. In my town there is no shops around that even sells this kind of yarn. I have to rely on Walmart, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby for all of my yarn needs. There are not even groups that I can join here, and I am the only one in my family that crochets. So I am all by myself to crochet projects. I was very interested in what you had to say about these. I used your video as a learning process. I would just like to have seen someone actually using these to see how it does work up. I couldn't really afford any of those yarns to even try to use them. So I have to stick to acrylic yarns for my work. I just make afghans or blankets. But I am glad that you could show me what is out there to use. Thank you very much!!

[@KnittersPartyPodcast]

You have a sparkly week too!!! What a cute sign-off.

[@juliebaergen6580]

I love that you showcased Darn Good Yarn. I recently purchased reclaimed sari silk yarn for knitting, and some banana fiber for spinning. I haven't used it yet, but it's so pretty I don't mind it hanging around for a bit. The company story is interesting and worth supporting. The first sweater I knit was from a recycled yarn. I don't remember the yarn's fiber content, but do remember feeling pretty righteous about using it. It's a pretty brick red tweed. Another wonderful video! Thanks, Kristine.

[@pattycrochets2559]

I made a crocheted shawl with the Berroco Remix. I loved working with it, it was soft to the touch and the shawl looks great after several years. Great information as always. I was floored by the numbers of clothing pieces purchased and seldomed used.

[@pattyb2257]

I just knit the Skagen Shawl using Berroco Remix Light yarn. It was nice to work with and I like the tweedy look of it. Thanks for all the research involved in putting together your podcasts. I will be watching this one again when my husband gets home this coming week as he enjoys watching your podcasts as well.

[@judygordon6439]

So enjoy your podcasts!! I am very intrigued by recycling! and am glad to see there are so many options. I have tried my hand at plarn, that was not too easy to use. I make potholders out of t-shirts. and am teaching my granddaughter how to reuse things. Thanks again and really appreciate all your efforts in making your podcast one of the best on KZbin for me :)

[@chrisdarry-roseelrod4481]

I've not used recycled yarn, yet. That was really interesting and have inspired me to explore the world of recycled fibers. Thank you.

[@_vanearaujo]

This video is perfect, a true class about recycling yarn. Thank you so much for all this good information and I need to praise the producing of the video as well, it was very pleasing to watch and learn while unraveling a cardigan to reclaim yarn 😊 Cheers from Brazil!

[@joanpickart2719]

I always enjoy your podcast and have learned so much!! This was an especially interesting one ... a subject I have never even thought about!! Fascinating ... thank you so much!!!

[@juned5442]

I have started crochet using plarn to make a mat, but run out of plastic bags. I have also started another mat (crochet) using old tea shirts. I am really wanting to recycle sheets to make yet another mat or rug, but not got to that yet. I recycle everything I can , from my house nothing much goes to landfill textiles, plastics, cans glass, newspapers, magazines, any papers and card. In UK we have recycling collections from households and huge recycling bins in supermarket car parks, the charity shops get a lot of unwanted clothing textiles, ornaments crockery etc. nothing should be going to landfill really except maybe things that can decompose and become compost.

[@13tatteredstitches81]

I always donate the clothes that I'm not wearing anymore. As for the yarns introduced, I have not tried any of them, yet. One day ... Thanks for all the information! 🐏

[@marychristoforo2256]

Great video, Dr. K! Very informative. I have unraveled a few thrift shop sweaters to reuse the yarn, and you are right, it’s no picnic! I’m glad to leave that to the “ professionals.”

[@fromcalifornia2822]

I have recycled a few sweaters and found it’s knowing to hold out for easy ones to turn into balls of yarn. If there is a seem under the arms the hassle-factor is too high. My best luck has been with old hand made Irish sheep’s wool sweaters. My problem though is because I live in warm weather it’s likely the bulk of high quality sweaters are shipped off to cooler parts of the country, or maybe even the world. (I have recently noticed the great Irish sweaters I took for granted for years are few and far between now. If anyone is interested in finding them, it pays to look for them in the men’s’ sweater parts of the store. And, make sure to check for continuous yarn by looking under the sleeves or alongside the stomach and again, under the arm. As far as this video goes, it was extremely helpful. Seems it would be great if some Congresswo/man could get a bill passed to give write-offs for companies who manufacture or use recycled product to make yarn, clothes or other products. Unfortunately, the garment industry is so powerful there would probably be a lot of resistance from current companies who make natural products. As it is, I for one am always concerned I will spend a lot of time on a yarn creation only to have it fade, loose body or even dissipate into nothing in a few years. Matter of fact, it would be nice to know what type of yarn has the longest and most productive “life” for all types of handmade items; rugs, blankets, pillows, and even sweaters. I am wondering how 100% wool compare to synthetic blends and the like especially in terms of exposure to the sun (in a home) and for holding color and fullness. Anyway, thank you for the information.

[@Randi19196]

Wow! Great podcast. I have bought mill ends in the past that I think were leftovers from sweaters, but these were in cones and didn’t have a brand name. Learning about how much goes into producing textiles is eye opening. Thank you for such a thoughtful program.

[@PatientFarmer]

I salvage my own yarns from 2nd hand sweaters. I absolutely love everything about it!

[@jeaninegunn4118]

A while back, I bought some sari silk yarn from India. I would it rather challenging to knit up because it kept twisting up so baddly and tangled to the point it became too time consuming to unwind or untwist. I ended up using it in mixed media projects. What I like of the yarns you showed is that they seem to have a good denier for knitting. Thanks fo another great and informative video.

[@lynosborne3081]

You're always so informative, thanks for all the effort you go through to help us be more educated crafters. I will definitely be looking for some of these yarns to use. 😊

[@chi2cali]

Wonderful podcast! Thank you for covering this topic.

[@ManieMartinez]

One of the ways you can also reuse garments made of wool is steeking. You can sew over the knitted piece following a pattern and then it can be sewn together or knitted/crochet together again with very little new wool.

[@SewRunKnit]

Hi! I had this video saved in my watch later list and I’m glad I got to watch it. You put so much thought and research into your episodes. Thank you! I am impressed with your thoroughness and I learned a lot. Hope life is treating you well.

[@katgore99]

Good to see you lady, Great show this time. Thank you for all you do.

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Kat -- you are the sweetest. Thank you. 😘😘😘

[@kerfuffle9312]

Another enjoyable, informative, thoroughly researched video. Thank you for your hard work. 👍😊

[@megcarr3126]

Hi Kristine, I found this video particularly interesting, my family and are joining the challenge plastic free July, where you challenge yourself to give up one use plastics for the month of July. You choose how much or little you do though. We are looking to reuse shopping bags and to cut out plastic straws and and plastic bags or packaging that our fruit and veg come wrapped up in at the supermarket. As part of this trying out recycled yarn seems the next logical step for a knitter. I do have some Sirdar simply recycled aran, in that 51% is recycled cotton and 49% acrylic which isn't recycled, although I have not knit with it yet. I will definitely have to check out the yarns you mentioned, I had heard of the Billy Jean Yarn from Wool AndThe Gang but none of the others. Thank you so much for spending so much of your time to put these videos together, I find them really interesting and very informative. 😁💕💖

[@vbrooker1]

Great video! Thanks for all the time and research you put into this!

[@debraraymer3386]

Great to see you again. Great topic. I am not buying any more yarn at the moment, but DGY sounds great.

[@ashimade]

This video is so well made. Very informative. Thank you so much. Looking forward to the next video.

[@britniewing4012]

This is a Very fun and interesting episode. Lots of yarns I had never heard of or seen out and about. 💜

[@malinryberg4013]

love your videos. Lots of great tips, thank you :)

[@suzannefenton1589]

Fabulous podcast!! Wonderful information!

[@janedaniel7288]

Brilliant video, so informative. Learned a lot. Thank you xxJane

[@reginahutchinson4057]

Wow that is a whole lot of words. I am always up for doing something good for the world.

[@Teadoddles]

Such wonderful information! I have been researching recycled yarns as well & love the thought of repurposing something intended for the trash. I love Darn Good Yarn & have received my 2nd box so far. The yarn is beautiful, but I have yet to use it in a project. I save all of my knit fabric scraps from sewing & turn it into yarn for rugs & baskets.

[@elizabethsleison6079]

Thank you so much. As usual, you have educated me and given me information to “chew on!”

[@grambebe]

Michaels Stores has a new 100% recycled plastic bottle yarn that is super soft and in wonderful colors including some with flecks. It’s a #5 bulky roving type with a little sheen. It looks similar to Wool & the Gang’s Crazy Sexy Wool. Performs as well. Look online too.

[@GrapeApe2018]

Welcome home! Hope you had a fun but relaxing vacation! I make rag rugs from non t shirt cotton clothing and bed linens, that I use for our home and rescued cats, extras go to the animal shelter. I also make pet beds with t shirts, beds that are washable, any shirts are collected, even holey ones, they become the stuffing, intact less worn ones become the exterior. Sadly my collecting materials has become more difficult due to a new manager at the thrift store who will no longer allow the employees to collect the unsaleable items for me to use. I am also collecting plastic grocery bags to make rugs/mats out of, also for the animals.

[@elizabethvera4067]

Fun, informative show. I will look out for some of these yarns! Thank ewe! 🐑

[@IslandLady76]

Years ago Caron used to make a yarn from recycled bottles. I loved it, because it was very soft and the colors were nice. It was also discontinued as I cannot find it in the stores any longer. I had used the Darn Good Yarn and the recycled silk was vibrant until I washed it in cold water with vinegar (which was recommended) It is now more muted tones than vibrant. I like their cause though and will probably order some of their other yarn.

[@soniaguzman762]

I'm making tee shirt yarn! I have a pile of tee shirts ready to be cut. I miss your videos. I'm glad you are back!

[@EweUniversity]

Thanks, Sonia. 😘

[@susannawarner6817]

Thanks for the great video and all the information. I will be checking out the Darn Good Yarn club, I hope they ship to Canada. I don't mind hand wash and dry flat because I would make something that would be special with that yarn. Of course with the recycled bag yarn you wouldn't have to worry about it. Kristine, are you sure that you took a vacation because it looks like you spent a lot of time doing research. Thank you again for all you do for the community.

[@EweUniversity]

Thanks, Susanna. 😘

[@janetchang7882]

Thank you for such an informative video as usual. I always learn something new.

[@dees350]

Very informative video. I was specifically trying to find a group that reclaims yarn and knits it into new items. I have been looking at thrift stores for sweaters. So far I have reclaimed yarn from several sweaters made with wool, lambs wool, acrylic/silk/alpaca/wool blend, wool/alpaca/acrylic blend. Since I hadn’t knit for decades and am fairly new to knitting socks, I haven’t quite got the hang of choosing the right weight of yarn. But my wool-based projects have ended up as comfortable, wearable socks. I would love to find a group that has a passion for this kind of conservation and would like to share finds, processes, and results.

[@needle_nut7501]

Hey Kris! This clothing business is something else. The waste is unbelievable. But.... like you said , people are always buying more. When you buy cheap I think you don't feel so bad about getting rid of something quick. I worked in the garment industry and there are many surprising elements going on. The Berroco and The Wool and the Gang yarns looked pretty cool.I would use those for sure. Cool hair!! Don't you love the Too Faced? I have a lot of their products. A lot. Makeup is like yarn for me:)) Skin care I use oils. I love oils for my skin and hair. Good to see you and another very interesting video. Cheryl

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Cheryl -- yes, you are so right about the textile industry. I'm sure that was an interesting experience! Yes, I do love to play with makeup sometimes. It's my ...fourth or fifth hobby, lol! 😂

[@hondagirl126]

Another great informative fun video! I have the Berroco Remix in buttercup to make the Derecho knit top. The yarn is super soft and I can't wait to wear it!! I also have a Darn Good Yarn subscription and I received the same month you did, another super soft yarn. My box also had the needles, hook and patterns along with a 2nd skein of yarn called twist lace weight silk it's 100% handspun recycled silk in the colorway crocodile snap. both yarns are colorful and would be great to use as pops of colors to add to any project. Thanks as always for your videos and fun info. Terry aka hondagirl126

[@janetdavis1732]

Another informative podcast. Your graph on the declining wear per garment was startling. We donate our no-longer-used clothing (and shoes, etc) to charities so that they have longer life. I have used Darn Good Yarn. I bought a bag of recycled sari silk and knit a couple of cowls and wove it into pillows. The colors are bit bright and busy for me, but I found that combining them with something else works well. I once had a shower curtain made from recycled PET but could not find another one when I needed to replace it. Every now and then I do a search to see if I can find another one, but so far no luck.

[@AnishNorge]

Hello Kristine, just found your channel and found it very informative and a refreshing change from other knit and crochet channels, the more the merrier I say! :) Would love to see you do a video about the reasons behind the therapeutic qualities of yarn crafting, I personally feel it's one of the main reasons I love/need to crochet; I call it my "yarn therapy"

[@EweUniversity]

Hello -- I did a couple of shows related to that last year. One was on knitting and mental health, which you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aoKyq5Rmq9priNk The other one was about knitting as a positive addiction, which you can watch here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaHbf56fds9ji7s

[@AnishNorge]

Oh yes!! I have to confess that I did binge watch through many of your videos and came across the shows you mention here, and thoroughly enjoyed them both! thank you for providing excellent content :)

[@aggiemakes]

Great information thank you for sharing!

[@annettesaxman248]

Really enjoy all this information

[@pennynakatsu69]

Great show on a particularly timely concern. Lion brand is currently offering a sale on “sustainable” yarns made from recycled polyester.

[@Notshortever]

Thanks for another informative video. I’ll have to look for the Remix, and I signed up for the subscription. 😍 Rosemary

[@craftycrafter1960]

I’d like to think that as an eco friendly knitter I try my best. I recently have been watching people who do resin art on a wood turning lathe. Oh my gosh what a lot of resin scraps they end up with.

[@ekaterinagrekhova7841]

Great podcast! Thank you so much for this structured and clear information. However, the problem of the mixed yarns (like coton+polyester etc) is that they are not recyclable ! So we can knit from an “eco friendly” yarn made of Textile leftovers and feel good about it, but what’s happen next with this item? It will end up in the nature, cause it CAN NOT be recycled. So if we want to use a recycled yarn is better to use a 100% cotton, or 100% polyester etc. Not a mix blend.

[@fallynsims4061]

I really want to find the time to go hunt in local thrift shops for sweaters made out of cashmere and other nice wool blends. I knit a lot and I wanted to see if finding such sweaters and unraveling them to yarn would be a cost effective way to supplement my yarn purchases.

[@heatherb.628]

I recently purchased 2 sweaters from my local second hand store for $1 each. It took a while to deconstruct them, but now I have two sweater quantities worth of 100% cashmere yarn that I only paid $2 for. I call that a win!

[@fallynsims4061]

Heather Brook I hope to find the time to be able to search the thrift stores for finds like that! I just have to find child free time to do it as they aren't very patient the few times I have attempted so I ended up leaving before I could even really look. Although I have found good yarn at one of our thrift stores!

[@jolenelarson469]

Heather Brook that is awesome!

[@jofelker7656]

Thanks for another informative video.

[@connieholden5786]

Very informative! Just wish they were something I could afford.

[@janniagonzalez5459]

you could do it yourself, frog a sweater, make plarn, cut t-shrits. They all can become good yarn to make nice things.

[@carolynwagner4553]

Good video! Thanks for sharing. DROPS has a yarn called Paris that is made from recycled denim. It is $1.80 for 82 yards. I’ve used it before and bought it at Nordic mart. I like DROPS Paris better than Billie Jean from wool and the gang. Billie Jean yarn made my hands and my bamboo needles turn blue.

[@paulagrnsy]

I have made and knit plarn. I have also cut used scraps of fabric into bias strips for knitting and weaving. I'm currently working on a crocheted rug where the bias strips are ruched/shirred as I single crochet them together with string. I first saw this technique years ago at the Silver Dollar City fall craft fair in Missouri. Finally, I work in a historic clothing costume shop at Conner Prairie in Indiana. We collect all the fabric scraps that are too small to use and send them to Goodwill where they're recycled. Where else would you take fabric pieces for recycling? Do anyone know? Finally, I was wondering about how colors are achieved with the yarn spun from shredded fabric. Wouldn't there be dyes involved? And, I loved the clips of the recycling processes!

[@FrancesSiple]

I have recycled bed sheets to create a floor mat. I have also bought from Darn Good Yarn!

[@anyaharper2860]

I'd love to make an imitation of a fast fashion shirt from recycled yarn!

[@sharle6]

I make my own plarn and I crochet and knit plarn mats for the homeless to sleep on

[@beththoreson9216]

So informative

[@crochetingcanuck]

I've seen bathmats and kitchen rugs made from tshirt yarn.

[@sharonquinn7045]

I have to say, that I joined the Darn Good Yarn club. I was quite unhappy with the feel of the yarn. I am not a yarn snob, as I have used inexpensive yarns in the past. I joined the club, because I liked the fact that it was to help women trying to make a living. I gave them my opinion of their yarn. I may in the future opt to try their products again.

[@jolenelarson469]

Sharon Quinn I had a bad experience with them. Mine never came in a box and usually had a bad odor to it. The patterns weren't always appropriate for the yarn (eg., hat pattern for a very scratchy yarn). And the yardage was very low to do much with.

[@sharonquinn7045]

Jolene Larson I found it to have an odor as well. I was very disappointed.

[@melyndamills80]

I had a similar experience with Darn Good Yarn. It never came in a box, always a bag; it felt strange; and one time the yardage called for in the accompanying pattern was more than what they sent so I couldn't even make it. Very disappointed. I love the idea of the company, but was not happy with the membership "boxes". I may give them another try in the future.

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Melynda -- I think they changed their packaging recently, so now their subscriptions are coming in boxes. 💙

[@carolynbjerk7514]

I have often bought will yarn at thrift shops, unraveled it and re knit into new garments. It is harder to find wool sweaters that can be unrave!ed now than it used to be. I so enjoyed the series on affordable yarn. Isn't it interesting that most recycled yarn is pretty pricey. On another blog i heard that the pet yarns get into the groundwater from laundering, just nano particles, but nevertheless harmful to animals. Have you heard anything about this?

[@josiemoore4889]

I haven't bought any but I have started to deconstruct unused clothing and even picked up some cheap T-shirts from a Goodwill store.

[@jolenelarson469]

This was a very informative podcast so I thank you for all your research. I was a bit discouraged that if we want to use recycled yarn, it is so much more expensive. I'm willing to pay a bit more to help the environment, but not double or triple the price of similar new yarn. Maybe in time, the prices will come down.

[@janniagonzalez5459]

I think a solution for it, it's to do it yourself, unravel a sweater by yourself, cut a t-shirt by yourself and transform it in yarn, or make something with plastic-bag yarn. I am like you, I can't pay such high prices for something like that, but I can make it myself and it feels even more special.

[@captainofthesheep9005]

Maybe the hexagon could be used for cutting quilt fabric

[@EweUniversity]

I love that idea. 😘

[@juned5442]

I am wondering the reason why the yarn made from recycled pet plastic is being discontinued, could it be its more flammable, more toxic if baby or dog chews on it, or that it is just too sweaty to wear. I would think it would be good for bag crafting though.

[@brittanykrieger5828]

Does yarn you find at the thrift store count?

[@pamelarivera5058]

Hi! Kristine. Can you talk about wpi? Some yarns have less wpi than others. Does this means that if I'm knitting a sweater can affect the sturdiness of a garment?

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Pamela -- I recently did a show on yarn weights where I talked about wpi. You can watch it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e2OtmXdqjbujb6s

[@pamelarivera5058]

Thank you! You are so gentle and caring person! 💖

[@starrya5647]

11:46 don't they need chemicals if they bleach/dye the fabric again? Great video by the way, very comprehensive guide.

[@ilmaba1756]

Surprised you didn't mention Sari Silk, I used it over 15 years ago to make a purse.

[@EweUniversity]

Yes, I was trying to talk about as many different yarns as possible but couldn't cover them all. 😊

[@alma27ram]

Yes! Reduced reuse recycle.

[@labyrinthwomb]

[@ashimade]

Recyclable yarns though ecofriendly , it consumes energy manual as well as electricity.

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

Hi! 👋

[@brendadenda9138]

Will it melt?

[@EweUniversity]

Hi Brenda -- yarns made from natural fibers won't melt, but synthetics will (e.g., acrylic, rayon, nylon). So the yarn made from recycled PET plastic will melt.

[@culinarygurly987]

I wanted to keep watching/listening but the mic feedback is killing my head.

[@EweUniversity]

Interesting -- I'm not hearing it, and I have not received any other comments about it. I'm not sure why you are getting mic feedback.

[@culinarygurly987]

@@EweUniversity i am going to try again with better headphones and see if maybe that was the thing then. I really was trying to get through it but will have to try again when I get home

[@Dawn-bd5gu]

I would love to use all of this yarn for all of the reasons talked about above. However, I wont because of the " hand wash and lay flat to dry" recommendation.

[@sarahannw3796]

Remix is machine wash in cold water on delicate cycle, lay flat to dry

[@izzy7159]

BUY USED PATTENS

[@1Serval]

Interesting, but ... maybe you can do the recycling. The crap fabrics are why ppl are throwing their shit out.

[@lewissparinlitz4192]

And it doesn't help using these fake artificial materials of unnatural fabrics to make yarn