Unraveling a Sweater for Yarn! 🧶 🧶 🧶 Step by Step

Here is a step by step tutorial on how I unravel thrifted sweaters to reclaim high quality yarn for other knitting projects.
This sweater had been listed for 8 months on Vinted for €10. I purchased it and am giving it a new purpose.
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#yarn #knitting

[@yellowfuchsia1]

I so enjoyed watching this. When I was a child, my gran would unpick our worn out or outgrown sweaters and use the yarn to knit blankets. She wound the yarn into skeins around the back of a dining chair. After the skeins had been soaked, washed and dried, it was my job to hold the them across my wrists while she wound the yarn into balls. I learned the knack of moving my arms slightly as she wound, so that the yarn came off smoothly.

[@Lisamakes]

What a lovely memory ❤️

[@susansouthard]

I have a sweater that is wool, and it came from the thrift store. I bought it so I could pull the sleeves off of it to make legwarmers. This is when I just was starting to learn to knit and a friend of mine said let’s go to the store and we’ll look for some sweaters that we can salvage the yarn. Anyhow, I still look upon your KZbin and it made me remember that I have that sweater with its disconnected arms, lol, I am now going to frog that sweater. It’s a very nice wool. I very well now and I could make my own leg warmers from knitting, as opposed to cutting off the arms of a sweater. This is such a great idea! Especially for people who don’t have a lot of money to spend on good yarn, or even good acrylic yarn. I have a huge stash, of luxury horns, anything from yak to camel to Cashmere to good wool, which of course is not cheap. I just needed something to trigger that memory of buying that sweater, I will be checking out my thrift stores more often now. Thank you so much for this video and for the instruction.

[@NeneLyonz]

I just bought four sweaters that were blends w/ alpaca or wool, after watching your video, I did have to spend the time to read the labels but did nt take me long, cant wait to make some socks from them, made it alot more affordable for me thank you! 😍

[@Lisamakes]

That’s a brilliant idea to make socks with them- I never thought of that! It would be a good use of ones with nylon content, too.

[@kathrynrogers4079]

Thank you for letting us see all the noodling bits. If you had made it look too easy I would have tried my first unravel project and assumed I was making mistake after mistake. Well done. Thank you!

[@Lisamakes]

Thanks, Kathryn! It’s always important to share the parts that don’t go well- and I cut out a lot! Lol

[@hurrayic]

I used to visit thrift stores and come home with many good candidates for unraveling. Learned the hard way with some. Always felt nice when it unraveled easily :). I find recently (at least around my thrift stores), I don't find sweaters worth unraveling - many machine made or in fibers I don't really want. Have you found a shift as well? I also used to purchase many 100% wool sweaters to full them in the washing machine and make my own 'felt'. :).

[@Lisamakes]

Yes, for sure, you have to really look these days- that’s why looking on line is great , because you can search by fibre. (I show how in the previous video.) I also used to felt things! I made great mittens that way.

[@hurrayic]

Thank you! I should have watched that first :). Just watched it and went ahead and ordered a sweater on eBay...never thought to order via online for thrifted. Your tips were helpful. What do you suggest for when to 'wash' it? Do you soak and dry your thrifted sweater before unraveling or after you've knitted something else from it? @@Lisamakes

[@MrsKWheatley]

So interesting. I was directed here after your Rivendell etc. podcast. I did laugh when you wrote that you had used the ends to "stuff a canary." Happily, I knew that you meant a knitted canary and not that you had branched out into taxidermy LOL!

[@Lisamakes]

Ha ha ha ha! That’s hilarious. 🤣

[@patriciatufts4969]

I love watching it all come apart. I need to get out and find a sweater to gently take apart now. That was beautiful wool to make into something for yourself. Keep us posted.😂

[@Lisamakes]

It’s a fun process. I hope you find something!

[@dallasjames9381]

so satisfying & can't wait to see what you make with it all!

[@Lisamakes]

I’ve already got a cardigan half done!

[@lindaparker3330]

Hello xx in the past I have made the wool into skeins x I'd then hand wash to revive the wool x once dried I would wind into balls x so satifying❤

[@Lisamakes]

Yes! So satisfying.

[@10amTracy]

Great video! I’d love to see what a surged edge looks like, to know what won’t work. 😊

[@carletteseng8926]

Great video!

[@joannemoseley8994]

This was really useful! I have a bunch of my own knitting waiting to be unwound and reknit, but I’m procrastinating because I hate the process! It is great to get any tips and tricks to make it easier. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t quite so thorough in weaving in my ends 😂

[@Lisamakes]

I hear you! I’ve reknit a few sleeves lately and cursed finding the ends!

[@LisaFaiss]

So I came on here to say i had a dream about meeting you last night. You came to a maker space I was at and I recognized you and said hi. You were asking me all kinds of questions about it because you’d never been to one of these types of places before. You had to go back home so I walked back with you a little way and what was funny is we were in Scottsdale, AZ and we were all bundled up because it was cold and rainy. It was very random. Ha ha. I had been watching several sewing videos before I went to bed.

[@Lisamakes]

Oh, Lisa, that’s so fun! I love that we got to “meet” in your dream. :):):)

[@abe5849]

This video was so helpful. I just thrifted a 50% wool/50% linen sweater that I plan to frog.

[@Lisamakes]

Glad it was helpful! I haven’t tried anything with linen yet, but I’m sure when spring arrives I will!

[@CSmith-tn8nv]

Pondering aloud here - well, in written form. I was always taught to: 1. Put fingers between the winds when making a yarn ball to preserve the elasticity of the yarn. But I don’t know what would happen if you don’t do this. 2. Wash or steam unwound yarn. I never questioned the “why” on this one, but I guess the reasoning behind steaming is to ensure the gauge/garment size isn’t impacted after the 1st wash of the garment??? But I really don’t know the answer to this either. How does a tight yarn ball and using unsteamed yarn affect the finished garment? Have you washed a reclaimed yarn garment yet? Have you noticed anything that changed? I’m being sincere here. I’m in the process of deep diving into knitting (for the past three years) after casually doing it off and on for many years. I’ve recently reknit several garments after learning how to personalize fitting and I spent A LOT of time preparing the unwound yarn for reuse. I’m wondering if all that was/is really necessary. Side note: I found that loosley tying the yarn off in 4 places while on the swift and steaming in a big old pot steamer (of all things!!!) on the stove was the quickest most effective/efficient way to steam. I liked those results way better than water immersion. Dries quicker too.

[@Lisamakes]

All great thoughts! I have never put a finger between when winding a ball, but I don’t wind very tight. When my daughters wind I’m always telling them to be looser. I have now soaked and blocked the cardigan before adding the button band and it is smooth and the same size as far as I can tell! That’s a great tip about the Swift and the pot of water, too.

[@CSmith-tn8nv]

@@LisamakesAhh, very good to know. Thanks for replying.

[@Ginevra345]

Oooh this is so fun to watch!! I have a cotton cashmere jumper from vinted love the colour but not the style or fit. Guess I need to get into knitting 😅

[@Lisamakes]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity!

[@allinsonsherratt418]

That came apart really easily - handknit, then professionally seamed. I use a metal cable needle to help with my unpicking. I've frogged loads of things recently - lost weight & didn't realise my sizing was very different 😂😂😂. It takes me longer to frog my own pieces, than that Aran 😅. My husband isn't a fan of jumpers, so I've a few of his I'll be doing.

[@Lisamakes]

Great idea to use a cable needle! I think it’s one of the great things about knitting that we can choose to remake the material into something that suits us better over time.

[@rebecca-72]

Interesting! Quite a lot of yarn harvested 😮.

[@Lisamakes]

Yes! So much!

[@thecreativecove6898]

I think I would unravel it to the arm pits then turn it into a pillow. I love the cable. Even though I know you will turn the wool into something even more fantastic. I’m just lousy at knitting cables lol can’t wait to see what you make with the recycled wool

[@Lisamakes]

Definitely would also be a pretty pillow.

[@libh8956]

This is fun! I frog my own knitting a lot. That looks like a nice yarn! Since it doesn't appear to have pilled at all. Will you dye it? Thank you for this time! 🖖

[@Lisamakes]

I think so! I bought some black dye and I’m thinking of doing a colour work sweater in shades of black and grey.

[@thaisoneon]

Sometime when you’re doing a knitting video, can you please show us how to sew down the ends that have been sewn in? Or maybe there’s a KZbin video or tutorial elsewhere that can show me how to do it. I had not heard of it before, and I’ve just shown in the ends of a bamboo yarn. It’s very slippery and I worry about them coming out. If there’s a way to tack them down more securely, boy, would I like to try it. Thanks for this video and sorry my question is somewhat off-topic but hey, you mentioned it so I just gotta question it! LOL Happy New Year!

[@Lisamakes]

Give this video a try! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q4TUopmod7mkfcUsi=KSVx6UE-_EeWRO2w

[@bogdem9610]

I’m currently unraveling a fine 2 ply cashmere sweater. It’s the weirdest one I’ve ever unravelled since it was knit starting with the sleeve, then body then sleeve in one piece but it has some sort of extra wrapping/through stitch at each end so it’s not a simple back and forth unraveling. I have to stop at each end and follow the yarn through the end stitches before I can proceed to the other end. Time consuming but a great way to get cashmere.

[@Lisamakes]

Oh wow! That sounds like a lengthy process! My next sweater to unravel is pure cashmere- marled at a dk or worsted weight. Cant wait!

[@LindaNixon-ws4ge]

Do you not straighten the yarn before using it

[@Lisamakes]

I don’t! I have tried washing and drying a few hanks, and I really find no difference in the knitting process or result. I do sometimes steam as I go.

[@TheFaybreda]

I would have found someone to gift it to.... or lounged round house in it even if sloppy. Couldnt bare to dismantle such a crafted piece. Ain't I lazy??? Used knit arans

[@Lisamakes]

All good options!

[@sewsew100]

You got a lot of yarn from the unravelling but just seems a shame to have to destroy what looks like a hand knitted, traditional sweater.

[@Lisamakes]

I hear you, but I see it differently. That sweater had been listed for sale for 8 months with no takers, at only €10. I can now take that yarn and create something new that I will wear, and cherish- which is the beauty of knitting.