How to Thrift Sweaters to Unravel and Reclaim Yarn  

Incredibly interesting and useful crafting knowledge thanks Lisa. Will be diving into the thrifting arena too now thanks to you. 🥰

I do this a lot and it's awesome! I recently discovered that if I wind the yarn on my swift and steam it on the swift, it gets much straighter which I like because it feels softer and nicer to knit with, even though it's not necessary to do that!

Looking forward to watching. Good way to save yarn from a landfill and save money on good quality yarn.

Omgoodness! This is amazing information! Please show us how to frog! Would love to learn this !! 🫶🏻🤗🥰

Look forward to learning how to renew used projects!!!

Yes, please!

You’re in Spain?! 😳 How awesome is that! 🥳 Thanks for the tips, & take care!..🤟🏼🥂…🇨🇦

This is such an interesting technique! Thank you for sharing your experience and I can't wait for part 2! ❤

I've started this with a dark blue wool DK weight jumper. Would probably recommend starting with a pale colour for your first attempt 😂

Yes! Please show us how to frog a sweater.

Soooo interesting. Will be fascinated to see more.

Very cool! Love recycling such a great idea.

Thank you, great information.

I'd love to see examples of serged edges!

Thanks Lisa for the inspiration and yes to the next installment, very inspiring

Fabulous inspiration for an amazing approach to yarn ‘purchase’. Love the idea and youhave done some amazing research. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to see your final red sweater, it looks great so far. X

Very interesting and I learned some things, too. Yes, I want to see the whole unraveling process. Thanks!

I have used this technique for years! Now, I am finding it difficult to find sweaters that are 100% natural fibers. I haven’t tried any online thrift stores though. I have also used the ribbing bands in sewn garments; great for a jacket.

I love that you're documenting this stuff. I've been knitting for only two years, and love thrifting and love cashmere. Like you, I started by felting the cashmere sweaters and sewing things (throws and blankets) from the pieces. then I learned to knit and learned to frog sweaters for my yarn. I have no problem holding several strands together to make a thicker yarn, and find that if I frog two or even three sweaters in similar colors I can make a pleasing marled yarn to use that gives me enough for a whole sweater. If I;m feeling really adventurous I also use acid dyes to unify the color more. To get rid of the kinks I started out by winding the yarn on a swift, soaking the hank and hanging it to dry. This got old really fast. Now I take the hank from the swift and steam iron it on a wool setting while stretching it around my ironing board. This not only makes it much straighter, but it kills any pesky moth eggs and larvae too. Good luck in your thrifty recycling creative adventures! Oh and yes - unzipping a seam is sooooo satisfying.

so cool - loving this process!

Yes! Exciting!❤❤❤❤

Wonderful information; thank you from the US via NL and Indonesia

I’m currently working on a scarf I “unknitted” several years ago. It was an infinity scarf and didn’t work for me but I loved the colors in the yarn. It’s good practice,I’m haven’t knitted for 20+ years!

Yes! I would love to see you frog it. I’m doing one right now that has the folded over collar and it’s really got me stumped for getting that collar off intact.

Yes frog with us

I’m finally working on a miter square throw with all the leftover sock yarn I have stashed away. I have considered frogging a few projects I made years ago and no longer reach for them. I rarely buy yarn or fabric anymore because I have both and need to use it. Even if it’s re-used to enjoy in a new form😊

Looking forward to the next instalment!

This is brilliant and keeping the ribbing is 🤯

I tried thrifting and frogging once but had a hard time finding anything really worth doing. Some acrylics and some serged. Might try again

Ooh Yes please. Would like to see some frogging 🙋🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

❤ I can't wait to see you frog a sweater. I have done this with 2 sweaters from Value Village, one was mess that I could not find the sweet spot to start and ended up cut up too much to keep. The other one was better and the yarn felt lovely but I had no idea what the Fibre content was. Looking forward to your next video on your process. Thanks.

I had an unexpected reaction to this: these sweaters (particularly the one you are about to frog!) look too nice to take apart 😮. I think this is because when you first mentioned the idea last video, I had in mind some thrift store buys with perhaps a moth hole or two, a stain, a rip on the hem…. But I think thrift stores have changed a lot the last few decades. While I was thrilled as a student to find a cashmere cardigan with a thin elbow for a dollar and be able to cheaply fix it, now I think second hand shops have gotten pretty posh and sell things only a few seasons old and in mint condition. So yes, I’ll be curious to see how you do it!!

I have been thinking of frogging, and now I came across your video! ❤❤

I love this. I've thought of doing this myself, but there are hardily any suitable jumpers 8n 9ur op shoos. Great vl9g. ❤❤

Love the fact you can save us time and frustration in trying this! Thanks for sharing. One question, do you have the sweater cleaned before starting? Do you wash by hand?

Hi may I ask which sweater you are wearing here? It’s 🥰 adorable!

❤

I sent you another message on another episode, but I love your wrap/snood you’re wearing. I normally don’t assume but what is the name of this wrap? It’s exactly what I’m looking for to knit. Thank you in advance.

Thanks for the video on what to look for in reclaim wool, great idea to keeping the hems, and button bands separate. I'm interested in seeing what you make and seeing the unraveling. I have used a serged felted, cabled 100% wool sweater to make a hot water bottle cover and a slip cover for a pillow. Which sites do use to source wool? ❤

Where do u buy them from?

Do you ever regret unraveling a beautiful sweater?

or you could just thrift a sweater in your size and wear it...