Don't toss that sweater, upcycle it. Before we know it, we will be removing our winter clothes from our closets and donating some and putting the rest away for another year. It is said the economy is slowly turning around. But, upcycling is a great way to save some of your income and still have some new items in your wardrobe.
Upcycle takes an item you no longer want and through some modification creates a new and exciting item you look forward to using again. In short, it gives the item new life.
"The Sweater Chop Shop" by Crispina ffrench (this is the correct spelling of her last name) is the perfect book to own if upcycling your knitted sweaters is your plan. She will show you how to felt and dismantle a wool sweater and recreate it into a new style.
Enjoy the following ideas and see what you come up with.
Budget Fashionista shows you how in a few steps to make a cabled throw pillow. For this project you will need a cabled sweater and a pillow form.
Did you ever throw your 100% wool sweater in the washing machine? Was the result a sweater sized for a 10 year old? That's all there is to felting. Start by throwing in the machine all those 100% wool sweaters. The website Homemade Holiday Gifts has step by step instructions with photographs to show you how easy it is to make felted slippers.
Knit and crochet handbags are this springs hot item. Favecrafts has in detail how to make a tote. Use this concept to create your own larger handbags.
Knitted skirts are trending. See what My Busy Craft Life did with a sweater from a charity shop. You may not find a similar sweater, but it's the concept that will make yours original.
Now that you have the idea, you can create your own items. Some suggestions are children and pet stuffed toys, a dog sweater, wrist warmers, potholders, a cowl, shrug and more. Let your imagination be your guide.
This video shows you how to recycle the yarn from an unwanted sweater.
The Black Sheep Yarn shop has a couple of openings left for an Introductory Lace Knitting class. It is open to all skill levels and starts on Sunday, February 19 at 1:00 p.m. The class is being held at the Fife n' Drum Restaurant. The instructor is Sarah Hood, a friend of the shop, a knitwear designer and master knitter. The all-inclusive $60 fee includes a skein of alpaca yarn, lesson book, and a small graduation ceremony at the end of the class.
Give Nancy a call to reserve a spot. The shop is located at 12 Old Barn Rd. Kent, CT 06757, (860) 927-3808.
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