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Reusing Wool

 
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Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism
PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 05 7:49 pm    Post subject: Reusing Wool Reply with quote
    

Is there any good uses for old wool jumpers? I tend to wear them out with a few holes so I doubt the wool can be undone and reused for much.

Can the wool be reused in any way? It can be composted or used as a liner for pond plants but that seems a bit of a waste, especially if you use your own flocks wool.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 05 7:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You could make felt. There's some stuff on RC about it at the moment.

Mrs Fiddlesticks



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

PostPosted: Thu Mar 03, 05 8:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

my granny was forever reusing hand knitting wool. She'd unravel a jumper when she got bored with it, gently washing the wool to get some of the kinks out, roll it back in to a huge ball ( I remember helping) and then re-knit up in to a new jumper adding a contrasting cuff or waist band if there wasn't quite enough wool to do the whole jumper again.

Guest






PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It can be used to line hanging baskets if cut to a vague circular shape; only if it's pure wool though. Or cut them into mulch mats for vegetables, tomatoes, etc. Pure wool can be put on the compost, but nothing man-made as it will never rot down and you will forever be cursing the stringy bits in the compost.
If you do unravel to re-knit, wind it into skeins, handwash gently and hang on the line with a not-too-heavy weight on the bottom of the skein to pull out the crinkles fromed by the knitting process. When dry, wind into balls.
If you have a lot of pure wool pieces, they can be felted in the washing machine and made into nice patchwork throws with crochet edgings and fringes, etc. This only works for proper wool, not the machine washable modern stuff - that won't felt in amonth of Sundays. Or you could felt them and make into hats, bags, etc. Cut off the arms and stitch up to make cushion covers and hot water bottle covers or tea cosies.

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 9:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Anonymous wrote:
This only works for proper wool, not the machine washable modern stuff - that won't felt in amonth of Sundays.


Out of interest, do you know what they do to the wool to make it machine washable?

Guest






PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Not off the top of my head, but I suspect it may be some heat treatment of some type, or a dressing/coating. Not sure, but probably on the web somewhere. I never buy it as I like the real wool. Don't have a tumble drier anyway, and all woollies get hand washed.

moogie



Joined: 02 Feb 2005
Posts: 525
Location: Near Bridgend
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 11:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Thats funny - am just rewashing, as I type, an old cardi I have shrunk in teh wash to unravel it and turn it into thick socks to wear in my wellies in the garden

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I love "proper" wool too, but I have shrunk so many jumpers in my time (don't have a dryer either!) that I think I am safer with the treated stuff.

judyofthewoods



Joined: 29 Jan 2005
Posts: 804
Location: Pembrokeshire
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

moogie wrote:
Thats funny - am just rewashing, as I type, an old cardi I have shrunk in teh wash to unravel it and turn it into thick socks to wear in my wellies in the garden


synchronicity

culpepper



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent
PostPosted: Fri Mar 04, 05 11:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

You can cut out pieces and hem them with the sewing machine so you could make cushions or whatever. How about Mittens?
I made my daughter dolls clothes from some of her old baby jumpers.

Helen_A



Joined: 26 Jan 2005
Posts: 1548
Location: MK, Bucks.
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 05 11:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

DD1 and I have recently started to reuse old jumpers. We frogg them after a gentle wash and then skein the wool and give it a blast with a steam iron (between two damp towels) or with the steam cleaner in wallpaper mode. This gets the kinks out beautifully Its lots cheaper to reuse jumpers from the charity shop (our local oxfam shop sells anything that has sat on the shelf for more than a month off at a pound a piece)

Even little bits can be useful - tease them out and use them for felting into little balls. If you dose these with suitable Essential Oils you can use them for mouse repellant or moth repellant or similar. DD2 likes to thread felt balls onto string for play jewellery

I find it lovely how the most hideous of jumpers can become lovely when seen as a hat or similar. Or you can turn them into nappy covers as long as there is 50% wool in the blend them it will lanolise OK.

Anyway - there's a whole 'site about creating clothing etc. from reused wool (and other stuff) https://rekal.zibibboisgood.com/

Yours, Helen_A (officially delurking )

hardworkinghippy



Joined: 01 Jan 2005
Posts: 1110
Location: Bourrou South West France
PostPosted: Sat Mar 19, 05 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Hello Helen_A,

judy and moogie - the hair on the back of my neck is all creepy because - sitting onmy lap as I read this is an old woolen jumper I'm cutting up to make a hat!

HWH

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