Thursday, October 14, 2010

Yarn Harvesting

This may be a minor exaggeration, but it feels like our circle of family and friends has been producing a couple of newborns a week lately. I know this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black, since I too happen to have a bun in the oven, but see, I firmly believe that those new little bundles of wonderfulness need cozy warm sweaters and it's my calling in life to make sure that happens for the babies. At least for the babies I know. And at the rate we've all been going, my formerly healthy stash of baby sweaters has been reduced to zilch, zero, nothing.

So will everyone I know please stop procreating long enough for me to rebuild my stash of baby sweaters? I'm not asking much really, I only need a couple of weeks. Thanks!

Whenever I need to embark on a baby-knit-a-thon, I get busy harvesting yarn from thrift store and/or hand-me-down sweaters. It's a great way to get wonderful, soft yarns at an unbelievable price.

A couple of teeny tiny sweaters worth of super soft merino wool yarn for $2.50?

Yes, please.



{a lovely cashmere-blend sweater with a funky fit: perfect for reincarnation into something baby-sized}



{The newly unraveled yarn enjoying a nice warm bath}



{drying and de-kinking}



{and finally, reincarnated as an itty bitty sweater}

This, by the way, is the very best yarn harvesting tutorial I've ever come across-- and I've read lots of them. You'll definitely want to check it out if you're at all curious about the process.

Dawn, the woman who wrote the tutorial knows what she's talking about; she does good business selling recycled yarn in her Etsy shop, TwiceShearedSheep (she also sells some lovely stitch markers that I've been drooling over lately). I think it's incredibly generous of her to share her knowledge.


(I'm not in any way connected to the shop, incidentally. Just passing on some link love in gratitude for her great tutorial.)

10 comments:

Emery said...

you have my word that we will stop procreating. :) darling stuff!

Margret said...

ooh, that baby sweater and baby are so cute!

Christie said...

We found a fun children's book at the library you and your boys might enjoy called Weaving the Rainbow by George Ella Lyon. It reminded me of you.

bjahlstrom said...

That sweater is so, so beautiful!

Erin said...

It wouldn't have occurred to me to unravel an old sweater to use the yarn. aren't you a clever girl! the baby sweater you made is beautiful and looks perfect on that precious little baby!

Courtney said...

Wow, this is my first visit to your blog, and I *love* the little baby sweater! I've done a little "yarn harvesting," but I've let it slide lately. Inspiring!

Did you make up the pattern yourself? Or did you find it somewhere?

Lise said...

That baby sweater is fabulous! What a beautiful transformation.

Angie said...

Ack! That baby sweater is to die for! I love the tie in front. So chic.

Alison said...

Ah! I had no idea Gigi was helping save the planet while being fashionable!

THANKS!

xoxo

Steph said...

testing. 1,2,3...