Knitting Help - Reusing Yarn
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2012
- Ready to unravel? Here is how to prepare used yarn and get it ready to knit again. Note - this process works for both animal fibers (wool, alpaca, etc) and cellulose fibers (cotton, linen, etc.). You may get different results with synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers vary in the way they react, so the only way to know for sure is to try this technique on a small sample.
Information on things you'll see in this video:
The sweater I'm wearing is my Ombre Dyed Sweater, pattern + video tutorial:
verypink.com/2012/07/18/ombre-...
The sweater on the mannequin is my Zasio Sweater Coat, pattern + video tutorial:
verypink.com/2012/08/29/zasio-...
Quality ball winders and swifts at good prices are available through Knit Picks. (Knit Picks is in the US, and I don't believe they ship internationally. Sorry - I don't know of a similar online yarn shop that ships worldwide.)
www.knitpicks.com/cfSearch/Sea...
My nail color is by OPI, called "Every Month is Oktoberfest".
The yarn I'm working with is Rowan Magpie Aran, color name "Tranquil". (I do not believe that Rowan is making this yarn anymore.) - Навчання та стиль
I'm always looking for sweaters in thrift shops that I can unravel and reuse. I found one that wasn't my style at all for 50 cents, but it was a beautiful, bright yellow. When I started unraveling it I realized it wasn't spun at all! I don't know how it was even possible to have knitted it at all. The good news is I now know how to spin 😍
do you ever use scissors to cut your yarn?? you must have ungodly hand strength.
Them knitting muscles!
I think I saw a brief Hulk transformation before she broke the yarn
What an unbelievable coincidence! Literally just this afternoon I ripped out two entire sweaters and wound all the yarn in super tight little balls (crampy fingers - no ball winder! 😭) because I thought that was the only way to sort of straighten the yarn out. And just now I stumbled across this video, I had no idea this was possible! I'm going to do this right away tomorrow. Thank you so much! 😃
Thank you so much for this video. I had put a cardigan on timeout because I didn't like the fabric density but couldn't face unraveling it by hand. I would never have thought of unravelling it onto my ball winder, which made the whole task so much easier. I then went from my ball winder to my swift (a fabulous wooden swift but now I wish it had a crank handle on top!) and from there into a gentle bath. I let it dry and reversed the process so now I have beautiful cakes of yarn ready to swatch on larger needles. Thank you!
I don't yet have a video on the afterthought heel, but you're not the first person to ask for it, so I'm sure I'll do one before long. Thank you for the suggestion (and the compliment on my sweater)!
Thanks Staci for yet another super informative video!! I absolutely love all of your video's and they are pretty much the first ones I go to whenever I need answers.
Doing this tomorrow! I attempted joining curly yarn to already knit smooth yarn and it's sooooo obvious. So ripping back and doing this process. It's for a simple scarf that has been one thing after another to get it to do what I want. But when it's done, I think it will be amazing. It's just the getting there has been a real challenge. lol
I don't know what was more enjoyable, learning what to do with recycled yarn or watching you have so much fun lol I actually giggled watching you ! Luv your Videos
Olivia Mendelson - (you have your UA-cam Google+ settings as such that I can't reply to you directly, hopefully you'll see this reply.) Yes, you can stretch out the yarn with this technique, especially a delicate yarn like 100% alpaca. You will want to re-swatch and check your gauge once the yarn is dry, and be careful with combining new yarn with recycled yarn in the same project. With sturdier yarns like wool and cotton or blends, I've never seen this technique change the yarn any more than normal washing and blocking will do.
Thank you, after last night’s debacle I very much needed this. The rest of my sweater will be easier now 😁 I love your cardigan!
I see what you're asking - when the yarn is wet, can you put it back on the swift and let it dry there? I don't recommend that...First, it's better to let the air hit it from all sides when it's hanging, and you can readjust it as it dries to let all strands get exposure to the air. Second, you really don't want any stretching on the yarn when it's wet, because it will dry that way. If you knit with stretched yarn, it will go back to it's original unstretched state the next time it's washed!
I can remember helping my grandmother and mother reuse wool but we didn't have any gadgets to help us. The unravelled wool would be wound around outstretched hands or the back of a chair. It was then washed and dried as you said. then it would be rewound from outstretched hands or back of a chair again. This resulted in lots of aching arms but lots of reusable wool.
Wow it’s been 9 years and I’m still watching your vids Stacy !
Thank you! I'm glad to see you're using the CC - it's extra work for me to type out the whole transcript, but I'm happy to do it if it's being used. :)
Thanks for this video! I’m planning to unravel 2 of my sweaters and knit them again...
It is so much fun to watch it unravel!
Thank you for this video! I had frogged a sock to re use the yarn and it was badly kinked. I tried using it with the kinks and I could tell it didn't look as nice with the the kinks. I submerged the yarn in only slightly warm water (I didn't add wool lite) for one or two minutes. I kept pushing the yarn down in the water. Within one to two minutes the kinks were gone! I just caked the yarn and now I can use it for the bee keeper's quilt! I didn't soak the yarn for 30 minutes. I only did it for 1-2 minutes.
Excellent demo Staci.
OMG thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for! So good 👍
As usual, a very helpful tutorial, thanks
Thank you. Your video was very helpful and handy.
Yaaay waited all week for a new video and its finally here !!!! LOL thanks for posting :-)
I use a niddy noddy for making hanks, but I love the idea of using a ball winder.
I LOVE this video! Thank you, Staci!
Loved this video-such an inspiration. I bought a yarn winder because of it and it's fab. What happens to all the great hats? Loved your Aran sweaters. I'm Scottish and as a typical celt love knitting.
As usual, excellent help! Love your videos and website. I have a ball winder and a swift but I am abandoning a shrug project which, unfortunately, was knitted with mohair. I can't unwind it without great difficulty and probably damage to the yarn. Any tips to help me get it to the winder? Lady at yarn shop said put it in a plastic bag then to the freezer overnight. Wanted to check with you first. Many thanks.
I'm going to give this a try, thank you!
Another great tip Staci.
Thanks.
Camilla
I could wind cakes all day, it's mesmerizing ;-)
very useful and practical. thanks for sharing
Thank you. Just what i needed.
If you're washing wool, I recommend a good wool wash. Soak and Eucalan are my favorites, mainly because they are high-quality, do not require rinsing, and leave no residue.
If you want to reuse yarn that is full of kinks, it's a good idea to smooth it out (using this technique) before you use it again. Knitting with kinked yarn will result in really uneven stitches, and work that doesn't look nearly as neat as it should. Good luck!
Sorry - I don't understand your question. When you're putting the yarn (the hank) on the umbrella swift, there is nothing on the winder yet. The yarn comes off the umbrella swift to the winder, to create the cake of yarn.
could you not leave it "stretched" on the swift to let it dry??? provided there are not too many layers
thanks for the advice
I want that ball winder!!!
Hello! I love your videos. I feel like I know you as you've helped me so much!! BIG QUESTION: I'm still a fairly new knitter. I knit a sweater out of wool. It is way,way too big. I would rather frog it than not wear it because it is so ill-fitting. I need a tip where to start unraveling a hand knit sweater. It was top down on circular needles, so I don't have side seams. thank you.
No - I actually recommend that the scrap yarn you use to tie the hank is a different yarn, and in a different color. Eventually you'll be cutting it away, and you want to be able to easily distinguish it from the main color of yarn.
lol the smile unwinding!
I love your video's. I'm a newish knitter and they have helped me to explore new techniques and troubleshoot problems. I was just wondering what the difference is between using the yarn as is vrs. straightening it. Is it just easier to use or is there a more important reason?
Hey, you're wearing the sweater you dyed. BEAUTIFUL RESULTS.
Will you or have you done after thought heels?
Staci, this is perfect. Thank you! I have just frogged my very first item (a sweater that turned out gigantic). I want to re-knit the sweater so that it fits. This tutorial is great. Just one question - I've heard that it's not a good idea to dry the yarn outside in the sun. Not sure why - the possibility of fading or felting maybe? If it's okay to do, I would prefer to dry my hanks outside. Do you only leave them out for a certain period of time?
Hi Staci, thank you so much for all of your videos. You've really helped me get back into knitting! I just ave one question about the wool wash you mention: is it a specific type, or will any gentle (hand wash) detergent do? Thanks again xx
Wonderful. Thanks!
I need to get a ball winder.....
That was my first thought!
Do you have a video on how to make a yarn ball by hand?
Hmm...I've never heard of any problems with leaving your yarn to dry outside, other than squirrels running off with it! I leave it out there just long enough to dry, checking on it and readjusting it every now and then. I know plenty of yarn dyers that dry their yarn in the sun, too...I don't think it's really problematic.
is there any possibility that this could stretch out the yarn and/or change its properties? i am thinking of doing this with 100% merino. do you think it will work?
I'm guessing you don't like working from sock blanks.😊
Okay, cool. I'll dry mine outside then. Thanks for the info!
How can you tell the cast on row of pieces of unseen yarn?
I knit a shawl I don't like cuz too short, which end do I use to unravel? The cast on or the bind off end?
After soaking the yarn in wool wash, should I rinse it before rolling it in the towel and then drying?
Does the scrap yarn have to be the same type as the hank?
It is cool!
great info
I love your videos. :)
I'm s it the same with wool that has sequins
Thank you for the demonstration. I have pulled out part of a sweater that I didn’t
Ike the fit for. Unfortunately I have ended up with a lot of small pieces that I have to splice together. I do have two skeins of this yarn that I didn’t use initially. My question is should I soak the unused yarn so that it is the same as the yarn that has already been knitted up? Look forward to hearing from you. Judy
You will want to get the kinks out of the yarn before you knit with it...that means you can wash it and let it dry, or you might be able to steam the kinks out.
Do you have a tutorial for the stick
I read in a vintage knitting book that an alternative is to steam in a steamer basket over a saucepan of simmering water. I have only used your method ,and wondered if the steaming option would damage the yarn? The book was written before synthetic and would have talked only about 100% wool. What do you think ?
Does that also work with acrylic yarns??
Will this work for acrylic and cotton yarns too?
Does this process apply to cotton and bamboo yarns?
Thank you
Thank you.
Shouldn't you keep the Cake on the winder while you put it on the umbrella?
that still leaves the wrinkles. I do it a bit diiferent. I undo the wool and wind it around a bit of hardboard. Then I press my wool under a wet tea towel with a steam iron. I tried to do the washing method but find it does not work as well. I am using some now for a cardigan. great when one goes to an opp shop and find some garments to undo which is what I di. I got 800 gram of woll for $10.00
Hello Staci, I'm thinking that you could skip a few steps by just washing the (unwanted) knitted item as you have described and then, while still relatively damp, wind it onto the ball winder. You may have to let it sit (dry) for a longer amount of time, but with the action of winding, it would already be kink free when dry thereby eliminating the swiffer step. What do you think?
In theory, yes - this would work. But you run the risk of stretching your yarn if you mess with it too much when it's wet, especially winding it on a ball winder when it's wet. Also, you'd run the risk of mildew if you set it out to dry while wound into a cake. But I suppose you could skip some steps if you're using a very sturdy yarn (like cotton), and you wound it into very small cakes while it's wet.
hi very pink knits, I have a question, when I knit with the magic loop,and I am knitting the first half of the round, the other half is on the cable, those stitches become tight, when I come to knit them, I can't slide them on the needle, what am I doing wrong,and if I knit loosely there is a big gap. please help, would really appreciate it, thanks.
+Kuriyez Islam - here is my video on simple magic loop, it should help:
ua-cam.com/video/1mqIqRdJc68/v-deo.html
Hello Staci, I am so glad I found this video but I have a question for you. I have a wool Fisherman knit sweater that my Nana knit for my ex husband about 30 years ago. It's huge and will not fit anyone else in the family. Unfortunately she has long ago passed away. I would like to try and re-purpose the wool, I have recently taught myself to crochet and would like to reuse the yarn to make scarves for my son and grandson.( Probably enough yarn here for a few each.) Before I destroy a beautiful heirloom piece I would like some opinions on how successful you think I might be trying this technique on something this old. The sweater is clean and in good condition, I have kept it in a bag and away from anything that could damage it..
Elisa - I'm glad you asked! I don't recommend trying to reuse yarn that was knit up 30 years ago, especially wool. After time, wool felts a bit, making each stitch "stuck" to its surrounding stitches. I think you'd find that not only would it be very difficult to unravel, but the yarn would probably also break when you tried. Keep the heirloom knit by Nana as it is! Store it with moth repellent, and someone will eventually fit into it.
I'm curious as to why the kinks need to be washed out. Couldn't it just be wound into a ball and used with the kinks still in it? I messed up making your men's sweater(tension is to tight so it doesn't fit, oops), the body is finished and one sleeve is half done, I really don't look forward to unraveling it and going through the process of washing and winding, unraveling will already be enough of a chore.
You don't absolutely have to wash out the kinks, but the kinks can change your gauge and the look of the fabric if you don't. If you don't have much kinked yarn, you can steam out the kinks instead of washing the yarn:
ua-cam.com/video/Fqc0xGOI4bI/v-deo.html
I got tickled about rolling like a burrito. We know you're Texan, but that really sealed it. Are burritos universal?
I have some (old) yarn in skins, never knitted, but was lost in storage, and just found, very dusty! I thought I would put the skins in a laundry bag and put it in the dryer on air to remove the dust then wash after it was knitted, but after watching this video I was thinking maybe I should go ahead and put them in hanks, wash, then rewind. Any suggestions??
+Barbara Cobler - I think putting them in the dryer (not wet!) is a good idea to remove the dust. I wouldn't resort to washing the unknitted yarn unless the dryer doesn't work.
+VeryPink Knits thanks, that is what I'll do.
Thank you!!! The last thing I wanted to do was waste all my beautiful baby alpaca yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where do you buy the ball winder & Swift ?
Too cool! Thx u 😀🧶
I unraveled a sweater and followed your instructions to reclaim the yarn. The yarn is dry now but not straight. Should I soak it a second time?
A good soaking should take the kinks out of natural fibers...if you've used a natural fiber (like wool) a second soak should take care of it. If you've used a synthetic fiber, I can't really tell you what the results will be, there are so many variables with synthetics.
Fantastic. :)
hello, I don't have a swift what can I use in its place
+Tweety 1 - if you don't have a ball winder, you can just wind the yarn into a ball, by hand. If you don't have a swift, you can get someone to help you by holding their hands up to hold an unwound hank of yarn.
Hi Staci, I know you made this video almost 8 years ago, but I'm jut now seeing it as I have made so may swatches with this one yarn trying to get gauge, I'm worried I won't have enough for the actual project. My question is, must this be done on blocked swatches in order to reuse the yarn, or can you just reuse the yarn from the swatch? I think I know the answer, but I guess I'm just hoping.... LOL! Thanks! ~Pam
You're asking if you can reuse the yarn from blocked swatches? Well, the yarn can be reused, but it is possible that the yarn will knit up differently if you're using it in a project with knit and blocked AND unknit and unblocked yarns. Could change the look of the fabric.
Is there any success to be had from this method if you are trying to reclaim shetland wool yarn that has been made to a sweater and has been laundered and has minor felting? I'm devastated that my dream sweater is ruined and grasping at ideas for how to salvage what is the last run of some vintage sheep wool.
Unless the felting is so minor that you can unravel easily, I'm not sure you can salvage the yarn. You can, however, salvage the "fabric"...if it is felted enough, it can be cut and sewn into something else.
When you say, "Wool Wash" or "Wool Soap," are you referring to a brand, Woolite, or something else? Good video.
Woolite is a "gentle" soap, and not actually good for wool. Two brands that I like are Eucalan and Soak, although I'm sure there are others.
Hello~ Firstly, thank you for your wonderful videos and don't mind my bad English. I have watched lots of your videos and they helped me so much as I am a beginner. I normally don't leave comments (I'm so sorry), but this time I was so desperate and really need your advise. I start my first vest project. The pattern tells me to use needle 4.5cm and 4.0cm, smaller for ribbing and bigger for main part. However I did the opposite thing. I worked all the way up to the decreasing part for armholes, and I realized my terrible mistake. Now my work is shorter than it's supposed to be (35cm instead of 40cm) I'm working will 100% wool. The vest is stockinette stitch in both sides and cable pattern in the middle. What should I do now?
1) Reuse the yarn to knit from the beginning with right needles.
2) Change the pattern to fit with my work. (Knit for more 5cm before decreasing for armholes, use blocking to make it wider...)
Thank you so much for reading my question.
+Thu Bui - as long as the width of your vest isn't too tight, you should just be able to knit extra length to accommodate the smaller needles.
+VeryPink Knits thank you for your reply. The width is 48cm but it's suppose to be 54cm. Can I make up for the width with blocking?
+Thu Bui - that's impossible for me to answer, but you are using 100% wool, which means the fabric will relax with blocking. You can test it out by applying steam to your work-in-progress, and seeing how much "give" the fabric has.
+VeryPink Knits oh I didnt know that we can test with work-in-progress. Thank you so much for your time~ please keep on making wonderful videos ^^~
Couldn't you just wind it on a niddy noddy than a swift?
+lainey68 - yes, if you have a niddy noddy, that works, too.
Does this work on synthetics or blends?
Yes.
Is that acrylic? Because if it is you have hands of steel.
Nah - I can't snap acrylic yarn in my hands. It's just wool. :)
Iam from Algeria I used do this because yarn is very expensive, and there is no factory to made the yarn just nd of recycling
Thanks for answering so quickly. I have washed the yarn that I pulled out of the sweater and it came out great. I also have 2 skeins of yarn that I didn’t use in the sweater when I first knit it. Since the sweater and the used yarn has been washed, should I also wash the yarn that has never been used so that it is the same as the old yarn?
Yes - I would do whatever to the new skeins of yarn that you did to the used skeins of yarn so you're at the same starting point with each skein.
@@verypinkknits thank you. I really enjoy your videos. They are extremely helpful.
I have unkinked yarn with a clothes steamer- wearing rubber gloves to protect my hands.
Hey I am unable to unravel my cowl which has a combination of cable and moss stitches as easy as you are doing it. I am having to remove it in and out of loops. Is there something I am doing wrong ? Thanks for any help !
No - you probably aren't doing anything incorrectly. Some yarns are just "stickier", and don't unravel as easily as others.
Thanks . I started unraveling from the other end and it was easier although sticky like you said !
VeryPink Knits .herringbone stitch
I love yarn cake :)
I'm guessing she meant to pull the yarn from the cake, sitting on the winder, onto the umbrella - but you took the cake off the winder and then pulled the yarn from the inside of the cake, (beginning of ball) and not the outer yarn edge. Hope I haven't really confused everybody.....at least this is the way I read it, LOL!
Enfrancais
Noodle yarn
I mean stitch
Edit: it is 100% alpaca.
It look like a washing line lol
There’s an actress that this lady is the spitting image of, but I just can’t place it.
415hispfemale Kate Walsh possibly. I think so anyway.