anemone ([info]_anemone_) wrote in [info]trash_collector,
2007-02-23 18:51:00
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recycled sweater

this post is much overdue, since i started this reconstruction almost a year ago... but here it is finally, since i just mangaged to sew the buttons on last week.

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felted, fitted, reconstructed cardigan from a found men's pullover sweater.
with crocheted border from handdyed found wool and salvaged buttons.


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open
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as you can see there are a few moth holes... next step is to learn how to needle felt. i want to patch the holes with felted polka dots made from more of the roving i used to crochet the border with.
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

essentially it was wash and dry at high heat to shrink and felt it up, slice down the front to make it a cardigan, then blanket stitch the border, crochet the overlap, add buttons. I love it so.

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  • 11 comments

[info]anikay

February 24 2007, 00:40:13 UTC 5 years ago

*speechless*

[info]rikkibooberella

February 24 2007, 15:04:17 UTC 5 years ago

wow so beautiful... and the sweater is okay too ;) kisses

[info]rottenfruit

February 26 2007, 17:20:20 UTC 5 years ago

Very cool... I've been wondering how to reconstruct sweaters. When you wash it at really high heat, does it prevent unravelling?

[info]_anemone_

March 1 2007, 16:28:28 UTC 5 years ago

yup, with enough heat and hot water the knit turns into felt, which you can then cut freely without worrying that it will unravel. a good cheap trick for lazy sewers like me :)

[info]kittee

April 15 2008, 15:16:06 UTC 4 years ago

Hi there!
I found a link to your post from threadbanger. Your sweater is absolutely gorgeous! I need to figure out a way to do something similar without felting. I Love It!

xo
kittee

Anonymous

April 15 2008, 22:35:42 UTC 4 years ago

hi kittee, thanks for the props!
in terms of the felting step, it's not really that necessary. I felted mine because mostly because it was far too big for me, and felting it shrunk it down several sizes. as long as you zigzag or overlock and seam the edge you slice open, i wouldn't imagine that it would unravel... go for it!
also, i've moved my blogging activities over to wordpress now, so you can find me at www.freeplaycraft.wordpress.com
thanks for your comment, and happy crafting.
cheers!

[info]_anemone_

April 15 2008, 22:43:36 UTC 4 years ago

oops

forgot to sign in... so in case you didn't figure it out, that last comment was from me, anemone, aka anna, aka freeplaycraft, aka forgets-to-sign-in-girl.
thanks!

[info]14icedbear

April 22 2008, 17:46:55 UTC 4 years ago

saw a link to this somewhere, and it's a. just plain lovely and b. great idea fodder. thanks for posting it.

Anonymous

November 3 2011, 01:33:58 UTC 7 months ago

question about the construction

did you really cut it right down the center, and then pull the edge over to the side, or did you cut it more to one side? also, how did you get it to felt to the right size?

[info]_anemone_

November 3 2011, 17:26:27 UTC 7 months ago

Re: question about the construction

I felt the sweater first; to get the right size I just kept checking on it in the machine, between each cycle of wash, to see how it was coming along. When it looked about right, I stopped. Not exactly a precise science!
After it was felted, I cut the sweater asymmetrically. In fact the edge is not pulled over; the overlap for the buttons is formed by the crochet edge, not the original sweater part.

Anonymous

December 10 2011, 13:05:05 UTC 5 months ago

love your recycled sweater!

I so love this sweater! What a great idea! I have a suggestion about the moth holes. Leave them in and do a blanket stitch around the holes. I saw that in a book somewhere. Call it a design element!

beth
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