How to Recycle a Wool Sweater Into a Collar or Scarf

If you have an old sweater that no longer fits or is the wrong color, felt it to give it new life as a scarf.

When most people think recycling, they think of aluminum cans, plastic bottles or paper. There is another option for recycling--recycling old wool sweaters that don't fit, have holes or are simply not fashionable anymore. The easiest method of all for recycling an old wool sweater is to felt it and then cut it into shape. Once you've felted the sweater, the knitting won't unravel, the fabric will become solid, and the creative possibilities are endless.

Things You'll Need

• Wool sweater
• Scissors
• Clothes washer
• Clothes dryer (optional)
• Detergent
• Several heavy clothing items such as jeans or corduroy pants
• Pin or buttons
• Thread and needle or sewing machine

Instructions

1. Cut the sweater apart at the seams. If you want to make a longer scarf, leave the sleeves attached to the back of the sweater in one piece--cut the sleeves down the center or along a seam that runs down the side and away from the front of the sweater.

2. Put the pieces of the sweater into your washing machine along with detergent and your heavy clothing items. Wash on the hottest setting with high agitation. Check the pieces when the machine is done and see if they have become solid fabric--felt. If you can still see knit stitches or if you simply feel the fabric could be tighter, repeat the wash. When they're fully felted, you can either dry them in the dryer on high heat or lay them flat to dry.

3. Cut the felt into pieces, depending on what you want to make. For a short scarf that fits close to your neck, measure your neck and cut a band of wool that is 2 inches longer than your neck measure and about 3 or 4 inches wide. Wrap it around your neck and pin it with a brooch. Alternately, you can cut button holes along one end and sew buttons on the other for a button-down collar.

4. Make a long scarf using the arms of your sweater. Cut across the back of the sweater under the arms, making a long strip of felt. Trim the sides to make the sides straight. You can use a thread and needle to do a mattress stitch along the sides for decoration or embroider on the scarf.

5. Make a patchwork scarf by felting several sweaters, cutting them into shapes--squares, rectangles, circles, or whatever shapes you prefer--and then sewing them together with needle and thread or on a sewing machine. You can leave gaps between the shapes to give your scarf a lacy appearance.

References

• Crafting A Green World: Felt Your Sweater! A Felted Wool Tutorial: Julie Finn: Feb 17, 2009
• Thread Banger: Lee Meredith October 10, 2008 ThreadBanger Weekly DIY Roundup: Felted Sweater Wool Projects!: Lee Meredith: Oct 10, 2008
• The Green Phonebooth: Recycled Sweaters: Wool Felt Projects: Sep 24, 2009