DIY Shredded Knit Sweater

Just as distressing made worn-out jeans fashionable, the shredded look has popularized sweaters with rips and runs. This poor-student look is actually quite expensive to pull off if you buy it in clothing stores, but frugal fashionistas can create the look for a lot less. Search thrift shops to find a flat-knit sweater or check your drawers for a forgotten sample. You can transform a sweater from dull to fashionable in about an hour.

Things You'll Need

• Flat-knit sweater
• Seam ripper or thread clipper

Instructions

1. Snip one strand of yarn with scissors where you want a bottom edge of the shred to begin. Make this cut in the main body of the sweater. Pull one end of the strand sideways and unravel it, making sure you are always pulling the same thread in the same row. Stop pulling when the cut is as wide as your desired shredded area.

2. Stretch out the clipped area until it resembles a round hole. Grasp the yarn on the upper half of the hole and pull it down. The strand will unravel from the knitting directly above the hole, leaving a crinkled strand going across the hole.

3. Pull down the next strand above the first one you unraveled. This will unravel right behind the first one, beginning to create a row of crinkled strands of yarn.

4. Unravel more strands of yarn until the shredded area is as large as you desire.

5. Grasp the two loose ends of yarn from the sides of the original slit and tie them together. This will help keep your sweater from unraveling further.

6. Make one or two more shredded areas over the area of the sweater front. Keep the shreds in the main body of the knit and away from the cuffs and neckline.

Tips & Warnings

• Hand-wash your shredded sweater to keep it in shape and prevent further unraveling.