Diannalynn at Dielle Designs emailed in the following tip:
I love making things by sewing, knitting, crocheting, etc. Yarn and fabric can be very expensive though, especially if you want nice quality, natural fibers.
I like to shop at thrift stores for wool sweaters or skirts of nice fabric. Then, I take apart the clothing for fabric and I unravel the sweaters for the yarn. I’m often able to get probably eight skeins of yarn (that would cost me $10 each at the yarn shop) out of a sweater that was $6 at Goodwill. And if I’m lucky and catch a sale, I get it for about $3.
I did that last week, and for less than $15, I got five sweaters of gorgeous 100% lamb’s wool, which would easily have cost me well over a couple hundred dollars if I’d bought the yarn new in a yarn shop. -Diannalynn
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i would love to see a picture of this…the unraveling part i mean…it sounds hard i would have it a mess i am sure!
This is a great idea. I love knitting and crochet, and it is definitely expensive for some of the yarn. I also saw a tutorial on how to make yarn from old t-shirts. I love all these great ideas for crafts.
Maybe this is a stupid question, but how do you unravel a sweater? Is wool the only one you can do this?
What an amazing idea! Especially if you could then turn around and sell your items on Etsy! I’m so inspired to go through some of my old sweaters, too. Great post!
I’ve read about this and always mean to look while I’m thrifting but usually forget. I think I remember a tip about looking at the seams to make sure the sweater was knit instead of sewn together. Am I right on this? Just checking thanks for the reminder too!
I am almost positive you are right. It needs to be knitted together for it unravel right I think. I used to do this but it’s been awhile since I even set foot in a thrift store for sweaters.
WOW – I wish I had the time to do that!
Definitely look this up online. There are a few tutorials. The biggest thing to remember is that not all wool sweaters at the thrift store are knit out of one continuous piece of yarn. You have to look at the seams to determine if it is one piece or if it is hundreds of pieces that are knit and seamed together under the arms. The hundreds of pieces DO NOT work for unraveling.
How can you tell the difference?
Well, wool sticks together or felts if you lick your fingers and rub two pieces of yarn furiously together–kind of weird in the thrift store;). However, I’ve been known to do so. Also lots of sweaters have a fabric label inside;)
Here’s a tutorial–you need the right kind of sweater and the right kind of sweater construction or it won’t work.
http://www.handspunartyarn.com/p/how-to-unravel-sweater-to-recycle-yarn.html
Also after doing this for quite some time, I decided it’s not worth it to me for acrylic yarn. I only do this for nice wools (not scratchy wools). Acrylics are cheap enough that it’s not worth my time to do this
.
I’m a newer knitter, and this sounds great. I was wondering how you know where to start to unravel the yarn from sweaters in order to get the most usable lengths of yarn? Also,
There’s a group on ravelry.com that has a page dedicated to yarn “harvesting”: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/thrifty-knitters/pages/How-to-Recycle-Harvest-Yarn—Resources
Thank you!!
brilliant – that link told me all I need to know. Now to go raid my closet!!!!
It’s also good to pick up blankets.If you like the yarn but not the way it’s designed!!
Very clever!
Recycled yarn is my favorite material to work with! The colors are so much better too.
I share suggestions and a tutorial at
http://www.kaylaksthriftyways.com/re-purposed-sweaters-for-compact-friendly-crafting/
Great idea!!
My first thought (as someone who went to the first knitting class but didn’t make it back to the second and promptly forgot anything I had learned) was that a person could possibly sell the reclaimed wool after she unraveled it. There are probably people out there who would like the savings but don’t have the time to unravel wool themselves. It would be a good tv watching/riding in the car activity that could be turned into a small business also.
Yes people on Etsy do this:) There’s washing-skeining–measuring–if you want to sell it which is why I only do it for my own use;)
Yeah, I thought of that after I posted. “Someone is probably already doing this…”
O well – I will definately not be getting rich doing it! 
This is such a great tip! Thank you for sharing!! Now I have another reason to love shopping at thrift stores!
wow thats a great idea. Very clever.
I love all these creative ideas! I look at thrift stores for vintage sheets for sewing. I don’t really like to knit, but that’s a great idea for someone who does!
I love using recycled yarn for knitting; it is a great way to be creative for less. The yarn weakens after the second time through so you do have to be careful about
and breaks easier too. There are some great tutorials online for unraveling and washing that I would recommend checking out.
I am going to start doing this! Thanks
Now if I only knew how to knit… Any recommendations on great places to start? I bought a pair of needles, but quickly got intimidated and frustrated
Knittinghelp.com and Ravelry