Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

debbie@186 — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:26:53 GMT

great idea-gotta give it a go

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

Fliss — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:57:21 GMT

Brilliant, brilliant! Thank you so much for making that available. I am totally inspired by it . Stand by, old clothes, a future awaits you!

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

booksnob — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:28:16 GMT

On the teashirt hookup did you do a half hitch knot? I didn't quite get it?

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

peggy roalf — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:22:52 GMT

Please stop sending reader responses, one by one, to my email address!!! this is incredibly thoughtless.

If I choose to read ideas sent in for recycling stuff, i'll go to the blog and read it by choice.

You are causing me unnecessary work to delete this junk. If it doesn't stop not only will I unsubscribe to KD, I'll send back invoice for new subscription to IK marked Cancel.

peggyroalf@ymail.com

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

peggy roalf — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 14:21:31 GMT

Please stop sending reader responses, one by one, to my email address!!! this is incredibly thoughtless.

If I choose to read ideas sent in for recycling stuff, i'll go to the blog and read it by choice.

You are causing me unnecessary work to delete this junk. If it doesn't stop not only will I unsubscribe to KD, I'll send back invoice for new subscription to IK marked Cancel

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

knitnzu — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 21:37:49 GMT

Marilyn, have you ever seen a goodwill distribution center? They get far more clothes than they can possibly sell in their stores, even in our tiny capital city of 20,000 people. These clothes get compressed and bailed up to be used as rags and for distribution overseas.

The goodwill is a great thing, as you say, offers jobs, education, etc. But for people who most need clothes cheap, there are often free alternatives where you can donate your good, used clothing. One of the churches in my city does so, and the clothes are free to those who come in for them. I know in larger cities there are many such places.

What I wish people would do, though, is to only donate clothes in good shape... no stains, no holes, etc. Even more so when one is donating to something like an overseas orphanage or a free clothing center.

I think that anybody has a right to shop at a goodwill, and I wish more people would. Buying used clothing cuts down so much on resource waste and pollution. No matter what you want to do with the clothes... I often look to the largest garments for fabric to be repurposed. And since I'm tall and have trouble with new clothes shrinking, I like that most of what I get used has already been shrunk.

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

Kathleen Cubley — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:59:58 GMT

Hi MarilynB: I'm absolutely not encouraging people not to donate to Goodwill. In fact, the jammie pants I'm repurposing had holes in them and were going into the trash.

I support Goodwill and other charities all year long through donations, and Earth Day is a great day to do that, too—it encourages the reuse, repurpose, recycle idea!

Thanks,

Kathleen

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

MarilynB in OK — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:04:10 GMT

I find it appalling to encourage someone who is going to donate an item to Goodwill to NOT do so and to instead cut it up to reuse. There are so many people in this country who depend on Goodwill for jobs, and the use of inexpensive items that are sold there to wear themselves or by their children. If the item you are donating is in such bad shape that it can't be worn then YES by al means cut it up to use the good parts. It should not be donated anyway. But PLEASE continue to support Goodwill and the good work that they do. So many people do depend on Goodwill.

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

Nemo15 — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:31:43 GMT

This last summer I had access to used plastic twine that is used to hold bales of hay together. I made a standard loop knot to tie the strands together. Using the largest metal crochet hook I could find worked well and created a heavy duty "fabric" that is excellent for outdoor mats and good for removing mud from the bottoms of boots before entering the house. It is very durable and rinses off with ease! My only complaint was that it is very rough on the hands and weighs much more than when working with jute or other similar materials.

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

NadeanY — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:48:25 GMT

What I do is take an old large sweater and cut the neck and arms off and then knit around the neck and make a cowl: round of the bottom then I crochet a small trim around the bottom edge.

I take the remainder of the sweater and felt it and the bottom of the cut sweater i make a hand bag, Knit or crochet around the top add a few beads and a handle. Have a great purse to match. the sleeves I save for free form pieces that will go into a coat. For a few dollars you can pick up a sweater at a goodwill store and use left over yarn and it costs very little to make and little time. For a Picture Look in the Yarne source archives and you can see it there. Nadean Young

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

JenniferA — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:36:37 GMT

This was a great video. I am motivated to try something beyond basic cotton like a quilter might use. I have a dress that I'll never get back into that might have great potential!

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

cccards — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:03:19 GMT

I think this is a great idea. I can just see my grandmother and great grandmother doing this! I'm sure this is how they got many of their yarns.

Carolyn

Ham Lake MN

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

knitnzu — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 10:43:39 GMT

I am planning a cashmere bathrobe for the long winters in Maine... out of repurposed thrift store sweaters. Almost have enough...

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

8fingerpro — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:07:05 GMT

Love the recycling idea! I first saw this idea used with plastic grocery bags. I crocheted a nice bech bag that's waterproof because it's made of plastic! People are constantly asking me what it's made of. It is remarkably tough.

as I worked with the bags, I son tired of tying strips together and figured out a nifty way to cut my bags in one long strip by making a spiral. The first couple were frustrating, but then I devised a shortcut. The same idea would work with the t-shirt! Fold the shirt into fourths the same way Maggie did, but don't cut the strips all the way to the edge. Stop them about an inch from one edge. (It will look kind of like a comb. Open out the fabric and snip the remaining cloth DIAGONALLY connecting each cut to the one above it. The reult will be one continuous strip of fabric requiring NO KNOTS. A fast way to get a great result!

Happy knitting!

--Wendy

re: Join Us for the Knitting Green Challenge!

Laurrie Sobie — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:17:31 GMT

Hi,

Interesting that you are doing this. I tried this for a fashion show several years ago with a beautiful rayon print. I bought all that was left on the bolt. Gorgeous prple with jade and black ansd some hot pink. I cut enough off for a skirt and cut the rest in strips, about 1" wide. I cut the strips 'diagonally and strengthened the 'yarn' with bright silk yarn I had used in some yardage I wove. It was a HIT!

Currently, a friend is using up her quilting fabric to knit - handbags. They are wonderful. Nothing is NEW, is it? About the 'jean' ball of yarn - it is MUCH harder to knit as it is heavy and 'drags' as you knit it. Braiding might work better.

I am going to coerce Barbara Kelcey, the handbag knitter into sending yoiu photos. Happy stitching. Laurrie Sobie, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.