Recycled Yarn, Partway through the Process, Now what?

#1

Here are some pics of my silk yarn that I am trying to recycle from a sweater. As you can see, it is quite kinky. I unravelled and put them in balls (as best as I could without a ball winder). Now what? Wash them? Try to knit with them as kinky yarn (might look interesting). Can I even wash silk? The sweater didn’t have the care instructions.

#2

Sorry, I have no answer to your question, but I had to respond! Those are the craziest looking balls of yarn I’ve ever seen! :roflhard: I’ve never tried to recycle, but it’s a good idea.

#3

I know, huh? It’s silk, so I just had to try and reuse it. But it is SUPER kinky! In a way, I almost want to try and knit with it as is, in case it turns out to be funky cool. But I wanted to make a sweater with it that was lacy, so the kinks won’t work for that. :happydance:

#4

Here’s what you need to do: Put them into hanks/skeins (by using a swift or the back of a chair). Tie it in several places (I like four.). Then wash them in tepid water with mild soap (wool wash or mild shampoo). Squeeze out extra water. Then hang up in a location where they can dry – outside on a line, over your shower nozzle, on a hanger in the bathroom, what have you. The washing coupled with the weight of being hung vertically will help them dry quickly and will help work out the kinkiness. :slight_smile:

(Yes, you can hand wash all silk.) HTH!

#5

My kitchen table has one side that is exactly three feet long. What I do, is wrap the yarn around that to make a hank. Do you have a 3 foot table? or a door? Or someone that can hold their hands 3 feet apart? I say 3 feet cuz most yarns are measured in yards and when you twist the yarn in 3 feet increments it makes a perfect twist into a hank. Before you twist it into a hank though, wash it. Don’t agitate it thou cuz it will felt. Just kinda swish it a little bit. Let it soak for about 15-20 minutes. Then rinse and when you dry it, wring it out ina towel so it won’t hurt the yarn. Then Hang one end on a hanger and take another hanger and put the hanging part on the bottom of the hank so it will pull it a little. Sometimes for super curly stuff I put somehting on the hanger to pullit down a little like a small towel or shirt or soehting. Hang it in the shower so it will drip in the tub. It should take all say to dry. Then voila, you got clean unkinky yarn.

#6

DOH! Irishbaby just posted the smae thing I did only more succinctly. Oh well…

#7

since it seems like the problem is solved, I don’t feel bad about :roflhard: ing at the “kinky balls” in your picture… or the fact that the kinky balls look like my husband’s favorite part of the female body… :slight_smile:

#8

OMIGODDESS I didn’t even see the kinky balls!!! Yeah Hildy for coming through once again down that lovely path :roflhard: :roflhard: :roflhard:

#9

I would recommend using a light weight to stretch out the yarn just a bit while it’s drying. Some people will use a beanie baby. Just hang the yarn over your shower rod in the bathroom, and let the beanie baby dangle at the bottom of the hank.

This helps to pull out the kinks. Otherwise, without the weight, the yarn will still kink up when drying.