Unravel Thrift Store Sweaters

• 1). Find a suitable sweater at the thrift store, preferably one made from natural fibers. Do not select a wool sweater to unravel if the sweater has been felted. A felted sweater is a wool sweater that that has been washed and dried (the fibers will be shrunken). Look for sweaters with crocheted or stitched seams (not serged) for unraveling.
  
  
• 2). Snip the yarn at the bottom of a sleeve and begin unraveling the yarn. Use the seam ripper to pull the stitches out of the sweater. Keep the yarn in long lengths as much as possible and wind the yarn into a ball as you unravel. Continue unraveling the stitches up the entire sleeve until you reach the armpit. Use the scissors to cut seams along the armpit. Repeat with the other sleeve.
  
  
• 3). Unravel the front and back of the sweater from the bottom of the sweater to the neckline using the same techniques as the sleeves until the entire sweater is unraveled.
  
  
• 4). Fill the sink with warm water and add a generous squirt of dishwashing detergent. Swish the water around to activate the bubbles.
  
  
• 5). Add the yarn to the sink, pushing it down into the water. Soak the yarn for up to three hours in the soapy water. Rinse the yarn gently with tepid water to remove all traces of soap. It may take time to get all the soap from the yarn.
  
  
• 6). Place the rinsed yarn on a towel and roll the yarn up in the towel. Push on the rolled yarn through the towel to remove as much moisture from the yarn as possible.
  
  
• 7). Hang the yarn to dry on a shower rod or a closet rod, then wind the yarn into balls when it is completely dry.
  
  

Make Mittens From Thrift Store Sweaters

• 1). Look for sweaters made from colors and patterns you like.
  
  
• 2). Lay the sweater on a flat surface with the front of the sweater facing up. Cut along one side seam 1 inch inside the seam from the bottom edge to the top edge. Cut straight across the sweater just under the neckline and cut back down the other side seam to the bottom edge of the sweater. Repeat on the backside of the sweater. You now have two large knit pieces of fabric.
  
  
• 3). Use the large pieces to make simple items like mittens. Make a mitten pattern that is large enough for your hands out of paper.
  
  
• 4). Place the two sweater pieces on top of each other with right sides facing in. Cut around the pattern twice to create four mitten shapes. Keep the two mitten pairs together with right sides facing in.
  
  
• 5). Stitch around the outer edge of both mitten pairs with a 1/4-inch seam allowance to stitch the fabric together. Turn the mittens right-side out and hem the bottom edges loosely by hand if you desire.