From the page: A sock with a hole still has thread in this story
Idea 2
Knitting or crochet with the unraveled yarn
Unraveling knitted pieces to reuse the yarn is an old domestic economy practice: when a sweater shrank or wore out, it went back to being a ball of yarn. It works because knitting is a single continuous thread — pulling the right end, the piece comes apart stitch by stitch, and the yarn regains its shape when wound and rested.
What you need
- Knitted or crocheted socks (works best with wool or cotton; very worn-out knits don't yield much)
- Scissors
- A knitting needle or crochet hook compatible with the yarn thickness
- A broom handle or the back of a chair to wind the yarn around
- Water and a small weight (a can, for example)
How to make it
-
1
Carefully cut the toe seam and the hem, identifying the end of the yarn — knitting comes apart in the opposite direction from how it was made.
-
2
Pull the end of the yarn slowly, undoing it stitch by stitch and winding it into a loose ball as you go; if it catches, look for the loop holding the stitch instead of pulling hard.
-
3
Wind the yarn into large skeins around the broom handle or the back of the chair, without tightening, so it can breathe.
-
4
Tie the skein in two or three places with loose bits of yarn and soak it briefly in warm water; the water makes the yarn "forget" the waves of the old stitches.
-
5
Hang the skein with a small weight and let it dry for a day — the yarn becomes smooth and ready for a new piece.
Finishing touches
Combine yarns from similar socks to create a heathered skein and knit a new beanie or pair of gloves. Synthetic blend yarns yield less, so test by unraveling a hand's length before investing time in the whole piece.
This is one of the ideas from the full page — see all the possibilities.
This page feeds the collective knowledge 🌱 — every discovery makes the next answer better.