After checking out every book on rag rug weaving that my county library owns (my favorites: Weaving Contemporary Rag Rugs and Rag Rug Handbook), I decided to finally attack the pile of old raggedy jeans in my closet.

I had been planning to repurpose the jeans in some way for awhile. Most of the jeans are the ones that I wore before my weight loss, with a few pairs from Kris with holes in the knees and pockets. At first I was thinking about a quilt, but I just have never gotten the real urge to try quilting… so, with my new fascination and love for weaving, I figured the jeans would be a great way to practice rag rug weaving! My used loom came with several rag shuttles, and after reading the aforementioned books, I think the process sounds like a lot of fun. So… I just shredded my jeans. Here’s how I did it

Gathering all of the jeans up, I determined that the best way to repurpose the fabric was to cut in continuous strips. I started the process by cutting off the hem of the jeans. Of course, the hem could be used, but I thought that the double layer of thickness would throw off the texture of the final project. *snip snip*

This process is tough on the hands – especially around the heavy seams, so take frequent breaks to stretch your hands, and expect a little soreness in the morning. Your best bet is to get some strong sharp scissors.

Because the pant legs are tubular, you are going to cut left to right, at a slight diagonal. This will help you maximize the fabric for your strips, and make it one continuous piece. When the cuff (hem) is cut off, make a cut next to the side seam, about 1″ or 4-5cm. From there, begin cutting on the diagonal.

Just like your old cut-off jean shorts, the strips are going to be a little raggedy. If you want a cleaner edge without the fray, it may be better to use some other kind of material for your rag base. I have a pile to t-shirts and old cotton “work” shirts” that are next in line for rag rug weaving.

As you work your way up around the pant leg, you can decide how far you want to go. I chose to go up to the hips, where the inseams meet between the legs, and where the back pockets were added. This still leave quite a bit of material – but it is harder to use – and to cut – because of all of the seams. If you want to use all of your scraps, you may look into some other denim crafts. I have seen some versions of pillows and even tote bags and purses that use jeans.

Each leg that I cut yielded a good amount of fabric. I did not count the yardage, but one pant leg made a nice ball! As I cut more, I had many cute little denim rag balls to play with…

Now comes the fun part. I need to choose an appropriate warping yarn. I am planning to use cotton, probably some of the Sinfonia mercerized cotton in the stash. Just need to measure it out and then put it on the loom… I am hoping that the cotton will be strong enough. I have had a few problems with broken warp threads lately… any tips from seasoned weavers out there?

I am hoping to have the same kind of success as Felicia had with her denim rag rug - although my strips are a little larger than hers. My loom should be strong enough to handle the heavy beating that is required to make rugs. (It handled the heavy beating of the weft-faced sampler I did…) I know the previous loom owner used it for rugs (hence the rag shuttles) so I am gonna give it a go!

Of course, rags can be used in a number of ways. Weaving is only one of the many (see the Worsted Witch post about rag weaving). There is a great rag rug in Mason-Dixon Knitting, and a number of ways you could use the recycled materials for knitting, crochet, or braiding. There are a number of helpful books on the subject too – full of ideas and inspirations to reuse and repurpose old, outgrown, or holey clothes.

Some resources:

• DIY Network’s Crochet Rag Rug
• Knit and Crochet Rag Potholders/Hot Pads
• “Rag Rug” article from 1871
• A tutorial about using cotton flat strips for rags

What can be more rewarding than making something new and functional out of something old and raggedy?

…and until I get that warp ready, I will just practice my juggling…

 

Every yarn tells a story – unfortunately I don’t know the full story of this yarn; neither the beginning, the middle, or the end – but I do know some of the important details.

A knitter fell in love with this beautiful tweed.

A detailed Fisherman’s sweater pattern was chosen.

Lovingly knit row after row.

Carefully crafted and wonderfully finished.

…

Scene: Value Village Thrift shop in Decatur, Alabama. Handknit sweater on the rack, stamped with a purple badge labeling it for $5.96.

…

Shopping with my family.

Seeing the sweater.

Doing a double take.

Purple tag = 50% off of regular price.

$2.98 for a men’s handknit sweater.

…

Unraveling with my sister over Thanksgiving break.

Dreaming of the possibilities.

Nearly 3000 yards to work with.

 

I will call this my Good Fortune Tweed.

 

We are in the home stretch of Socktoberfest 2007, and while I am still living in the moment and finishing up my own socks, I am thinking just a little about next month’s activities!

Shannon is hosting the second year of National Knit a Sweater Month (abbreviated to NaKniSweMo)! While I am not quite sure that I can beat last year’s personal best of TWO sweaters in one month, I am thinking about doing something a little out of the ordinary…

Recycling the wool of an Old Navy men’s sweater – bought at the thrift shop for repurposing the yarn. I only unraveled one of the sleeves, which will be more than enough for what I have planned.

Aftur from Lopi 25

I am planning to change the color scheme of the traditional Icelandic yoked pullover – not because I don’t like the original, but because I am making it work with the yarns in my stash!

The indigo blue in the back row will be the main color. The yarn is Botanical Shades, a small natural fibers/natural dye company that sold at Maryland Sheep and Wool festival in 2006. This particular yarn is a alpaca, wool, and mohair blend. The main yoke will use the Lite Lopi colors, paired with the one skein of the recycled wool. The yarns are all similar in gauge, and should yield a very nice sweater – I hope I can do it!

…and just in case I finish this pullover with some time to spare, I will have plenty of time to devote to the long-suffering Cabled Hoodie and the Aran Accent Vest.

 

 

The weekend went by entirely too quickly, but thankfully I have some nice memories of the events that occurred…

Kathy and I made plans in early November to meet up – once and for all. She and I have been blog friends for two years, and she lives only 20 miles north of me, but until this weekend, we had never met! We missed each other year after year at Maryland Sheep and Wool, and despite our best efforts, we also missed each other at this year's Stitches show. So, we resolved to set a definite place and time for a meeting, and it finally happened!

Kathy invited me to her Baltimore home on Saturday, and we chat, drank delicious tea, and even knit a bit for the entire afternoon! It was a wonderful time, and we hope that two years do not pass before it happens again!

As you may recall, Kathy was the leader of the Norovember knitalong. She has created some lovely Noro garments and accessories herself, and was even working on a beautiful scarf while we were chatting. She presented me with the lovely Noro Shinano yarn that I won during the Norovember contest. I am thrilled with this colorway, and thought it would make a great Edgar or a Wavy (like Caro's), and possibly some wristlets.

Thank you, Kathy!

Saturday's crafting involved scrapping things together… literally! I went through my stash, gathered up my leftovers, and samples from Yarn of the Month Club packets, and decided to make another version of the Rapunzel scarf (inspired by Anthropologie's Winter '05 collection – I guess I am behind the times?). I made version one for Project Spectrum March – a nice mix of pinks, and reds. Version two was not color specific, so I threw in ribbons, leftovers from finished objects, and samples of all colors. I love the results!

The tassels are long, unruly and kind of messy, but it is a fun and funky scarf, so it goes with that aesthetic.

Can you identify any of the yarns in the scarf? (click to see larger)

I measured the threads and leftovers to about 6.5 feet. The cutting and measuring took about one hour. I tied a huge knot in one end, and Kris held it while I made the big braid. The hardest part, just like braiding hair, is getting out the knots and the tangles. A wide toothed comb came in handy! Next time I do this, I will probably avoid the mohair leftovers, as they tend to tangle into everything else, and cause some problems. Word to the wise…

There are so many ways to use up your leftover yarns, and to recycle ribbons, embroidery floss, etc., It is like an oversized friendship bracelet! It also makes for a quick and unique gift. If you decide to make one too, let me know!

 

 

Beautiful yarn sitting in my closet – never again to be worn – simply gathering dust. There really was no other option.

Six months ago this was a near-perfect fit…  no so much anymore.

I finished this sweater right before I started my weight loss regimen in February. Now, it will not even stay on my shoulders, and hangs in a very unflattering way around my torso.  I have lost the majority of my weight on top – down three cup sizes, and several inches in my arms and ribcage – so there aren't many tops that fit anymore. Now to get some of that reduction in my hips…

No last rites – no swan song. 

Just some scissors and the trusty ballwinder. 

Yeah, it was a little liberating.  Kind of the whole creator/destroyer aspect; "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out of it!" Good news is that I now have some thousand yards of worsted weight alpaca/silk blend to do whatever I want.  The possibilities are endless! 

I was on a roll.  The fun did not stop there. 

I fell in love with the yarn, and the amazing color, and bought it all up at my LYS with my Christmas 2004 gift certificate.  The Tempting pattern called for this same yarn, and in my opinion, it was not a good match.  The yarn is too heavy for the sweater – even after one wear, the yarn begin to droop and sag, being pulled down by its own weight!  In retrospect, I should have used a cotton or a blend for this pattern.  As you can see, the sweater is a huge mess.  Ribbing is supposed to be slimming, no?  (There was a ribbon that was used to "cinch it" through the eyelet holes up top, but even that could not save this sweater, unfortunately).

While ripping this one out, I fell in love with the Cashmerino Aran all over again.  It is beautiful and soft, and while it does "fuzz" a little with wear, it is really a great yarn. The most important thing however, is finding a pattern to support it.  I actually got a crazy notion in my head… this Cashmerino would make a really nice Hourglass sweater…

 

I am happy with my decision to rip these sweaters.  Although they may not be knit up again anytime soon (who knows?) I am happier knowing that there are possibilities for them.  Plus, since I have not purchased any yarn for the last three months, it kind of feels like a stash enhancement!   

I will be meeting up with some friends at the yarn shop this afternoon for some knitting… wonder if I can keep the yarn diet strong… only one more week (officially) left!  We'll see what happens!