UP-CYCLING CROCHET (and knit)

Upcycling, repurposing, recycling – these are all no lose ideas. Anything we can reuse for a creative or practical purpose is a good thing. Here are some ideas I’ve run across recently.

Can you tell these were knitted caps? While these cuties are knitted, you can easily do the same thing with any crocheted cap:

pillows-0709

http://www.favecrafts.com/Unexpected-Ideas/Knit-Cap-Upcycled-Pillows

You’ve probably seen a necklace like this before. The trick here is to recycle your old (vintage or otherwise) buttons. You can also add in a few beads or charms if you have them on hand. I actually purchase garments at thrift stores JUST for their buttons.

http://www.stylehive.com/bookmark/Handmade-Jewelry-on-Etsy–Recycled-Crochet-Wooden-Necklace-and-Earring-Set-by-ljeans-656495

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I’ve always wanted to knit a mohair sweater. It just seems to me like the ultimate in comfort and a bit of luxury, and I would probably live in such a sweater all winter long if I had one.

Now might be the time to finally make my mohair sweater dreams a reality, thanks to the Summer Lotus Blouse, a free knitting pattern from Hobbii.

Don’t take the “summer” in the title too literally, because it’s worked with two strands of mohair held together, so while it will be super light weight it will also be plenty cozy to wear throughout the year.

The sweater is worked from the top down in stockinette stitch with I-cord edgings for a super clean look. It uses a larger than expected needle to keep it airy and light, which also speeds up the process.

One thing that’s cool about holding two strands of yarn together is that they don’t have to be the same color. These sweaters end up looking like they use a solid color but they’re actually worked with two different colors, which gives you so many more options. Pick two harmonious colors or shades of the same color, or go wild and pick two colors that are quite different and see what happens. You could also, of course, hold two strands of the same color if you like, but part of the fun of knitting with mohair is seeing how the colors play with each other.

This pattern is available in six sizes, ranging from an actual chest measurement of 30.3 to 44.1 inches, or 77 to 112 cm. It’s meant to be worn with about 2 inches/5 cm of negative ease, but you can choose a different size if you don’t want such a snug fit.

You can grab the pattern for free and check out all the yarn options at Hobbii.

[Photo: Hobbii]

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Have you read?