Oh I love this, and am following with interest. As a fellow designer I was just contemplating a few large samples the other day with the same curious eye. I never wear/use them and they've definitely served their purpose in terms of product photography. You've definitely given me something to think about here.
I just hate waste of any kind whether it's food, yarn or furniture. I love buying new yarn, but I'm now very mindful of what I buy and whether I will actually wear the design after I've taken the pictures. And if I don't wear it, I'll do the same again until I can only stuff cushions with it!
Loved that you posted about this Suzanne! I remember a women's magazine article some years ago showing how to create leg warmers and a tube top from a cashmere sweater! Reusing yarn from garments is the ultimate re-cycling project! It never hurts to let local 2nd hand stores know that you would be interested in their discards. Every day they remove items that have stains or tears. Many such items can be used for any number of craft projects. It is always a good idea to gently wash the item first. When it comes to retrieving yarn from knit or crochet items, look for ones that do not have serged seams. This allows for the unraveling of continuous strands of yarn. Consider fiber contents that may blend together with other yarn that you have on hand. Not a bad idea to make a note of the stitch and row count before you start unraveling. And once you have a row of loose stitches, try your knitting needles in them to see what size needle will likely work best. Honestly there is some great yarn out there for the picking! And yes, I am talking everything from Irish hand knits to Loro Piana cashmeres with a hole in the collar.
I try to stash minimally and leftovers bothers me. I have never thought of doing anything else with the design samples but give them away after some time. Thank you for sharing this.
If i ever get through my yarn stash, I will start unravelling. Right now I am trying to use up some oddball dk-ish leftovers for a house shawl.
Oh that sounds fun. I love working on oddball projects!
Oh I love this, and am following with interest. As a fellow designer I was just contemplating a few large samples the other day with the same curious eye. I never wear/use them and they've definitely served their purpose in terms of product photography. You've definitely given me something to think about here.
I just hate waste of any kind whether it's food, yarn or furniture. I love buying new yarn, but I'm now very mindful of what I buy and whether I will actually wear the design after I've taken the pictures. And if I don't wear it, I'll do the same again until I can only stuff cushions with it!
Loved that you posted about this Suzanne! I remember a women's magazine article some years ago showing how to create leg warmers and a tube top from a cashmere sweater! Reusing yarn from garments is the ultimate re-cycling project! It never hurts to let local 2nd hand stores know that you would be interested in their discards. Every day they remove items that have stains or tears. Many such items can be used for any number of craft projects. It is always a good idea to gently wash the item first. When it comes to retrieving yarn from knit or crochet items, look for ones that do not have serged seams. This allows for the unraveling of continuous strands of yarn. Consider fiber contents that may blend together with other yarn that you have on hand. Not a bad idea to make a note of the stitch and row count before you start unraveling. And once you have a row of loose stitches, try your knitting needles in them to see what size needle will likely work best. Honestly there is some great yarn out there for the picking! And yes, I am talking everything from Irish hand knits to Loro Piana cashmeres with a hole in the collar.
I try to stash minimally and leftovers bothers me. I have never thought of doing anything else with the design samples but give them away after some time. Thank you for sharing this.