Re-Using Yarn in an Age of Too-Muchness

One benefit of my recent house move, was that it finally forced me to sort through my stockpile of no-longer-worn handknits. It was interesting to revisit items from as far back as a decade ago and take note of why I no longer wear each one. But the more pressing issue was: what to do with it all?

I divided the unworn handknits into 3 categories:
(1) to set aside for my daughter when she grows older,
(2) to give away to willing recipients, and
(3) to unravel and re-knit into other garments

Looking at one particular garment in category (3), I became inspired and immediately unravelled it.

I had purchased the yarn (Rowan Creative Linen) back in 2016, and made a loose colourblock pullover.

Unfortunately I discovered almost immediately that the colourblock aesthetic did not really suit me. The yarn however, felt wonderful. And so I wore it as a sort of beach sweater for several summers before my pregnancy, whilst planning to ‘someday’ reknit it.

And now, ‘someday’ had arrived!

As it happened, I was in the throes of designing the Seaside Disco T pattern, and wanted to experiment with a long-sleeve version. The yarn and colour scheme were perfect.

And so, a week later the 7 year old colourblock sweater was converted to a brand new striped one. One of my objectives (aside from making a sweater I would actually like this time, of course!) was to re-use as much of the yarn as possible. And I am happy to say that I succeeded, with barely a handful of scraps left over.

If you’ve noticed that the new sweater looks smaller than the old, you are not wrong: I changed the gauge from the original 16 stitches per 10cm to a tighter 18 stitches per 10cm, and kept the same stitch count. The result is a more form-fitting (but still roomy) fit than the original, and a denser fabric. You can see in the old sweater photo, that the white part is nearly transparent, so my original gauge was really too loose.

I do not have any photos of myself wearing this sweater yet, but here it is on Alex (who is several sizes larger than me on top, so on me the fit is quite a bit roomier). But you get the idea of the general shape and vibe of the long-sleeve Seaside Disco T.

The yarn, after washing, feels crisp and does not look at all 'used.’ I love this top and know that I’ll get lots of wear out of it in this second iteration, which makes me very happy!

Interestingly, when I showed this project to several knitting friends, they had the same unexpected-to-me reaction:

Basically… Why??

As a handknits designer, my studio is coming down with yarn that I will never have a chance to knit with in my lifetime. Why instead, did I chose to re-knit an old garment? was it some sort of statement?

The question put me on the defensive a bit, but I had to admit it was logical. So I gave it some thought, and came up with two explanations.

Firstly, I believe it’s a cultural thing. Being from an Eastern and Central European background, re-knitting unworn garments into new ones is sort of the ‘done thing.’ And I don’t think the tradition of doing this stems solely from historical poverty in that region (as I’ve heard someone suggest on a podcast once); at least not just from that. There is a distinct satisfaction to be had from ‘reincarnating’ a garment, and in the culture in which I was taught to knit this was valued and romanticised. I distinctly remember an aunt showing me photos, taken years apart, of vastly different outfits re-made out of the same yarn! There is value and an interestingness in making a yarn live to its fullest, in giving it new identities and adventures, in incorporating it into numerous stages of ones life.

There is also the fact that I genuinely love the specific yarn the original colourblock sweater was knitted with. And I am actually quite boring, in the sense that once I find yarns I like I prefer to knit with them over and over again rather than experimenting with new unknown ones. While Rowan Creative Linen is still being produced, the lilac has long been discontinued. So it was a simple matter of wanting the yarn!

In an age of too-muchness, there is, admittedly, something I find comforting about turning ‘inward’ and re-using a favourite yarn, rather than always reaching for something new. When I wear this sweater, I will also be wearing its history. And to me that adds another layer of enjoyment to an already enjoyable garment.