Recycled Longies Questions

[Sophiasmomma]

After months I have finally gone to a thrift store.. Much to my disbelief thrift stores here are not cheap :LOL Wool sweaters all ranf rom 5-10 bucks a piece but I guess its still cheaper than buying new knit pants right?
I bought 2 lambswool sweaters 1 mens medium and 1 womens small(looks big though)

to felt or not to felt that is the question Im thinking no to felting since it will jsut be for daytime use but how do I get these suckers clean since god only knows where they came from :LOL

also one of the sweaters is natural color can I dye it w/ kool aid?

do you find elastic or draw string works better?

Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated

[Jes'sBeth]

I'd suggest LIGHTLY felting them, (like once through the washer & dryer on hot only) to make sure that you have a bit of stretch left. It makes them much easier to put on later. (I got that tip from Mickiswing... THANKS!) Felting also keeps them from unravelling when you cut. By the time you've thrown that sweater through the wash with a bit of detergent and then lanolized, it'll be clean.

I've used both elastic and draw strings. I like them both. elastic is a bit faster to get on, more of a pain to put in (I hate sewing with elastic...) drawstrings take more time to do up but you can get a really good fit everytime with them and they make for a more adjustable opening for future growth. You can always start with a drawstring and then switch to elastic if you don't like it.

Wool sweaters aren't cheap here either... $5-$7 each. BUT, you should be able to get a pair of longies and a butt sweater out of each and have left over material for applique. You might be able to get 2 butt sweaters out of a large sweater and a pair of longies. Even so, $5 for a pair of custom made longies... not bad. $5 for 2 wool covers, great. $5 for 3 covers, and you have to laugh maniacally about the money you're saving :LOL

of course you can kool-aid dye it!
Have fun!

[Mickiswing]

I habe to agree with everything Jes'sBeth said With most of my sweaters I felt them, unless they're really thick already. Just run them through the wash once on hot, spin them twice and let them air dry.

I'm definitely with you on the washing. My hands always feel icky after going through second hand clothes. It might be a subconcious thing though. I don't care if all they're eventyally doing is repelling or absorbing body waste, I don't want them touching my baby until they're clean!

I like elastic just because that's what I've used so far, but I'll be trying the drawstring next. I like the idea of them fitting well for longer.

[Sophiasmomma]

thank you both sooo much! Im off to wash my sweaters now!!

and you have to laugh maniacally about the money you're saving

:LOL TRUE!

I'm definitely with you on the washing. My hands always feel icky after going through second hand clothes. It might be a subconcious thing though. I don't care if all they're eventyally doing is repelling or absorbing body waste, I don't want them touching my baby until they're clean!

Yup thats how I feel.. I got itchy being in there it was not a nice one and very dirty

[nitareality]

My goodwill has half price day on tuesday and a dollar day another day. It's been lovely, now if the donaters would start wearing and ditching more natural fibers, that would be fabulous! I don't felt my sweaters, just wash them by hand. I've had some bad felting experiences, and took it very hard though.

[Pam_and_Abigail]

I have a question about recycled longies: do I need to put stitches in the wool before cutting to keep them from unravelling? The sweater I have I washed and dried in the dryer once, but it didn't flet much, so I think I'll wash it with my next load of diapers, in hot. If it's felted, I will be able to just plain cut it, right?

[Kari_mom]

If it's felted, I will be able to just plain cut it, right?

Felted wool won't ravel, just plain cut it. I've cut unfelted sweaters, left the arms laying around the dining room (where we do actually eat) for weeks, and not had raveling. I can't recommend abusing cut up sweaters, but they don't fall apart instantly either.