i make my own sun.

I've started experimenting lately with repurposing secondhand cashmere clothing. I like the idea of recycling something old and out-of-date and turning it into something fun and new! Plus, it's eco-friendly and prevents waste! So that's cool. Unfortunately, as much as I would like to disassemble, dye, and knit something knew out of every cashmere sweater I come upon, I don't seem to have enough time. So, at the insistence of the unrelenting Rachel Red Lips, I am listing my first ever Recycled Hand-dyed 100% Cashmere Eco-Friendly Yarn. Lace Weight. 400 yards. Ish. Formerly A Sweater.


Here's what I started with. It's a vest made of soft, lovely cashmere. It would make more sense if it had sleeves, because I don't know what climates are appropriate for a vest made of cashmere. Well, it came from a clothing swap, so I guess nobody wanted it. I gave it a loving home.


This is not the first sweater I have taken apart, but it was the easiest. I love the care given to the edges. Each piece felt as though it was made especially in that size and shape, rather than cut from a larger swatch of fabric.


I wound the yarn very tightly as I unravelled the sweater to avoid it kinking up (see messy pile in the background). I ended up with very little waste (messy pile in the background). It's a lot less than it appears, promise.


So, after reskeining the yarn, I finally got around to soaking it in preparation for dye. It looks almost like angel hair pasta.


Here it is hanging in my bathroom to dry. Early on, I decided on a bright, golden-y yellow, to stay a little more true to the original ivory color, and allowed the yarn to absorb the dye unevenly. This resulted in:



some little flecks of white! I like how it adds some depth and character to the yarn.





Both skeins are for sale on Etsy. I hope someone else loves this yarn as much as I do!