Re - cy - cle:   (verb)

   1)  to use again      2)  to alter and adapt to new use 

Yes.  Green can be beautiful.  And totally unique.  Never one to back away from a challenge, I am featuring some beautiful artwear that feature recycled materials.   Re-claimed fiber.  Vintage items brought to new life.  What a gorgeous way to help our environment!

The Process of re-claiming yarn:

"If you want to destroy my sweater... hold this thread while I walk away..."     Weezer

I really need to find out where Weezer buys their sweaters.  It just isn't that simple.  In fact, it takes me between one to three days to reclaim the fibers from a single sweater.

Step one:  I need to find the perfect sweater.  Fiber content and yarn size are critical.

Step two:  The sweater is painstakingly dismantled and unraveled. 

Step three;  The hanks of yarn are hand-washed and hung to dry.  This is the yarn I retrieved from 2 sweaters.  Imagine... this would have ended up in a landfill!

  Step four;  Once dried, the hanks can be rolled up, labeled and saved for use.

The results: (Note:  all percentages are "guess-timates")

  Grey and blue hand-felted brooch.   Over 85% recycled fiber.

  Sunflower necklace.  40% recycled fiber.

"Second-Hand Rose" necklace. 75% recycled fiber.

Recycled wear doesn't end with yarn.  So many objects can be turned into wonderful wear!

Vintage scrabble tiles make a fun bracelet!

Yes.  This is precisely what you think it is.  A spent bullet casing makes a very strong statement, when worn as a pendant.  Love it or hate it... you just can't ignore it.

Old clothing lends itself to beautiful new uses.  Perhaps a luxurious baby hat in cashmere... or a funky purse using accents from one of my boys' old jeans.  The only limits are my imagination and my determination!

Ultra soft and luxurious.  Baby hat from 100% recycled cashmere.

Recycled cashmere baby hat, with needle-felt accent.

"Make Babies Not War" cashmere and wool baby hat.

Fun, funky and functional!  Wool and denim purse.

Recycled wool handbag.

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