Cosmic Upcycled Cashmere

Cashmere can easily last a lifetime (in dog or cat years) if you care for it lovingly. I have sweaters that I've inherited from my mom over 20 years ago. And they were second hand when she got them. Small moth holes can be inconspicuously mended. Bring your sweater to a store that sells thread to match the color. Use a single thread and practice weaving around the area until you've gotten it right. Then steam the area lightly with your iron to flatten & blend it in.  Large moth holes can be very conspicuously and colorfully mended. I was inspired by current events for this mending job. Asteriods, meteors, oh my! I used cashmere scraps I'd gotten on Etsy as patches and wool crewel yarn for the embroidery. Sachets of Lavender, mint or cedar chips will help keep the moths away in the first place.

If you've already shrunk your cashmere sweater in the washer/dryer you should check out Sweater Surgery for lots of inspiring ideas. One of my friends attempted to make cashmere bloomers. The bottom line is that good cashmere should never die. You can always wear a less than perfect cashmere sweater as lounge wear.

If you've found some thrifted cashmere you might as well care for it in an equally thrifty way.  I always use Eucalan to hand wash cashmere with outstanding results. Use cold water then roll in a towel to get out as much water as possible. They lay out to dry on another towel. You may have no where to eat or sit for a few days while you are cleaning your sweaters but think of all the money you'll be saving (and the stuff about avoiding those toxic dry cleaning chemicals too). Does the Magik Fuzz Buster work? Yes!  Say goodbye to all that "pilly stuff" under your arms.

Trashion at Maker Faire

Maker Faire says its "A two-day, family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement". Its also a group of brilliant geeks, a few Burning Man vehicles, the Life Size Mousetrap Game (literally), edgy crafters, 3D printers, food and lots more.  There are even some boring corporate booths but no one pays much attention to them because they don't have the cool stuff. 

Last weekend I presented my Trashion Accessories workshop at World Maker Faire in New York and won an Editor's Choice Award. The creativity and the crowds (estimated at over 50,000 people) were overwhelming! 

It was a bit crazy to present a one-on-one workshop to hundreds of people (mostly kids) outdoors for two full days. The goal was to make a fun and wearable accessory. I brought an array of interesting materials that cost me next to nothing: discarded weed wacker cords, T shirts, computer cables, felted sweaters, wire, a leopard print Snuggie, safety pins, thread, magazines, cardboard, Diet Coke bottles and, most importantly, a ton of patience. 

I was really amazed to see how people were able to stop and create in the middle of a chaotic festival surrounded by so many interesting things. They committed to making something and didn't walk away until they were done. Then they walked away very proudly wearing their creation -- which in almost every case was quite cool. 

Disney was giving away plastic kites just a few booths away.  In spite of Disney's resources (and the obvious name and character recognition) the kids had a much richer experience making their own things out of a bunch of stuff that cost practically nothing. 

Cozy Dog on a Cozy Sweater Pillow

I was inspired by my button box. Once I stacked up the buttons they looked so interesting I had to figure some way to display them so I made this pillow from a felted wool sweater. (Wash on warm, dry on hot & you've got a felted sweater.) And my dog New New used the pillow to display ... himself! 

Valentines for Occupy Wall St

Occupy Wall Street has sparked a conversation about all kinds of social and economic issues. I made these embroidered pins (or patches) from felted wool sweaters and embroidered them with OWS to encourage a conversation. What is OWS? What do you think about the Occupy movement? If you'd like one (FREE!) email me with your mailing address. P.S. No personal information will be used for any kind of marketing. 

Sweater Turns into a Potholder

I have fond memories of making those loopy potholders and still have my loom. The sleeve of this felted wool sweater made perfect, colorful loops. This project made me think of Amy Sedaris' (funny!) book "Crafts for Poor People". Very 1930s too. Perfect for taking a budget-friendly casserole out of the oven. 

Holey Cashmere!

I love to give a helping hand to a good cashmere sweater with lots of moth holes. Poor things! Once a beloved member of the wardrobe --  then left at the end of the day on the rummage sale table. I make the holes larger, add a few new ones of my own then patch with cashmere scraps and wool embroidery floss.