ReCycling 20 year old Donegal Tweed

Or, How to reclaim expensive, lovely Donegal Tweed and beat the high prices of yarn. (if you wish to 'borrow' pictures, just ASK, and you shall receive).

The sweater below is the one I am planning to knit.  In order to this, I must frog and wash 20 years of kinks out of the yarn 5 250/ yard knitted hanks. All in cable and stocking stitch so, the yarn was pretty kinked up.  I  paid 9.50 a hank for the yarn which is $13.95 now. This color was long discontinued. The pattern is a free pattern on the Takhi website. Designed with Donegal in mind, I chose this one. I had evidently run out of yarn without yarn for sleeves & I gave up on that project.  I chose the design below because I thought it would be a perfect fit for the yarn. Two balls are drying on an ancient pant racks my Mom had in her closet. This sweater doesn't have a name. I think I can find cream and some contrast for the spokes in the yoke.  I have some first generation Beaverslide yarn, odds and ends that will work.  If not, I will grit my teeth and buy a hank of Donegal.

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Drying yarn.  Still 2 more hanks to wind, wet and dry.  Ugh, but it is worth it. I hope you can see the orange flecks in the yarn. Click on the tumbnails and enlarge the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stay Tuned....always something going on. How do you like this ancient Dale Pattern.  That will be my next try at yokes.  I have ALL the yarn, purcahsed years ago at Bandon Wool.  Pretty isn't it? 

 

Comments

[Anne]

Great idea to recycle that donegal - lovely yarn.

[Pru]

Both patterns are very pretty. That Donegal yarn is gorgeous, too bad you didn't have sufficient for the original project, but with the addition of contrast colors for the spokes there should be plenty for the new one. What was the original pattern? It looks like one of the Viking designs from Elsebeth Lavold's early books. And yes the orange flecks show loud and clear - beautiful!

[Elaine]

Stunning Donegal yarn. I'm really drooling over that Dale pattern, though.

[Lorraine]

Junie- I have that exact yarn, brown with orange flecks.

Looks like you're making good use of upcycled yarn.

[Laritza]

Junie, the yarn is gorgeous, I recycle things too. Love the sweater you are planning to knit!

[Sheila]

Your sweater turned out just beautiful. Great idea recycling the yarn.