# How to salvage a moth-eaten sweater?



## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

I was putting away laundry last night and discovered that one of DH's pullovers is completely moth eaten. It's a beautiful wine colored, 100% cashmere, but obviously unwearable (why it was still in his drawer I'll never know!). I hate to throw it out because the yarn is so luxurious and such a pretty color, but the holes are everywhere (back body, shoulder, bottom band, elbow).

I looked at the seams and they are fully fashioned, not serged, so I suppose it's possible to unpick the whole sweater and recycle the yarn if it comes to that. 

Any ideas for salvaging this thing for another purpose?


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## mommahen2four (Mar 22, 2008)

I'm hoping to find sweaters like that to felt and make things out of!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I would assume that if the sweater is full of holes then the yarn would be too. You can go ahead and try to unravel it but I think you may find that you will be left with short pieces of yarn.

I would do as Mammahen suggested, Full/felt it and cut it up and make things. Are you sure the moths are really gone and not moved on to another item? How and eggs? I would check all my wool and other protein fibered sweater and such for damage. If you had moths attack one they most likely didn't stop there.

Good luck! Let us know what it is you end up doing with it.


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

The sweater is pretty old -- he had it for ages before I ever met him, and it was stored in a drawer with a bunch of vintage sweaters which were also somewhat chewed up. I found 2 or 3 that were whole, but the others have all been attacked by moths at some point. 

I was told cashmere won't felt properly like wool does -- is that true? Also, the instructions on the tag for this cashmere sweater say that machine washing is acceptable so I'm not sure if it will shrink up and full together correctly.


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## mommahen2four (Mar 22, 2008)

If it's worth saving and something you'd wear, maybe this might work for an idea. 

http://http://felting.craftgossip.com/2007/12/01/repairing-a-cashmere-sweater-using-roving/


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

I know a lady that did go to the trouble of unraveling an old sweater for the yarn. It took her a long time, but she did end up with a beauty of a vest made of vintage yarn.


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## Shazza (Nov 20, 2004)

My favorite Mohair jumper made from my own colored Angoras and the first ever attempt at spinning my own fibre was exaclty like yours OP last year. It is Black and VERY fluffy. So I found some of my Black sheep yarn and darned every darn hole.  But whenever I wear it I do find a hole or 2 that I have missed LOL.


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## MissQueenie (Feb 15, 2006)

I've taken to wearing the sweater as an extra layer around the house until I can pluck up the guts to do something to it, and DH came home last night and said, "Why is your sweater full of holes?!"

I about died laughing!


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