20 December 2012

‘Un-Knitting’ Machine Recycles Unwanted Woolen Clothes

[Click here to view the video in this article]







London-based designer Imogen Hedges has designed a ‘un-knitting’ machine that recycles unwanted woolen clothes into its pre-knitted form.



Built using an old bicycle frame, the user sits on a chair to pedal the machine, which causes the wool to pass through steam coming out of a kettle before it gets collected on a spindle.



The recycled yarns can then be collected and sold to create new woolen clothes.



According to Hedges, her inspiration came from discovering how charity shops would devote hours unravelling home-knitted jumpers.



“My grandmother spent a lot of time knitting sweaters but my mum threw them all away once we’d outgrown them because she didn’t think anyone would want them. With my machine you’d be able to take them apart and knit something new,” said Hedges.



Click to watch the video below:





























[via Kingston]