# cut off sweater sleeves... will it fray?



## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

I have a merino wool sweater I bought at the thift shop. It's a nice sweater, but now that the weather is warming up I was thinking about cutting off the sleeves to short sleeve length (not sleeveless!). 
My wife thinks I need to hem the newly cut edges so it doesnt fray out, but I think she doesnt want me to look too ghetto...

Sooo... think I can get away with just cutting them off? This is where synthetics are better in that you just run your lighter quickly underneath the fresh cut to melt a little to keep it from fraying.


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

Yes, it will fray, or more correctly, unravel. Sweaters are knitted. Remember the unraveling sweaters in the old cartoons?


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## Ranger Dean (Jun 15, 2005)

*cut?*

wouldn't be easier to roll up the sleeves?

then you could use the sweater in winter again


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks. I think I will cut off the sleeves and hem them. I want the sleeve material to make some pockets on the back to carry stuff. I also want to make a pocket on the front chest for my sunglasses (sometimes I wear them, but take them off later and I want a safe place for them). 

I bought a zipper at the fabric store. My wife thinks I need to make the pocket out of cotton, otherwise the contents of the pocket will wear through the wool. I would prefer a wool pocket so I have wool everywhere. Also, I want to do this with 2 different sweaters, and swap the colors for contrasting pockets!

Do you think sunglasses/energy bar/cell phone would damage the wool?


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

I do not think your stuff will unduly damage the fabric. If you do line the pockets use something other than cotton. It will hold too much water. 

Wool knits do stretch/sag much more than the modern synthetic jersey materials so you need to keep the weight down.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

shiggy said:


> I do not think your stuff will unduly damage the fabric. If you do line the pockets use something other than cotton. It will hold too much water.
> 
> Wool knits do stretch/sag much more than the modern synthetic jersey materials so you need to keep the weight down.


thanks shiggy!

do you think the wool will scratch sunglasses? they are plastic lenses (smith sliders).

I might make the pockets with an old capilene patagonia top so i can (re)use the patagucci label!


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## shiggy (Dec 19, 1998)

jh_on_the_cape said:


> thanks shiggy!
> 
> do you think the wool will scratch sunglasses? they are plastic lenses (smith sliders).
> 
> I might make the pockets with an old capilene patagonia top so i can (re)use the patagucci label!


Should not scratch at all.


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## DamoNNomaD (Apr 7, 2006)

It makes me feel all cuddly... I want one!


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## OneGearGuy (Jun 15, 2004)

I think it would look great if you went totally sleeveless and used some of the material to make a mock-turtleneck.  

Show us pics when yer done... Maybe your wife could sew some cool Letterman style font across the front.

OGG


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

*did the pocket!*

we sewed on the rear pocket tonight. Note the line of hearts! The sewing machine we borrowed has preprogrammed patterns in it like that and it's so easy to do we figured what the heck. The sweater is a bit of a test before I do the expensive $5 merino wool sweaters from the thrift shop. This is an old North Face Extreme sweater from high school. A few moth holes but I have made some memories with this thing! One of 'steevo's buddies from cambridge saw me riding in this and said i looked like a star trek character.

I was going to just sew the patch on with no side trim/hem, but wife said it would fray and be ghetto so we hemmed the sides first then she hemmed around the zipper and then sewed it on so it took almost an hour, but it was fun. The material is leftover from some curtains she made for the skylight i put in last summer.

What do you think? I am wearing it right now and I put a cell phone and a Kinder candy bar in there (my favorite trail food) and I dont feel it at all.

If you try this... one thing. I sewing machine has little feet that pull the material along as it sews. With cotton it pulls fine, but the wool stretches and bunches up so you really need to feed it by hand and go a little more slowly.

I think if/when we do another sweater it will take about half hour tops. We had to reload the bobbin once and we had never done it before so we had to bust out the instructions.

I cant wait to wear this on the trail... this week sometime. It makes me want to fire up all kinds of cool cycling clothing from thrift store gems.


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## Drevil (Dec 31, 2003)

jh_on_the_cape said:


> I cant wait to wear this on the trail... this week sometime. It makes me want to fire up all kinds of cool cycling clothing from thrift store gems.


I've seen/tried wool cycling caps from two different companies that I believe primarily uses recycled wool clothing from thrift stores. One was from Portland, and the other from Philly (I believe it was one of the Bilenky employees...Bob K.) More specific details escape me at the moment. Kinda cool either way.

Bilenky version beautifully modeled:


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## Allroy (Feb 9, 2004)

*You Forgot*

My hipster retro racing stripes on the jacket!



Drevil said:


> I've seen/tried wool cycling caps from two different companies that I believe primarily uses recycled wool clothing from thrift stores. One was from Portland, and the other from Philly (I believe it was one of the Bilenky employees...Bob K.) More specific details escape me at the moment. Kinda cool either way.
> 
> Bilenky version beautifully modeled:


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

Drevil said:


> I've seen/tried wool cycling caps from two different companies that I believe primarily uses recycled wool clothing from thrift stores. One was from Portland, and the other from Philly (I believe it was one of the Bilenky employees...Bob K.) More specific details escape me at the moment. Kinda cool either way.
> 
> Bilenky version beautifully modeled:


that pic would be a whole lot cooler if he was puking. can you photoshop some puke in there? is that stoner? looks like he is about to puke.

the hat gives me the idea of making a headband! it would be sweet because my current lycra-ish headbands stink like no tomorrow. in fact, i want some wool gloves because my gloves smell like a mouse took a crap in them, and then died and decomposed right there next to its own crap. and then puked.


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## JayPee (Mar 5, 2004)

You stole my idea! ;-)

Anyway, I was thinking about this due to the fact that I always see enormous wool sweaters on clearance at the end of winter. The larger the better as after you're done cutting 'em down to size and putting them back together, you'll have ample material left-over for things like pockets, cuffs, etc.


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## Drevil (Dec 31, 2003)

jh_on_the_cape said:


> that pic would be a whole lot cooler if he was puking. can you photoshop some puke in there? is that stoner? looks like he is about to puke.
> 
> the hat gives me the idea of making a headband! it would be sweet because my current lycra-ish headbands stink like no tomorrow. in fact, i want some wool gloves because my gloves smell like a mouse took a crap in them, and then died and decomposed right there next to its own crap. and then puked.


Have you ever tried cycling with wool gloves? I've tried Smartwools, and they seemed like they would rip after not too long. They'd also be pretty hot in the summer.

Oh yeah, from one Jason to another. I guess this was at the party when he found out you were a man?


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

Drevil said:


> Have you ever tried cycling with wool gloves? I've tried Smartwools, and they seemed like they would rip after not too long. They'd also be pretty hot in the summer.
> 
> Oh yeah, from one Jason to another:


NICE! it looks like his nice wool hat is about to fall into the porcelan god.

I have never used wool cycling gloves, and i suspect that it's the leather palms which you would need for durability which would stink to high heaven.

i just leave my gloves out in the shed, but then sometimes animals chew through them. then i get new gloves.

can you photoshop it so he is puking into his identical twin's mouth?


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## Drevil (Dec 31, 2003)

jh_on_the_cape said:


> can you photoshop it so he is puking into his identical twin's mouth?


That's enough! I'm not playing with you any more. Sicko!


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## roadiegonebad (Jan 31, 2004)

whoa, how did I get to forums.marthastewart.com???


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## wolfy (Dec 21, 2004)

*blank*

blank


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## wolfy (Dec 21, 2004)

*Wake up!*



roadiegonebad said:


> whoa, how did I get to forums.marthastewart.com???


this is the best thread EVER!!!

I'm going to try this. Only I'm going to use SeamGrip instead of a sewing machine. And I'm going to make my own hep-cat knickerbackers out of factory irregular carhart pants too!

Swobo? more like swoBORING!

-M


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

wolfy said:


> this is the best thread EVER!!!
> 
> I'm going to try this. Only I'm going to use SeamGrip instead of a sewing machine. And I'm going to make my own hep-cat knickerbackers out of factory irregular carhart pants too!
> 
> ...


let me know how the seam grip works. i dont think it will work because the wool can sort of shed a layer that is attached to the seam grip. i guess just make sure it penetrates well.

i did something similar with shoe goo (another great product, you get high while fixing your SIDIs). i use shoe goo to attach patches to backpacks/jackets, etc. so the needle holes dont ruin the water proofing.

i shoe gooed a patch to a fleece and it just peeled off like a sticker.

i want to make some knickers, too. DO IT so we can see how it went.


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## jh_on_the_cape (Jan 12, 2004)

jaydrunkenpee said:


> You stole my idea! ;-)
> 
> .


that's so crazy that you were also thinking about Allroy puking into his own mouth!


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