Saving the Sweater
Taking it to the next level
Recently GnanVi_Speaks wrote an article about repurposing an old cooking pot by painting it decoratively and turning it into a pot for plants. She mentioned how she dislikes throwing things out, preferring to find a new use for them.
I can really relate to this sentiment, and today, while going through some old clothing to see what could still be used, I was reminded of this and was inspired to write this article.
A few years ago (well, okay — many years ago in the mid 1990s) I bought two Henley-style light cotton knit shirts, one a light blue and one a light olive green. I loved those shirts — they were really lightweight, they looked nice on and they were super practical. Also — they had been really cheap.
I wore these shirts often. I wore them to work (I worked in an office back then); I wore them on an assortment of occasions, changing the look by adding a scarf or some jewellery.
At some point, several small snags happened at the very front of the green one. I decided to embroider over these snags using a knot stitch and some attractive rose-coloured embroidery thread.
This fix worked for a long time until this top began to get other small snicks and tiny holes and I began to wear it when I was gardening, an occupation, which of course made matters worse.
Finally, in 2021, the only way I could wear the top was as an undershirt. I continued this practice until the fall of 2022, and then the number and size of the holes became overwhelming and I set it aside. The actual fabric of the shirt is so worn that any little pressure cause it to tear so I figure now it really is at the end of its life.
I think that, finally, I may have to retire this old friend, and bid it a fond farewell.
