The Un-Knitting Machine by Imogen Hedges Gives Old Yarn New Life
Meghan Young — November 16, 2012 — Eco
References: kingston.ac.uk & psfk
The Un-Knitting Machine is eco-friendly on a number of levels. It is a unique device that utilizes parts of a bicycle to unravel old, unused woollen clothes in order for the yarn to be fashioned into something else. The Un-Knitting Machine not only upcycles both bikes and clothing, it uses pedal power to complete its task.
The creator behind the unusual invention, Kingston University design student Imogen Hedges, was inspired to build the Un-Knitting Machine after discovering that some charity shops devote hours to unravelling home-knitted jumpers. Essentially, to use the Un-Knitting Machine, the un-knitter simply pushes the pedals to unravel the wool that simultaneously passes through steam coming out of a kettle before being collected on a spindle. The yarn can then be sold in piles.
The creator behind the unusual invention, Kingston University design student Imogen Hedges, was inspired to build the Un-Knitting Machine after discovering that some charity shops devote hours to unravelling home-knitted jumpers. Essentially, to use the Un-Knitting Machine, the un-knitter simply pushes the pedals to unravel the wool that simultaneously passes through steam coming out of a kettle before being collected on a spindle. The yarn can then be sold in piles.
Trend Themes
1. Eco-friendly Upcycling - The Un-Knitting Machine demonstrates the trend of eco-friendly upcycling by repurposing old clothing and utilizing pedal power.
2. Circular Economy - The use of the Un-Knitting Machine promotes the circular economy by transforming old yarn into new usable material.
3. Sustainable Fashion - The Un-Knitting Machine aligns with the sustainable fashion trend by recycling and repurposing old clothing into new yarn.
Industry Implications
1. Textile Recycling - The textile recycling industry can leverage the Un-Knitting Machine to efficiently extract usable yarn from old, unused clothing.
2. Sustainable Fashion - The Un-Knitting Machine presents a disruptive innovation opportunity for the sustainable fashion industry to incorporate recycled yarn in their designs.
3. Sustainable Technology - The Un-Knitting Machine offers a disruptive innovation opportunity for the sustainable technology industry to develop more eco-friendly methods of upcycling clothing.
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