Crochet clothes were one of the biggest trends to hit the fashion world last summer. It's effortless, attainable, and still insanely cute.
Of course, the fast fashion industry jumped on the trend, mass-producing products to keep up with the craze — and producing plenty of harmful pollutants as they did it. But these sisters have found a way to join the trend while still being kind to the environment.
Using old, unwanted sweaters, the sisters unwind the yarn and recycle it by turning it into crocheted bags in various patterns. The process is simple: collect old sweaters, unwind the yarn, wash it, and crochet — a feat of upcycling magic.
Dubbed "incredibly talented and resourceful," these sisters shared photos of their crocheted bags on the Reddit community r/upcycling. One of the most popular designs is a neutral-toned bucket-shaped shoulder bag with a pink and white Ukrainian-inspired traditional embroidery print for the strap.
Upcycling involves modifying an old product to give it a second life and make it seem 'new' again. This process is a crucial endeavor as 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills every year — and that's just in the U.S. The challenge comes with encouraging others to take up upcycling, too.
Some great examples of upcycling are North Face's Remade jackets made from used puffer jackets and Material Return's initiative to recycle old clothes. But these sisters are proving that you don't have to be a big company to make a difference and join the upcycling trend. Using reclaimed yarn diverts it from landfills, where around 84% of all clothing ends up.
Alongside minimizing their environmental impact, these sisters save money and benefit from new crochet bags in some gorgeous designs which have proved popular with other Redditors.
"Omg I love the orange one!!" one user said. Another user added, "Y'all are so incredibly talented and resourceful"
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