Recycle 100 percent wool sweaters into usable potholders. The process of felting fuses together animal fibers (lumped together under the name wool) using heat and water. Hot water and soap will shrink 100 percent wool sweaters dramatically making the fabric look like felt. The individual stitches will no longer be visible thus making it an ideal fabric to make potholders.
Sweaters that contain 80 percent wool and 20 percent synthetic fibers may also work for felting. The label on the sweater must say dry clean only. If the sweater is machine washable, the fibers will not shrink in the felting process.
Felting a sweater in a washing machine should be done using a mesh laundry bag for delicate clothing or a zippered pillowcase. The fibers released from the felting process may clog up the washing machine.
Set the washing machine to a small load and fill with hot water. Add the wool sweater and a small load worth of liquid detergent. Allow the washing machine to agitate for 20 minutes. This may mean that you need to restart the washing process to achieve the 20 minutes.
Remove the sweater from the water before it goes into the spin cycle. Remove the moisture from the sweater by hand. Place the sweater in the dryer on a hot heat until dry. Check the lint trap periodically to remove the lint. The wool will shed throughout the drying process.
Repeat the process if you still see the stitching in the fabric. Some wool must be felted two to three times in order for the process to complete.
Once the wool sweater is felted, cut two 8-inch squares from the felted fabric. Sew the outside edges together for a double thick layer of felt. Your potholder is complete.