Reborn Wool is a sustainable and eco-conscious aran-weight yarn made from recycled textiles. This innovative yarn repurposes old wool and wool-blend garments that would otherwise end up in landfills, transforming them into high-quality yarn without the use of additional dyes or harmful chemicals. The process also conserves water, making it an excellent choice for environmentally conscious knitters.
Composition & Characteristics:
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Fibre Content: 65%-75% wool, with the remaining percentage comprising other fibres such as viscose, nylon, and acrylic, depending on the recycled textiles used in each batch.
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Weight: Aran
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Yardage: 200m per 100g skein
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Gauge: 18 stitches per 10cm
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Recommended Needle Size: 5.00mm
One of the unique qualities of Reborn Wool is its excellent durability and ease of care. Unlike most natural wool yarns, this blend responds well to machine washing. We recommend a gentle machine wash at 30°C, as the fabric softens and settles beautifully with washing.
It's worth bearing in mind that recycled textile yarns don't have the same stability as yarns spun from longer, virgin fibres because of the way the textiles are shredded prior to spinning. This potentially could cause issues for very tight knitters or when sewing up if you pull hard. We haven't personally had any problems though, and the finished knitted fabric should be as strong as any other.
How Reborn Wool is Made
The production process of Reborn Wool is both meticulous and sustainable. Here's how it works:
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Garment Sorting – Used garments are collected and sorted by fibre content in a specialised facility. Any textile containing at least 60% wool is included in the wool-sorting line, regardless of its additional fibre blend. This may include items such as:
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100% wool garments
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60/40 wool-polyester blends
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70/30 wool-acrylic blends
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80/20 wool-polyamide blends
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Other wool-dominant compositions
Due to the nature of mass-market production, 100% wool garments are rare, and most wool textiles contain blended fibres. The sorting process ensures that as much usable wool as possible is reclaimed.
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Colour Sorting – Once the wool-rich textiles are selected, they are further sorted by colour. This eliminates the need for additional dyeing, reducing chemical usage and water consumption.
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Fibre Recovery & Blending – The sorted wool garments are shredded into fibre. At this stage, approximately 10-15% recycled polyester (rPET) from PET bottles is added. This inclusion strengthens the fibre, compensating for the loss of durability that occurs during recycling. The final fibre blend is carefully balanced to ensure a consistent and high-quality yarn.
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Spinning – The blended fibre is spun into yarn, creating a versatile and sustainable aran-weight wool that retains the warmth and texture of wool while incorporating recycled fibres for added strength and durability.
Because Reborn Wool is made from post-consumer textiles, the exact fibre content and wool percentage may vary slightly between batches and colours. However, the quality and sustainable ethos remain consistent.
Reborn Wool is a fantastic choice for knitters and crocheters looking for an ethical and environmentally friendly yarn without compromising on warmth, structure, or stitch definition. Whether you're crafting garments, accessories, or homewares, this yarn is a beautiful way to give new life to old materials while reducing waste.
