10 uses for a woolly jumper

Today's guest post has been provided by Jane Perrone at Horticultural. Once again, it's time to settle yourself down with a cup of tea and enjoy the top tips and links from those with more experience. Today's topic is one that we all take for granted, the woolly jumper. I had never known there could be so many ways to recycle this everyday item, with many more options to hand than simply the clothing bank. Don't forget to pop over to Jane's blog for some extra wisdom, especially if you fancy taking things one step further and getting your very own veg patch. So without further ado, it's time to put your feet up and enjoy..."


"It really troubles me when I hear a friend say they've just chucked a load of clothes into the bin. Textiles are one thing that there's absolutely no reason to trash - if something is too old, stained or holey for the charity shop, then consider dropping it into one of the many clothing collection points you see in pub and supermarket car parks. Anything that can't be sold on as clothing will be sent for recycling to make lagging and other products - nothing will go to waste.

But if you happen to have an old woollen jumper that is even too ropey to do the gardening in, there are lots of other uses you can put it to. Here are a few of my ideas: I am sure you can come up with some more:

1. Lining a hanging basket.

A 100% woollen jumper makes a great liner as it holds water well and will mould to the sides of the basket. After a few years it will decompose - just replace it with another.

2. Plant ties.

Cut the arms into strips and use for tying back larger plants - it's a lot softer on delicate stems than string. The same applies to old pairs of tights.

3. Make your own mittens.

It's really easy! There are instructions here: http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/guides/craft/story/0,,2001311,00.html

4. A compost heap cover.

Wool makes an excellent compost heap topper, keeping the heat in and letting in just the right levels of moisture. Again, it'll decompose in time - just add another as it disintegrates.

5. Unpick the wool and knit something new.

Knitting is now very cool http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4498878.stm so get your needles out!

6. Use as a mulch around fruit bushes.

If you are worried about it looking a bit odd, just top off with some straw or compost. Will the weeds down and the moisture in.

7. Make a scarecrow for your allotment

This is a fun weekend job that children will particularly love - a woollen jumper will keep your bird scarer toasty through the winter.

8. Keep your worm composting system toasty.

If you buy the Can-O-Worms setup I recently got for my birthday http://perrone.blogs.com/horticultural/2008/02/stop-press-birt.html it comes with a moisture mat, but if you are making your own wormery, a woolly jumper works just as well (and is free!)

9. Make your own wool nappy wraps for cloth nappies.

Instructions here: http://www.fernandfaerie.com/frugaldiapering.html You'll also save on disposables and cut down on your waste.

10. And finally ... make a woolly friend.

Seek some inspiration here: http://theblog.modamuse.com/?sectionid=3 and get crafting."

Want some ideas on recycling T-shirts? Read Jane's post here: http://perrone.blogs.com/horticultural/2005/04/three_things_to.html

Jane Perrone is the author of The Allotment Keeper's Handbook http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allotment-Keepers-Handbook-Down-earth/dp/1843545489/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-0813640-3377439?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181289181&sr=8-2 and she writes about organic gardening, allotments, composting and ethical consumerism on her blog, Horticultural http://perrone.blogs.com

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Look at my lovely worms

As you know, my Can-O-Worms arrived yesterday and I was like a child at Christmas, very excited about unwrapping it and setting it up. It was extremely easy to put together and within about 90 minutes, I had it set up and ready to use.

Most of the time was spent soaking the bedding, which I just left in a bucket of water for one hour. I didn't take photos of the whole process, but Jane at Horticultural did and I recommend taking a look at her Can-O-Worms blog post, so you can see how easy it really is.

The hardest part for me was the thought of unpacking the worms. One worm I can deal with and perhaps two, but any more than that represents a squirmy wormy, wriggly wiggly jumble that affronts my squeamish side. I could never really have made it as Charlie Dimmock, as Mr A reminded me when I created our garden a few years ago.

However, a quick snip of the packaging (having shaken the bag to make sure that that no worms would be damaged in the process) meant that I could just pour them into the wormery. A couple had escaped and I managed to scoop them up and pop them back in.

Having been all "eurgh" about the wriggly creatures, I seem to have developed an immediate fondness for them and have adopted them as our new pets. As with all pets, it was time to give them some food, a breakfast of banana skins, bread and egg shells, with the odd piece of red pepper.



After that, it was time to cover them up, leave them to it and get on with some work (both me and them).




I am really pleased that I found a great sheltered spot in the garden, which has suitable screening, where they can be left undisturbed.

I'm now looking forward to giving them the leftover cheese sandwiches from last night's tea, which would otherwise have ended up in the bin. We have to be very careful to not overfeed the worms at this stage and take it very slowly, but once it's fully up and running, this new addition to our garden will make a valuable contribution towards my Zero Waste goal.

If you've been inspired, have a look at the Wiggly Wigglers site for more details and if you have any queries, the lovely people there will be very happy to help. They even have a blog, which covers lots of other interesting topics.

If you want to take a look at more applications of composting, I've just received a link from Simon Sherlock, which will answer many of my own novice questions: http://www.sherlock.co.uk/blog/2008/02/my-composting-setup.html

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