Recycling Cashmere for Cash
The article below comes from eBay power seller, Suzanne Arant-Wells, courtesy of Ezine Articles.
Don’t Throw That Old Cashmere Sweater Away – It Can Be Recycled!
First, you need to understand what cashmere is and why people want it. Cashmere is different from regular sheep’s wool. It is finer, softer, and up to eight times warmer than regular wool. The finest cashmere in the world comes from Mongolia. The cold dry climate and high elevation in Mongolia are perfect for producing the most luxurious cashmere on the planet. The cashmere is actually the fine inner coat of the Kashmir goat and exists to protect the animal from frigid winter temperatures. This is why cashmere is so warm. The cashmere is harvested in the spring when the goat sheds its thick winter coat. Sometimes cashmere is confused with Alpaca or Angora, but it is far superior.
Craft enthusiasts enjoy making all sorts of items from cashmere. There are two methods to recycling cashmere items. One method is to carefully cut the items apart at the seams and reuse the pieces intact. Crafters patch the pieces together to create a completely new item like a blanket or quilt. Another method is to unravel the cashmere and use the yarn to create an item completely from scratch. Both methods take time and patience as cashmere is very delicate to work with.
If you are proficient at sewing, you can make exquisite crafts and baby items from intact pieces of old adult-sized cashmere sweaters. Baby hats, booties, blankets, and mittens made of cashmere make lovely gifts and are quite popular among environmentally conscious parents. If sewing isn’t your forte and you are skilled at knitting or crocheting, you can unravel cashmere garments into cashmere yarn and knit or crochet these items from scratch. Imagine how soft and delicate a handmade cashmere baby blanket would feel.
Cashmere crafts go far beyond baby items. You can also create gorgeous scarves, caps, gloves, mittens, and quilt squares. Handmade doggie sweaters are often made from recycled cashmere. Don’t forget socks. There is nothing warmer on a brutally cold winter day than a fine pair of cashmere socks keeping your feet nice and toasty.
There is one more thing you can make from recycled cashmere. Money! Gather up your old cashmere items and sell them on eBay. Anything 100% cashmere is a consistent seller on eBay. 100% cashmere sweaters, scarves, vests, hats, blankets, and gloves are quite profitable to sell online. Vintage cashmere will bring the highest price as it is usually thicker and more luxurious than today’s mass produced cashmere.
Crafters often buy old cashmere to use as the raw material for their creations. If you are a skilled crafter, consider making your own cashmere crafts to sell on the website Etsy. If you don’t have any cashmere lying around your home, check your local thrift store. You can often find gently used cashmere sweaters for less than five dollars at a secondhand store. Expect to quadruple this investment when selling cashmere items on eBay.
Before you throw out those old cashmere sweaters or scarves, consider finding a way to recycle them. Even if you don’t know how to create something new with an old sweater, somebody else out there does and will be glad to take the item off your hands. You might even make some money from the deal. Visit my eBay blog for more ideas on turning clutter into cash.
Suzanne Wells is a Silver Level eBay Power Seller, author of “The Stay-at-Home Mom’s Guide to Successful eBay Selling,” eBay Consultant, professional blogger, entrepreneur, and mom of 2 in Atlanta, GA.
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