“Rubbish Yarn” – A nickname used by Circular Weft Knit Technicians and Operators for surplus yarn of varying colours and quantities. Used in between jobs to keep knitting machines threaded up and to prepare the machines for commercial fabric production.
Textile Ecology's Rubbish Yarn Project
Textile Ecology found opportunity in producing irregular fabric repurposing otherwise discarded materials.
For this project we’ve combined technical knowledge and experience manufacturing circular-knitted fabric with our desire to produce once off, one of a kind garments.
The Rubbish Yarn story
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Left-over yarn from commercial weft-knit fabric production. Unusable in commercial fabric. Nicknamed "Rubbish Yarn" by operators and knit technicians in weft knit factory.
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A fabric is made by knitting all the 'Rubbish Yarn' together in a random order.
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Small ends of yarn means that the stripes change subtly every few metres. No, garment is quite the same, made in Newtown, Welington, New Zealand.
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Left-over yarn re-purposed!
With fabric made in New Zealand and garments cut, sewn and printed in Newtown, Wellington, we have managed to completely localise the project. Tackling waste front on in our own backyard and engaging with local talents along the way this is what it’s all about for Textile Ecology. Keep an eye out for our next project.
More words about the Rubbish Yarn project...
Why is the yarn virtually unusable for commercial fabric production?
- Small amounts left on the bobbins = inefficient to knit into fabric, operators must monitor knitting closely and tie in yarn to keep the machine running
- Mixed yarn counts = Irregularity is not commercial. Reproducibility and efficiency is paramount to the economic viability of commercial fabric production.
- Multi-coloured and different dye batches = costly to house inventory not to mention stocktaking and sorting inventory. Even if the yarn is the same colour, batch to batch variation of colour stands out.
The most economical option for fabric manufacturers is to dispose of the extra yarn ☹
