The unknitting machine by Imogen Hedges (Credit: Newatlas.com)
The device was created by Imogen Hedges, a Product and Furniture Design student at London’s Kingston University. The idea came to her when she discovered that staff at some charity shops spend hours unraveling old sweaters, so that the yarn can be sold and reused – her device makes that process faster and easier.
At the heart of the unknitting machine is an old bicycle frame equipped with pedals, chains and a bicycle wheel. As the seated user pedals, the wheel spins, and unravels yarn from an item such as a sweater. That yarn passes through a column of steam from a kettle, and is then wound around a series of brackets mounted around the outside of the wheel.
The unknitting machine
