Shrunken cardigan part 1: cosy cushon cover

It has taken me a good few months to realise that no matter what setting you put our washing machine on, and no matter what temperature, it will do something completely different once the clothes are in it and spinning around - it has a mind of it's own. So, although immediately disgruntled, I soon got over the fact that a few weeks ago, one of my favourite woollen cardigans came out of the washing machine 10 times smaller than when it went in, and barely big enough for a barbie. It was bound to happen one day.

But, as they say, every cloud has a silver lining of unravelling woollen thread, so to make the most of my shrunken winter cardi, I decided to transform it into a mini cushion cover, with built in buttons!

To rectify the same sad situation if you happen to experience a washing machine disaster, or even if you fancy purposefully cooking an old piece of knitware in the machine, you will need:

• a woollen cardigan or jumper
• needle, pins and thread
• a cushion (the size depends on the size of your shrunken item)

1. After your jumper/cardigan has been suitably resized in the washing machine in a 60 degree spin, trim off the sleeves, shoulders and neck in one go, until the body left is the correct size for your cushion.

2. Turn the item inside out and pin along the top and bottom edges, then sew along these sides, either by hand or with a sewing machine, and if you need too, sew along the two sides to ensure it fits the cushion snugly.

3. Turn the cover back round the right way, and voila, it is complete!