Looking to recycle those ugly winter sweaters? Seeking inspiration for a handmade holiday gift? Look no further than your closet and the latest "swants" craze - which is turning old sweaters into colorful lounge pants.

American-born designer Stephen West moved to Amsterdam three years ago to study choreography. With his instructional knitting books, he's made a name for himself in the crafting world. But he's gained a cult Internet following after publishing a tutorial on how to turn sweaters into pants. Overnight, the tutorial garnered more than 140 comments, and his swants dance video spiked to 40,000 views.

"The first pair of swants I made was more tailored, and I spent about 10 hours cutting, sewing and repurposing a Norwegian sweater," Stephen West said. Since then, he's developed a more streamlined method, which is shared in his tutorial. Seasoned swants enthusiasts can expect to spend about 30 minutes per pair.

Against an Icelandic backdrop, Stephen West and friend Kyli Kleven test their swants' stretchability. "I visit Reykjavik a lot because I love the people, food, colors, and style downtown," West said. He often tours Europe and the US to teach knitting courses. "My friends and I made the swants tutorial and swants dance video in Reykjavik during the Iceland Airwaves music festival this year."

"Your booty deserves to be just as warm as your torso," West says. But he cautions would-be swantsers to practice the tutorial a few times before chopping up that special sweater from grandma. Have you found yourself longing for your own pair of swants?

Once you've found a wooly candidate - preferably drop-shoulder style - slip your legs through the waist, into the arms to make sure it's a comfy fit. Now, take it off. From the edge of the collar, cut down the front about eight inches (10 cm) and down the back about six inches (15 cm) to remove a rectangle of fabric. Bonus: This piece can be fashioned into a matching dickey.

Stitch together the shoulder seams to form the crotch. You'll want to craft about a four-inch (10 cm) seam. Now, stitch up the front.

You'll see that there is extra fabric in front and back. Time to break out those origami skills. Fold the front flap along the yellow line. The blue line in the picture is the existing armhole seam. The pink arrows show where to coax the fabric, about 90 degrees to meet the front flap. Too confusing? Stephen West offers detailed instructions on his website, westknits.com.

For a more fitted waist, take in the sweater's side seams - or just wear a belt. Swants may not grant you perfect balance powers, but they'll certainly make you the talk of the office. Could "swants Tuesday" become the new "casual Friday"?

Swants aside, West teaches knitting classes across Europe. He teamed up with Iceland-based Ragga Eiriksdottir to teach on a knitting cruise, which later docked in Copenhagen for a knitting and dance performance. "We had about 40 knitters in the audience, including a family that learned to knit together right before the show."

"Swants may not be for everyone," Stephen West said. "But they are for everyone who wants to have fun." He sums up his sentiments in a poem he wrote, excerpted here: "A pair of swants a day keeps the chilly chills away. / Your bum will thank you and friends may spank you. (...) / Strangers may sneer, but have no fear / Because you are a pioneer discovering a new frontier.

What's next for the King of Swants? He's got two books coming out soon. One is a collaboration with Iceland's Ragga Eiriksdottir. It's a collection of knitting patterns photographed on Icelandic musicians. The other, "Westknits At Home," features knitting patterns for shorts and pants because, as West says, "Our bottoms deserve to be just as warm as our tops."

Over the decades, sneakers have evolved into way more than just sports footwear. They became associated with hip-hop culture in the mid 80s and are now a central fashion accessory. The exhibition "Sneakers: Design for Fast Feet," held at the Hamburg Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Arts and Crafts), explores the phenomenon of sneaker culture through a variety of perspectives.

This Olympic running shoe from 1936 does not have much in common with today's sneakers - but did contribute to the success of two current world-renowned brands. With their business founded in the 1920s, the brothers Dassler in Herzogenaurach were selling 200,000 pairs of shoes every year until World War II. After the war, the family business was split in two companies: Adidas and Puma.

Sold over 600 million times, Converse's "Chuck Taylor All Stars," aka "Chucks," is the most successful shoe ever. The initial All Star model, composed of a rubber sole and a canvas upper, was designed in 1917 in Massachusetts. Basketball player Chuck Taylor improved the shoe, and his signature was added to the model released in 1923.

Nike developed two smash hits with its models Air Jordan and Air Max (picture). The first Air Jordan came out in 1984, in collaboration with the most successful basketball player of all times, Michael Jordan. The shoe quickly turned into a collector's item. The Air Max that followed in 1987 also became cult - it was especially popular in the hip-hop scene.

The use of the term "sneaker" for trainers is often attributed to the US advertising agent Henry Nelson McKinney. At the beginning of the 20th century, he promoted how quiet shoes with rubber soles were in comparison to leather-sole dress shoes: You could easily sneak up on someone while wearing sneakers.

Green party politician Joschka Fischer became Environment Minister in Hessen in 1985 and caused a stir by appearing at his oath of office ceremony wearing these white Nikes - an act considered pure provocation at the time. The German politician was afterwards nicknamed "the tennis shoe minister."

In a way, 1985 marked a turning point in the pop cultural history of the sneaker. That year, the band Run DMC recorded their single "My Adidas" and the German tennis wunderkind Boris Becker won Wimbledon in this battered pair of Pumas.

Sneakers have also become central urban fashion accessories thanks to funny and unusual commercials. After all, you never know when you'll suddenly need to take off in a hurry…

About a dozen major brands and hundreds of smaller ones compete for consumers' attention worldwide. Comfort is no longer the most important sales' argument: Image and design are crucial. Shoe brands are promoted through star athletes and are released in limited editions with huge marketing campaigns.

The German national football team is another trendsetter with its bold-colored shoes. Neon orange sneakers might not yet be the norm, but they will definitely help your colleagues wake up if you wear them at the office. The exhibition "Sneakers: Design for fast feet" runs in Hamburg until August 21, 2016.