After the surgery I couldn't do much, so knitting and crocheting became my main occupation. Because knitting was new to me, I decided that I would learn a new knitting technique with each project, so that my brain might not turn into mush.
I made this purse for my mother-in-law. I wanted to learn how to felt. It was surprisingly easy. All you do is wash your real wool knitted project in the washing machine in the hottest water possible, throw in a towel, or jeans, or tennis balls (for friction). Let it do its thing, while occasionally lifting it out of the machine and rubbing it together if you feel it needs it. Mine did.
The heat and the friction cause the wool fibers to fuse together, which makes Felt. If done properly, the felt should act like a fabric which can be cut without unraveling. So cool!
Before it was washed, it could have been nice sized sack. It shrunk more then half the original size!
For this project, I also learned how to attach grommets/eyelets. This was the unforeseen trickiest part of the project. And scariest. I was super nervous about cutting the holes into my newly made felt. After carful measuring, and hammer strength from my husband, the grommets were completed.
Felting Facts:
- Felting makes a knit or crochet piece SHRINK
- How much it will shrink depends on many factors (how hot the water is, how hard the water is, how much it is agitated, the amount & kind of soap used, the colour of yarn, etc.
- The longer you leave it in the machines cycle the more it will be felted, which means that the stitch definition decreases.
Felting Basic Steps:
1) Wash in hot water with a bit of soap
- throw in a towel, an old pair of jeans, and/or some tenis balls. This increases the friction which helps the fibers fuse
2) Rinse in cool water
- rinsing in cool water causes the fibers to lock in place
3) Air dry
- adjust the piece to the desired shape and place on a dry towel in a sunny place or near a heat vent.
If you have any questions let me know.
