Tag Archives: felting

Q and A time

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I don’t think I’ve ever snagged a Q and A before but I couldn’t help it when I read this post by Karen from NothingButKnit.

Her knitting mojo (and mine) is on vacation and she thought this Q and A might help find it.  Feel free to answer* regardless of your craft: knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting, photography, or whatever you enjoy…

  1. What technique were you surprised that you enjoyed?
  2. What technique do you want to love but don’t?
  3. What is your favorite item to make?
  4. You’re only allowed to knit with one yarn weight forever. What weight is it and why?
  5. What item that you made is your all time favorite?

My answers:

  1. Colorwork.  My first colorwork project was the Traveler’s Pocket by Nancy Bush.  I LOVED doing colorwork so much that I designed my own pattern based on her design.
  2. Hmmm.  I’m weird in that I’m not a fan of knitting with circular needles but I use them.  In fact I’ll be trying the 2-at-a-time sock technique soon.
  3. Socks.  And shawls are a close second.
  4. Fingering weight as it is so versatile.  It can be held double or triple to make a different weight.
  5. My Dots and Stripes purse is my all time favorite.  My first pair of socks is my second.

*Answer in the comments or link to your blog.  Thanks!

 

Don’t tread on me?

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Finally finished last week!  And I L.O.V.E. it!030-me-w-purse

The zigzags remind me of tire treads so I decided to name my purse “Don’t Tread on Me.”030-felted-front-001

The treads felted flat into the knitted body but are slightly visible in the lower section in certain lighting.  Perhaps less felting would have retained the raised texture.032-felted-front-closeup-002

The ombre effect turned out well.031-felted-back-001

Love the swivel hook and triangle ring.033-felted-hook-001

Fully lined.034-inside-empty-001

All the stuff I carry…036-labeled-stuff

…has a place.035-inside-full-002

Project details later.

Light ash, grey and medium

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We have had such a mild winter so far and the temperature got up to 72 F yesterday so I decided to shoot some pictures outdoors.016-front-001

The knitting is finally finished on the Lopi purse and am waiting (impatiently) for the hardware before beginning the felting process.017-front-002

Other than that bit of inspiration for the zigzags which came from the Don’t Skid, Honey fingerless gloves from last year, I made up the pattern as I went.  My hope is that the raised texture is still raised after felting.  If not, it can always be added later.019-back-001

I like the sturdiness of the i-cord bind off. It’s the same as the other felted bags I’ve made.

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Those tabs still on the needles will be sewn over the hardware before felting. Same with the strap ends. The strap will also be lined to help with the scratchiness of the wool on my shoulder as well as to keep it from stretching out of shape.018-handle-holder-001

Maybe the hardware will arrive today and this can become a Finished Object.

I cheated

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Yes, I must confess that I cheated on my yarn diet.

I wanted to make a new felted purse and use up some gifted yarn at the same time.

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I even swatched!

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5 inches by 5 inches on the left.  4 inches by 4 inches on the right after hand felting.

Only I don’t have enough yarn to complete the project.  I’m making up the pattern as I go and I thought I just might have enough yarn when I began.

003-front-001

 

Two balls of yarn knit and one to go.  It’s not going to be large enough for my liking.

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The back is plain.

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007-bottom-001The bottom is 5 x 15 inches.

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The bag is 7 inches tall…so far.  the purse/bag will shrink at least 20% according to my swatch.  The swatch was felted by hand and I will probably do this in my washing machine so it will shrink faster.  Not as much control but results in a denser fabric.  And did I mention that it’s faster?

Well, I found that Lopi yarn is still made just not distributed by Reynold’s. No guarantees that the color (light ash heather 0054) would match exactly as they would be different dye lots.  So I bought two balls each of ash heather (color 0056), heather grey (0057), and dark grey heather (0058).

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My plan is to gradually start working in the next darker ball of yarn then add each color going from light to dark.  I will keep the zigzag in the lightest color for contrast and continuity.

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My other option is to rip it all apart and begin over with the darkest color on the bottom and transition to the lightest color at the top.

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Which would look better?  Go from light at the bottom to dark at the top?  Or have the dark on the bottom and to light at the top?

Or am I over thinking this project and just go with what I’ve done?