The Spring Felted Bag Exchange is having a contest. I'll be posting some things to my blog to answer some questions over the next few weeks for the contest. The first question deals with how I got interested in felting. Ironically, I answered the whole question with the post "What I felt..." in February. I've decided to include that whole entry here. I've discovered a little problem with my blog - my archives don't link to the complete entry! I'm so sorry! I'll get to work (or, more likely, get my ever so sweet hubby to work) on fixing that soon. Here's what I had to say about felting:
What I Felt...
You probably thought that this would be about my feelings. I'm not about to get that personal, but only to spare you the sob stories of a stay-at-home mom whose 7 month old has decided that naps longer than 30 minutes are not for him. Instead, I'd like to share my felting experiences.
I've been fascinated by felting for a while. I looked on with wonder as a fellow knitter worked on slippers large enough for a giant at the Monday Night knitting group I used to attend. The shrinkage made them just the right size and felted them so they were fuzzy and warm. I figured that felting couldn't be rocket science, so I gave it a try.
I started with Lion Brand Landscapes yarn and made a small backpack and purse for two little friends. I heard from one mom that her daughter actually slept with the backpack I'd made her! Landscapes didn't felt completely, so I ventured into another yarn. I worked with Rowan Biggie Print and knit some HUGE pot holders. I was so excited until I opened the washer. I hadn't figured that the items would shrink different amounts in width versus length. I now have the most expensive, odd-shaped, orange felted trivets ever! That was when I discovered why people knit and felt gauge swatches before they knit something; especially when you aren't using a pattern.
It was about this time that another friend showed up at our knitting group with an awesome felted bag she'd made. It was the Mason-Dixon Buttonhole Bag. So I finally got around to knitting it. It only took me 8 months to start it after I bought the yarn and 3 nights in front of the tv to finish it. I found that felting is very gratifying; it hides a myriad of ills, as long as you account for the appropriate shrinkage. My bag even developed a hole (due to my inability to properly weave in an end when changing colors) during its first trip through the washing machine.
I also learned that those newfangled low water washers that use "HE" detergent don't felt as well as the old fashioned not as environmentally friendly kind. I'm not sure how much I'm helping the environment and my water bill when I have to run the machine three times! Of course, that's only for felting - my regular wash is saving loads of water and detergent.
It's just another day on learning new things.
Since this entry was posted, I've learned even more about felting. I learned that most things shrink more in length than they do in width. That was only after making a gauge swatch that I forgot to mark length and width on. I made the mistake of thinking that my bag would shrink more in width; I now have a very short, wide bag. I'm not posting pictures as I think it will make a really nice lined bag with a zipper for holding needles. I might send it as a gift to one of my pals...
I've also made some successful bags, but I'm still having trouble with my washer getting things to felt completely. I love felting with handspun merino - The think and thin yarn makes for a neat, squiggly, felted texture.
Now I just have to figure out what bag to make for my pal...