The Potting Shed

Libby · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 4:13 am Post subject: Felting????

I quite fancy having a go at this in the New Year!!!

So:-

is it expensive to do, how easy is it and is there anything I should know??

OOOPPPPPSSS I've put this in the wrong section, sorry!!!! (Must be at last getting tired!!!!)

Laughing

_________________
"If we reduce the amount of stuff we allow to accumulate in our lives, we won't have to organise it"
Elaine St James from her book 'Simplicity'

My Blog: http://woodlandsworld2.blogspot.com/

Kathy · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 10:01 am Post subject:

It's fairly easy Libby but make sure you have fibre that felts easily or you'll be there for hours and end up with aching arms!
The white from craftynotions.com felts well but their coloured stuff is slow. Because the white is cheaper, people tend to do the bulk of the item with white and the final layer colour or splashes of colour on the white.
Have you got somewhere you can purchase fibre from, if not, Twistfibrecraft do mail order and their merino is great to work with.
I've a book you can borrow to get you started if you like, let me know and I'll get it posted of to you. Smile

Libby · Posted: Mon Dec 11, 2006 9:19 pm Post subject:

Super Thank you. I will definately look into it in the New Year!!!
_________________
"If we reduce the amount of stuff we allow to accumulate in our lives, we won't have to organise it"
Elaine St James from her book 'Simplicity'

My Blog: http://woodlandsworld2.blogspot.com/

Leonie2 · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 3:53 pm Post subject:

Libby I've just seen this thread. I've posted on my blog about a felting project I plan to try in the next couple of weeks. It's a tea cosy that I quite like the look of.

I have bought some pure alpaca yarn, Kathy do you think it will felt okay? I just assumed as it was pure wool it would....hope so because I've already ordered it now.

Kathy · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:55 pm Post subject:

All wool will felt, I assume you are knitting this then shrinking in the washing machine? If so I don't think the kind of wool you use matters so much, it will felt! The actual finished size depends on the type of wool being used so you might need to knit a test square and check the shrinkage.
Alpaca seems to be quite popular for felting, there's an article here with more info.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter03/FEATfelthis.html

Leonie2 · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject:

Thanks Kathy, it's actually one of the knitty patterns that I'll be making. And yes, it's pre-knitted and then shrunk in the washing machine. I'll have a read of that link later when I have more time.

Libby · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:07 pm Post subject:

This looks like fun! A nice simple project to have a go at felting with. I will see if I can get some wool and circular needles! Thanks Leonie!
_________________
"If we reduce the amount of stuff we allow to accumulate in our lives, we won't have to organise it"
Elaine St James from her book 'Simplicity'

My Blog: http://woodlandsworld2.blogspot.com/

mystictree · I'm new! Joined: 27 Feb 2007 Posts: 17

I haven't felted for years and having said that, I have never used Alpaca (have spun it) but on the wool front ... don't use fleece from a Jacob's sheep as it is very slow, if not almost impossible to felt in my experience!!!

Georgina