Splish-Splash

Over the last year or so, I've felted several bags in my washing machine. In most cases it worked out quite well, even though my washing machine is a front-loader, while most people recommend to use a top-loader for felting (a top-loader gives one the chance to stop the whole process anytime you want to check on the felting progress, so you can stop whenever you deem the whole thing is just right. With a front-loader this is not exactly possible, but given that my washing machine is in the basement of my house and checking on it would mean I would need to run down 64 steps every single time, it's not very likely I would do it anyway)

Last time I used my washing machine for felting was a bit of a disaster due to lint blocking my drainage and me finding new and creative ways to get the water out of the machine that involved NOT flooding the room, so I decided I would like to try another way to felt my stuff. Originally I heard about hand-felting on the Yarn Harlot's blog, but she in turn reverences a Knitty article from 2007, so I'm going the same.

For my objects to felt, I choose a) three little entralac bags I've knitted a while ago with left over Noro Kureyon yarn and b) a pot holder I've knitted with a sock yarn I've heard rumor of that it might felt, even though it is supposed to be super wash (Sockenwolle 'Treviso' bought at a sale at Lidl). Either way - if it felts, or if it not felts - would be fine with me. I just need to know. So I knitted a smallish object that would work both ways, and threw it in with the bags.

When you hand-felt, you need a bucket, a plunger (a new one preferably), something place your bucket on so you don't damage your bath tub and some muscles.

I threw in the stuff I wanted to felt, some detergent and hot water, as hot as it comes from the tap.
Then I started to agitate it.


I timed myself with my kitchen timer, taking a break every 10 minutes or so. After some time, I moved the whole caboodle out to the balcony (we have perfect weather today and it would be a shame to waste it)

I'm not quite sure, but I would guess it took a good 30 min before the bags actually started to felt, but I kept going another 20 to 30 min after that before I decided I had enough.

I've learned two things from this:
Yes, the sock yarn I've bought does felt.
Here's a before and after picture:


(I freaking love that holder and will certainly knit a partner to it)

And hand-felting can be fun, though it is nothing for the impatient.

Upper and Lower

It's snowing. Again.
So far it's been a very cold winter, though, to be honest, I don't mind. A) I like the snow, it's pretty, and B) I've got plenty of knitting to keep me warm.

Like my newest hat.

The pattern for this Beret is called Meret as it used to be a Mystery Beret. Now, luckily, the pattern is available for free. It was a very fast knit (two movies).
The yarn is some really old stash yarn I got in Holland ages ago. There's a golden threat running through the yarn, which adds a little bit of umph.

Also, the second 2010 pair of socks is finished.
Remember my experiment in dying in October (--> link) ?
I finally knitted some socks with this yarn and I love the color. Only ... it's not colorfast - my hands were always green after knitting. I tried a trick to fix that I've found on Ravelry, but I might have lost some of the definition in the colors now.
Ah well, it's still a pair of nice green socks.

From the leftovers I had after knitting the big squared bag (--> and another link) I've knitting up a smaller bag, but still need to felt it and decide which handles I'm going to us.


And I've already got the next sock on the needles, Angee from Cookie A's book Sock Innovations.

Not very far along right now, but I've sadly managed to break two of my beloved 2mm Knit Pro dpns (stupid me that one). Luckily I've got a bamboo set as well, so I was able to continue.

Statistics

I hope everybody had a good start into 2010.

It has been a rather productive year, knitting wise at least. I just counted my finish projects and am quite impressed by myself.

socks - 10 pairs
potholders - 6 pairs
bags - 6 (5 of them felted)
shawl / scarfs - 5
pullovers / vests / cardigans - 5
mittens / gloves - 3
hats - 2
toys - 3

Obviously, I don't need to worry about cold feet and burning my fingers on hot pots shouldn't be a problem, except I didn't keep any of the potholders for myself (most of the socks stayed with me, though)

2010 already saw two finished projects.

The mittered stripes back was finished knitting in 2009, but the sewing together and the felting was done in 2010. I did block it using old video cassettes which worked great and I'm very happy to see it does stand up on it's own. I does shed a bit, still, though.
The felting made it shrink by 10 ~ 15%. I would have liked a bit more, but ah well.

The gloves are 100% a 2010 product. I *did* start on the 31st, but had to rib everything up again.


The turned out to be rather small, but they are perfect for me. As it snowed today, maybe they will so some action today already.

Other than that, my mom got me back onto jigsaw puzzles.


This 500 pieces puzzle was fairly easy, but now I'm on another one that's somewhat harder.

The Fun Of Throwing Things Into The Washing Machine

Step 1: knit a swatch (18 stitches, 25 rows)

Step 2: throw swatch into washing machine
The top part is the original swatches. Left side is some unspun Icelandic wool (held double) I've bought in a super market in Reykjavik, on the right is Cascade 220

Step 3: admire how much the swatches have shrunk

Step 4: knit a bag

The pattern is the French Market Bag from Knitty Winter 2003

Step 5: throw bag into washing machine

Step 6: drink something strong, or pray - whatever works for you

Step 7: admire how lovely the newly felted bag looks


Step 8: put yarn for your next project into bag

Oh Crab!

On my last vacation in Alaska visiting my friend Bill, we ended up one evening in a dinner theater. Before the show started we had all you can eat crab and we didn't hesitated to eat as much as we could. Very, very yummy.
Now, when I saw this pattern on the cover of the last edition of knitty, I knew I had to make it for Bill. If I may say so, Crabby came out really adorable. I might end up making another one, as it will be very hard to part with him to send him away to Alaska.


I also tried my hands once again on felting. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.
Two weeks ago I bought five skeins of Rowan purelife - British Sheep Breeds. This yarn is all natural, the only colors available are those nature (and the sheep) provide. Though I had been thinking about another project when I bought the yarn, I later changed my mind and decided on a modular bag. I didn't have a pattern, but found some progress pictures from somebody who had made the pattern before. From there I winged it.


My guesstimation on how much yarn I would need was pretty spot one (especially after I switched from 25 stitches across on square to 21 stitches) and ran short on the white yarn in the end by only 5 stitches (I improvised then and used some similar yarn I still had)

Above is the picture before I threw it into the washing machine. Below is the one after. It shrunk from 55cm (21.5 inches) across, the 47cm, which is not too bad.


Now, what to use for the handles .....