The Finished Bag....and what I learned!

Well, here is the finished bag.  It's not bad, but not great!  It looks unevenly felted to me, and the stitch definition is still slightly there - not ideal for knitted felting!

So....what did I learn from this second attempt?

• Use a mesh lingerie bag - not a pillowcase bag. Not sure where all the loose fibers went - it may have been yarn that didn't emit lots of fuzz - but there was none in the pillowcase as I transferred the piece to the mesh bag. And it could be that the pillowcase works fine and I just didn't give it enough time.
• Do NOT use tennis balls with holes.  I haven't tried un-holey tennis balls, but the ones I used threw out their rubber innards in tiny, little pieces.  Those tiny pieces of rubber infiltrated the wool and had to be picked out painstakingly!  I did end up using two hard dog toy balls, each with two large holes in them.  I think this worked!

• Add only about 3 drops of soap.  I used Woolite, but I've heard that just about any detergent will work.  There is soap designated for felting, but it's not necessary!
• Use HOT water.  I added some almost-boiling water that had been microwaved.  The water level should be no more than 3 inches above the item being felted.  Too much water will not work!
• Check the process every 5 minutes or so.  Be sure the wool is not felting to itself.  If it is, pull it apart right away. You do NOT want what is supposed to be a bag or slippers or whatever to be felted together.  I haven't looked yet into some type of resist to prevent this.
• Check too to see how evenly (or unevenly) the piece is felting.  Smooth out and vigorously rub areas that seem NOT to be felting as fast.  I did a bit of final rubbing by hand to try to even out and smooth the piece.
• I didn't do this with this piece, but I ironed the first one after it was finished, because it seemed so uneven.  Pull the piece into shape.
• Placed in a towel on the floor and stomp all over it to remove the water.  I do not rinse my felted pieces.

The experiments continue!  I'm still looking for a seamless way to do this type of felting that I LOVE(d) - pun intended!  Too bad it takes so long to knit something to try all over again.  I will not give up, but I am mourning still the loss of my old, trusty washing machine.  And I WILL post additional tips as I continue to try to produce a bag that somewhat resembles the results from my older washer.

Here again is my Ode to Wonder Washer!

Ode to Wonder Washer

Wonder Washer is its name

Felting in it - not the same.

Give me back my old machine.

Felting magic, clothes get clean.

This contraption is a hoot!

Sloshes, churns, and gives a scoot.

The finished bag, uneven and creased.

Came out OK, and so I ceased.

My motto stands: Nothing is simple!

Not a crime if there's a wrinkle.

A simple bag, once distressed,

Now is dressed:

Nuno, knit, and needle blessed.

3-felt bags are my goal.

Process/product is a whole.

Oh, PLEASE help me get a life

Reduce the stress for far less strife.

Wonder Washer is its name!

Felting in it - not the same!

But I prevailed and so I stand

A fan of this amusing brand!

The Felting Saga - Part III

Had to try Wonder Washer again!  This time, I tried a few different tricks.....not knowing what the result would be.  Here is the knitted bag BEFORE the start of the felting process- about 10" x 10."  It's mostly knit with crocheted flap edging and strap. First problem.....I ran out of the teal-colored yarn, so I had to improvise to complete the bag!

I normally leave all the cut ends of the yarn hanging out during felting.  Once felted, they (usually) can be simply cut off, leaving no trace of the cut.  I like to leave them on - especially at the corners, so I can pull on them to reshape the bag.

I placed the bag in a small pillowcase (I cut it down from a standard pillowcase), added hot water and then additional microwaved water, and a small amount of Woolite to the Wonder Washer tub.  I set it to agitating and pulled it out of the water to view the progress about every 6 minutes.  Nothing much seemed to be happening for about the first 15 minutes.  So I added two tennis balls (with holes drilled through).  Next check....some of the rubber from inside the tennis balls had seeped out from within, and there were tiny pieces of rubber merged into and through some of the felt.  In addition, parts of the bag were felting to itself, and other parts were unevenly felting.  OMG!!!  Another disaster, maybe!!!!

I removed the tennis balls and added instead two hard rubber balls that belong to our dog, Griff.  They each have 2 large holes so they bumped around suitable, I think!  I also scrapped the pillowcase bag and resorted to the mesh lingerie bag! The heck with loose fibers!  I need this process to work seamlessly - both literally AND figuratively!  After what seemed like an eternity and the addition of more microwaved hot water, the bag emerged, looking like this:

It is now about 7" x 8," so it has definitely shrunk, but the felting seems uneven to me.  It's not a perfect process or product, and I am discouraged since this type of felting has been such fun, such a pleasure, with occasion surprises.

OK, so NOW I am too disgusted to write my tips and strategies for felting with the Wonder Washer.  I promise to do that.....tomorrow maybe....along with photos of the final result - which I think will get some needle felting of yarn, roving, and pieces of silk.  Stay tuned for the final product!

The Felting Saga - Part II

Please read part one here for a bit of background on this felting fiasco!  

So it became obvious that I needed to find/develop some product or technique for felting knitted pieces that WOULD work for me - or abandon that aspect of my felting career for good!  I am fascinated by felting and "felt" unwilling to give it up.  Back to Google and lots more research on various knitting forums, Amazon, You Tube, and more!  Anything that could possibly help me arrive at a competent felting process without enormous physical labor on my part.

Enter Wonder Washer!  Yes, it's one of those products "SEEN ON TV!"  I had never seen it, however!  It got so-so reviews on amazon.com - but those were from apartment dwellers and singles who wanted something in which to wash their clothes! NOT!!! I have a brand new washing machine for that purpose!  I needed to look much further and deeper to find reviews from actual felters!  And I did!

There are actually two kinds of portable, countertop washers: one is manual, the other electric.  I opted for the electric model at around $45 (including shipping!) from amazon.com.  Now mind you, it doesn't add water; it doesn't heat the water, it doesn't rinse; it doesn't spin, and it doesn't empty itself!  But it DOES felt!

It's a cute, little contraption that I put into my sink, heated water in the microwave, added (too much) Woollite, and three tennis balls with holes drilled into them, and then added the newly knitted bag in a pillowcase.  And I let her rip!  You can open the lid, turn it on and off, add water, peek at the progress, rearrange the bag within the pillowcase, and lo and behind, it felted! Maybe too much!  And maybe a bit unevenly!  B U T...............it felted!  

Included here are some before and after photos:

Stay tuned tomorrow for TIPS for FELTERS USING the WONDER WASHER!

3KCBWDAY6 - Improving your Skill Set

Day 6 and I'm tired!  But I intend to complete this mission through tomorrow!  YAY!!!  I do love writing, so blogging is not a major chore for me, but every day???  Not going to happen! After this week, do not expect to see me blogging for another week!  I do have in mind to write the ENTIRE recent saga of the demise of my washing machine and its effects on my felting career!  BUT I DIGRESS!

I'm supposed to be blogging today about improving my skill set. Interesting topic for me.  I am a great believer in learning (been an educator all my life!), continuing ed and continually adding to my own skills.  To that end, I always WANT to take advantage of workshops, trainings, classes, You Tube videos, Pinterest photos that lead to instruction, and sometimes I do.  I like to be taught.  I've never liked just reading directions (I never could put together my kids' toys or teach them to play a new game! Usually they taught me!), so visual learning is important to me.

A recent experiment with short rows and 3 different kinds of felting!

Local trainings are limited.  Ones that require travel are difficult for me. I did win a most wonderful week-long workshop in France last year - the whole experience was beyond amazing! (Thank you, Krishenka and Lizze Hulme of Chateau Dumas!) While I loved it all, it wasn't related to knitting, crocheting, or felting.  For the most part, I cannot afford to participate in such workshops, although I always have a Jane Thornley one on my wish list.

So while it would be interesting to learn intarsia, or broomstick lace, or Tunisian crochet, I COULD do that online.  I use Pinterest to seek inspiration; I find new ideas, designs, styles, and then work to adapt them to my own style of knitting or crocheting or felting.  I've recently experimented with short rows and needle felting.  I recently purchased a 1975 book called "A New Look at Crochet" by Elyse and Mike Sommer that surprisingly has a great deal of contemporary designs and ideas for freeform crochet - my ideal!

I am frequently inspired by the work of MizzieMorawez aka FridaKahlo on Ravelry, Myra Wood, Prudence Mapstone, and Mardi Alamudeen.

So that's it for today!  My motto:  Keep on learning no matter how!  Happy Learning!

3KCBWDAY4 - A Knitter/Crocheter for All Seasons!

THAT'S ME!  It helps to be such a knitter when you sell your work!  Your product has to offer something for everyone.  So I am constantly developing new ideas, new designs, new styles of old designs.....and on and on and on!  The creative process never stops and doesn't depend on weather or season.  To some degree it does depend on color predictions for upcoming season, so I always check with Pantone and check the design blogs to know what's 'in!"  But basically, I knit what I like AND what I think my client base will most appreciate.  And I always keep in mind that accessory selection, in terms of color and design,  is very personal, so it behooves any designer of women's handcrafted accessories to include a variety of choices.

 My customers are from all over the world!  My local gallery, Port City Pottery & Fine Crafts, is in a wonderful location in beautiful downtown Wilmington NC, in an historic building (The Cotton Exchange), near the river, the Convention Center, the Hilton, and lots of other desirable interest areas for touring and shopping.  So seasons are not necessarily a factor for my work.  WHEW!!!  Happy for that, because I like to work with all manner of fibers no matter the season.

And then there is Facebook and Ravelry and flickr (where I inventory ALL my work!) that have drawn in people from around the world.  I am happy to say that social media has been very good for my business.  This is a business of LOVE first and foremost - a love of knitting, crocheting, and felting!  But it IS a business too!