Adventures in Felting - Part I

Working on my next project now, a zippered, felted bag using Lamb's Pride worsted wool. For those of you that felt, you know that having a front-loading washing machine presents a bit of a challenge as most front-loaders don't allow you to stop the machine mid-cycle (thus controlling the felting process).

So I decided to approach this on a very scientific level and do some tests. I knitted up some swatches in different colors using stockinette stitch, using various needle sizes, then put my swatches in a pillow case (as has been suggested), put in a tablespoon of shampoo and 1/2 cup of white vinegar, then put it on the hottest setting and ran the cycle.

This is what came out.

Each swatch was crumpled up in a little ball initially. This is how it looked after flattening it out the best I could. Also, because each swatch was knit in stockinette, the edges naturally tended to curl, so the curled edge actually bonded to the main part of the swatch, creating a overly-thick edge. You can see this best on the top of the medium and navy blue swatches.

I'm not really happy with this first test. The felting seems irregular and lumpy. I wonder if this is because of the pillow case. Maybe the pillow case works best for larger items...or in a top loading machine. Next test I will try letting them float around inside the machine without hindrance. The other thing I will try is putting a few stitches/rows of garter stitch around all four edges to see if that doesn't cure the curling problem.

I also found it fascinating that the white tube swatch did a couple of things. Well, first it turned grey (duh) from being surrounded by it's blue-tinged buddies. And it didn't felt...just maybe got just marginally more fuzzy. So this little thing in my brain clicks and I just feel like someone has told me this before...that this white yarn doesn't felt. Can't remember who said it or if I read it somewhere, but whatever. The tube is the same exact size as before the wash and the other swatches shrank close to 50%. So, note to self and anyone else using Lamb's Pride wool to felt...not the best results with the pure white.

So on to Test #2.

Y.A.E.

Your first modeling gig young Isaac! Thank you for letting us pull at your little limbs as we coaxed you into the little red parka, made silly noises and faces, pointed strange electronic contraptions at you, then gazed at you in wonderment at how cute you are. You are a patient soul.

It's all good news. The baby parka fits an actual baby. It's funny, but I was secretly dreading that after all that work, it somehow wouldn't fit. It looked too small for anyone to wear. Cute as! And the hood comes down if baby wants his noggin' to get some sunshine.

A true Y.A.E! (Young Antarctic Explorer!)

Little Red

On the Ice, we sometimes refer to our parkas as 'Big Red.' Here's a few at work profiling a crack in sea ice.

Big Red...

...Little Red. Ta da!

It's complete with name tag embroidered onto white felt. This could say anything...the kids name, 'little red,' 'ice, ice baby' or whatever.

What parka would be complete without the 'Hoffman Patch?' It's the semi-official name for that rectangle of reflective material (3M makes it) on the back of parkas. It's called Hoffman because years ago the parkas didn't have the reflective patch on the back. During the Antarctic winter when it's dark 24/7, it could be darn difficult to see people wandering around town. Sure enough a guy named Hoffman got hit by a truck and broke his leg. After that, the reflective patches appeared on the backs.

Now you'll never lose your kid in the dark. Or you could hold junior up in the air and use for an emergency beacon!

This came out great. I'm very happy with it. Now the true test is to have a wee one model it, and I have just the tyke in mind; my friend's bub Isaac. He's brand new. Hopefully this will fit him since I kind of made up this pattern loosely based on another pattern. I'll post photos when I get them.

Getting There

I spent a good portion of today finishing the hood, adding the faux fur edge and getting the lining ready to install. It's looking more like a mini parka every day! Here's the lining pinned into the body and the hood. Just a tiny bit of trimming here and there and all I have to do is sew it in, and the zipper which I might have to run out and buy.


Once it's done, the last thing to do is test the fit on a suitable subject. My friend Vanessa just had a wee one called Isaac about a month or so ago, so he'll be perfect. Can't wait to see it modeled!

Should have the finishing touches done in the next few days. Stay tuned.

Lamb's Pride Joy

Oh the joys of new yarn! I ordered this armful for a special felting project and it is with such delight that I realize the colors are exactly what I wanted. That yarn that looks black is actually a deep, royal blue.

A lot of people love Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride worsted wool. It is 85% wool and 15% mohair and comes in a huge range of colors and is great for felting. It's lovely to knit too...it just has a nice feeling in the hands as you knit it and the stitch definition is really nice too. I buy my Lamb's Pride from Paradise Fibers. They have all the colors and ship internationally. You can also go to the Brown Sheep website -- they don't sell their yarn online -- but you can use the website for color comparison and to see the full range of yarns they offer.

I'm doubly excited to receive the Lamb's Pride color charts. Now I know exactly what colors there are and what they look like. No more guessing from the computer screen.

I see they have a range of yarns (right hand column of the right hand color chart) that have slight variations in color. They are just gorgeous! (They have separated each color with a line of black yarn.)

Why am I so excited about yarn? and knitting? I have no idea. I guess I just love color and I love doing something with my hands. And making something useful. It's all mixed up in a big ball of fun for me.

Arggggh!

I finished the hood and it was oh-so-cute!!

Only too small.

So I cut, and ripped and ripped and ripped. Alllll the way back to the beginning of the hood.

Starting over. It was painful, but I'm back on track.

Argggggh!

Shoulders, Sleeves and Hood

Little setbacks and a lot of progress and the baby parka is coming right along.

Here I have attached the back piece and the front piece at the shoulders using a great technique called '3 Needle Bind-Off.' It creates a very flat and tidy seam using two pieces that have open stitches at the top.

As you can see at the bottom of the photo, I have picked up some stitches on the side and have started one sleeve. I knit that out to about 5 or 6 inches then seamed up the side edges of the front and back together, then under the armpit and down the sleeve.

Close-up of picked-up sleeve stitches

As of last night, I have finished both sleeves and sewn the seam up the sides, under the armpit and down the sleeves. I had completed one sleeve when I discovered I had made a mistake in my math and made the sleeve too narrow. So I had to unravel it and start over. I don't like the feeling of going backwards in knitting, but sometimes it is necessary. The good thing is now I can count rows accurately and know exactly where I am when I rip out stitches and have to start over.

I picked up stitches around the neck, increased slightly and am now well into knitting the hood. It is interesting to me that if I were to cast off right now, I'd have a very cute sweater that has a cute little fold-over collar. So simple! Funny thing is, I have trouble thinking in 3-D so a lot of times I discover things in the process of knitting. If I were to try and figure out that collar without stumbling upon it while knitting, it would be very difficult for me.

It's starting to look like a bonafide garment now. Something wearable by someone. Albiet someone very leeetle.