I finally finished the other one of these.
This is actually the first time I felted something I knitted. I think it went ok, although with my front load washer I had a bit of a time stopping the cycle to check progress. It kind of has to be all or nothing.
Which leads to the reasons that one is slightly smaller than the other. Somehow I knitted the right one bigger than the left one. I should never be allowed to knit 2 of anything that are meant to be worn together! Anyway, to compensate for it’s larger size, I threw it in for any extra wash cycle to felt it down. It kind of worked! The size got closer but it looks more felted, too.
When I showed my husband the finished pair I babbled on about the whole process pointing out all of the imperfections and my inability to knit/make something without flaws. He just looked at me and said, “They’re handmade.”
Oh yeah.
I’m glad I married him.
I would be interested to hear more about your experiences with a front-load washer as you do more work at your new house — I decided to start some felting projects just as we moved into a house with one, and I’ve heard they don’t work as well.
ho!! les chaussons bien chauds pour l’hiver qui arrive
What an adorable and wise comment from your husband 🙂 the charm of handmade* They look so comfy, perfect for winter…now I understand why they invented variable time washing machines.
yay! green footsies !!!
i don’t have a front loader, and i’m amazed that anyone can get enough agitation from one to felt.
what i really should say is, “i don’t have a washer … or dryer” … and i go to the local laundromat.
and sometimes, the water is HOT HOT HOT. and sometimes the hot is tepid.
and sometimes, i wait to felt elsewhere.
i think i may need to felt some footsies as well … perhaps, if i do, it might actually turn away summer and bring on the fall =)
i *love* green !
Betz,
The pillows are lovely. I really like them. Very cool and very vintage!
Oh, pretty slippers! I’m envious, I wish I could make something like that. I really want to learn how to knit, but I have no teacher.
I’ve just found your blog. It’s amazing. Ooh so many things I want to make now, just have to give up work to fit them all in. Your book is on pre-order – how much longer have I got to wait? Not sure if I can wait. Though I have many virtues, patience is not one of them!
I recently made my husband a Wedding Anniversary card using hand-dyed cashmere that I knitted into little hearts. His reaction? All he said was ‘cheapskate’. I’m sure he meant it as a joke, but I have yet to see the funny side of it.
I don’t do much knitting for felting anymore now that I see how much easier it is to cut up felted sweaters.
I use from front loader to do sweaters, but when I do have handknit things to felt, I take them to my mom’s and use her top-loader.
what a sweet comment!
Don’t swap that man for anything. nice making too.
Lindo,lindo teus trabalhos!Adorei!Parabéns!Abraços.
Holy green slippers! They look cute and toasty.
I love your slippers! You can buy leather soles for them to make them last longer and be safe on wood floors. I have found that you can felt in the sink with a plunger and hot water. Working and squeezing the items makes them felt perfectly!
I just love your slippers. I have a pattern for some, and I think you might have inspired me to make some for myself.
I just recently bought a washer, and got a top loading one in order to felt – the sales guy didn’t really understand (at least my husband did).
🙂
Claudia