I love the excitement of putting this humongo knitted thing in the washer and taking it out in a completely different, yet usable, form. Call me crazy. I love it.
So when my friend Marissa found this adorable felted purse pattern and made herself this purse, I wanted in, as well.
I had just purchased some beautiful black superwash wool and had a ton of black eyelash yarn from an abandoned project. Why make another hat? I would make a fuzzy black purse instead.
It knit up in hours. I was ready to felt. But not before Acacia could examine the fluffiness of my knitted item.
Here's what it looked like pre-felted:
And here's what it looked like post-felted:
Funny. They look exactly the same.
And that's when I learned this important point: Superwash is secret knitting code for "doesn't felt."
Not with one run in the hot cycle. Not with two. Not even with THREE and an overnight soak in hot water.
Superwash. Washable yarn. Go figure. It's treated so it doesn't felt. Yet I missed this concept entirely.
The black, fluffy, stretched out non-felted purse is now in the trash. I couldn't even bother ripping it out.
Now I've got the right wool and I'm starting again...
Cascade 220 felts nicely. I know. It's what Marissa used...
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6 comments:
Hard lessons. One of my girlfriends bought old sweaters from Goodwill to felt and sew and discovered that not all wool products felt.
I, on the other hand, was suprised after washing my first handknit pair of wool socks to find out that they do. Gah.
That is a hard lesson. Another lesson to save you the trouble: white or light (some pale whites/beiges) colored yarns don't often felt because of the bleach used.
oh hells bells!!! tough break kid!! That sucks so bad.
I'm also doing the purse. in pink 220 and lighter pink fizz.
yayyaa!! Good luck.
I would have LOVE that non-felted bag. It was cool. Sorry to know it's been buried at sea, so to speak.
Dear Anonymous:
That bag is still at the bottom of my trash, as trash night is Thursday! And I'm sure another washing won't do it any harm. I will the the edges restitched a bit, those didn't take the felting process very well. Let me know and I'm happy to fish it out! :-)
I purchased some superwash a few weeks ago to make a hat for my grandfather - spent the extra $$ for superwash because I knew that he wouldnt be willing to handwash an item. Then I found out that he doesnt like the color combo I purchased.
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