[maryanne]

I had an interesting day today. Didn't know whether to have a heart attack or my nervous breakdown first. I have been felting sweaters every week, absolutely no problems.
Today I decided to felt three red sweater someone gave me. Two were ordinary every day looking and one was a nice looking expensive label. All of them were 80% lambswool and 20% nylon. A little nylon is not bad, but sometimes it bunches and the effect isn't so good . I had just felted a 100% lambswool yesterday that turned out prettier than when ite went in, no problems

To make my long story shorter, they not only did not felt at all, they disentigrated in the pillow cases. Badly. There was fuzz every where when I took them out. Had to clean
the whole kitchen. The expensive one was the worst. Had to throw them all in the trash.

My motto: NEVER AGAIN NYLON

 

[Bethany]

thanks for telling me that/ i am almost finished with my first bag and getting ready to felt it. i will make sure not to use any nylon.
sorry about your sweaters.
Bethany

 

[maryanne]

Thanks, Are you going to put up a picture when you finish? Would love to see it.

 

[prettyroses]

How is felting done? I tried to felt a crocheted flower to add to a hat. I soaked it in warm water, but nothing happened, the flower was the same as before when it dried. Appreciate instruction how to felt.
Amelia

 

[aljellie]

How is felting done? I tried to felt a crocheted flower to add to a hat. I soaked it in warm water, but nothing happened, the flower was the same as before when it dried. Appreciate instruction how to felt.
Amelia

First make sure your flower is crocheted with wool or another animal fiber. Felting requires hot water and agitation. If you don't want to use your washing machine for such a small project, try putting a drop of dish washing soap in the water, wear rubber gloves and use water as hot as your hands can stand. Then rub away until the definition between the stitches is not visible and reshape your flower as you like. That should do it. Good luck!

 

[maryanne]

Since you are going to felt your bag, you can felt the flowers at the same time. Here are the instructions for felting.
Set washer on lowest level, hottest water.Throw in a couple of old jeans and a very little bit of soap. Put your project in a zippered pillow case cover. Use a heavy duty cycle for max agitation. Since flowers are small, I would put them in a small mesh bag inside the other bag.You should check it every 5 minutes and when it begins to felt, watch it closely because it can go from almost done to overfelted almost instantly. It is ready when the stitches disappear.

Do not let it go thru the cycle. Squeeze as much water out as you can and plunge it into cold water in the sink. Rinse it,squeeze ir, and use as many towels as it takes towick out as much water as you can. Work with it like clay to shape it and block it as necessary to dry.
use whatever it takes, boxes are good for purses.

 

[maryanne]

Also never let it go thru a spin or rinse cycle. Only animal fiber will felt, but any blended yarn must be at least 50% wool. If you have not felted the yarn you are planning to us before,it is necessary to do a swatch and felt it before you begin your project.

 

[multicrafter]

Can you felt in a front loading machine?

 

[mama-gail]

Yes you can felt in a front loader although I've read several places that you can't. I only have a front loader and the problem I have is my husband won't let me put the water heater hot enough to get a good sturdy felt. I know it is the heat and not the front loader because a good friend felts in her front loader and it felts great when she puts it on sanitize. Mine, alas, doesn't have that option, it is very basic. Momma Gail

 

[maryanne]

NO unfortunately. You can't open it to check it so it could be under or over felted. Also if it has to spin before you can take your project out, it could be ruined by getting permanent creases.

 

[bigtrud]

I suppose there are different front loaders but I can open mine. I just push the button in to stop it, wait a minute for the door to unlock, then I can check it. I just ran my pair of slippers all the way thru (hot wash, cold rinse) twice. Second time I added a couple of blue balls with spiky things on them(supposed to go in the dryer to fluff without softener) but tennis balls would have worked. After that I STILL had to pop them in the dryer for a bit. I watched them very carefully as I did that once & my slippers ended up going to a grand monster.

 

[maryanne]

I am glad you machine works for you.it's so much fun to felt I would feel bad if you couldn;t I read an article that said that there was a difference in the felt if it just shrank due to high heat and that friction acheived better results. Also that air drying slowly set the shape better, I don't know i've never felted any other way than described above.

 

[Nandan]

OK, FELTERS UNITE!!
How about turning up the water heater when he's away, that way you can do your felting. He'll never know...you can say you had to heat up the water (on the stove, haha) and you can have a good laugh to yourself. Then, be sure to take a nice hot shower...enjoy the luxury of it...turn down the hot water heater before you take the shower (so you don't forget to turn the heater back down) and use up all the hot water. If you turn it down before you shower, you will have enough hot water.

I do keep the hot water tank turned down, which really does save on the monthly bill and will turn it up to run the dishwasher and shower. I have found that if I let the hot water tank heat back up, then turn it down, I will still have enough hot water for a shower the next day. Women have to be clever!

Also, to save on electicity, I put practically everything on a power strip. I only turn on what I need. If everything is plugged into a socket, like lamps, clocks, computers, toaster, etc., it is still drawing electricity. Power strips in off position don't!

If you can't figure out how to turn up the hot water heater, write down the model and make of the heater, search on line for instructions. There is no need to be afraid when you turn it up, as you will hear a little poosh sound which only means the pilot light has been triggered to heat the tank. You can do it!! You will not hear the same noise when turning it down.

Then, what do you do with the money that you saved on gas and electric?? Only one answer...it's always best to spend that saved money on what???!!!....more yarn? Enjoy!

 

[maryanne]

Go girl go!!!!! I have an electric kettle ready to use if necessary,

 

[Nandan]

Oh, here's a chuckle. My first beautifully stripped "purse" was put thru a rinse and spin...because I was told to. Well, I still attempted and did make a purse for my daughter. I had a hell of a time trying to get the needle (of any size I might add) to go thru the fabric to attach the handles. So, out of desperation, I took a wood board and a nail and hammmmmmmmmmmmered a hole. Well, I think that was my biggest flop in a my many (oh, I meant few) years of crafting. In retrospect, it would have made a great hot mat. Live, learn and.....don't repeat! LOL

 

[mama-gail]

I must confess that I have been turning it up a bit at a time. But your suggestion of turning it up when I felt is good. I'll do that the next and report back. A mission for felting! Momma Gail

 

[Nandan]

Aha....I am laughing at you. "Boys" have their little perks that they take advantage of and so should us women!! GO MOMMA, GO! I'll be ready to hear the next report! Nancy

 

[tpmcgoo2]

I shouldn't laugh but had too...I have done that too and decided to not use more than 5% nylon...has to 95% wool and even then sometimes it just did not felt well. Sure is fun though isn't it?! I got some sweater panels froma thrift store that felted so beautifully. I've just about used them up..darn.
What do you make with your felt? Have you ever stitched up slippers with it?

 

[maryanne]

Not slippers, bur I have made pot holders and mitts, trivets, ipad covers, all kings of totes and purses, cell phone holders, lined boxes, lots of things... It's great for needle felting.

 

[Bethany]

i will depending on what it looks like when it is finished.!
i am now knitting the strap for the bag.
i will take a picture of before and after.
bethany