I was looking through my baskets of yarn and other random things and found a knitting project I had started last year. When I started it, I thought it was going to be really easy. The knitting part was but the rest, well that’s where I struggled. I started up on the project again a couple weeks ago so I could finally finish it. The project was this cute little make up bag that you knit then felt. I had never felted anything and thought it would be simple and easy.
So I knit the bag part and butterfly and got ready to felt.
If you are an experience felter, you may know what is going to happen… I put them in my washer with hot water and on the highest agitation setting. (I was just going off of a show I saw as far as what to do.) I let it run, checked and it was the same. Then I remembered that if you add a pair of jeans or something that it would help. I put in some maternity jeans I had in the laundry room and kept on going. After a few cycles it definitely started working but I did notice something. It was shrinking like crazy!
So here is what my end results were… FAIL!
A few things I learned after this little experiment…
1. Follow the pattern exactly! I stopped knitting when it looked like it was the right length for the bag and not the amount of rows it said. I probably only knitted half of the rows I was supposed to!
2. Research how to felt a little more before I just try it
3. Use jeans that don’t matter or are pre-shrunk.
If I ever get pregnant again, I probably won’t be using the ones I used for felting due to some major shrinking. I feel like such a dork. I want to try this project again when I have more confidence and patience
On the plus side, my daughter likes the butterfly and is using the “bag” as a little bed for her animals. So maybe it wasn’t a huge fail
Does anyone have any good tips or techniques for felting?
Lisa Hendrix Simmons says
No such thing as a crafting "dork" I assure you! It's called experimenting and sometimes it just doesn't turn out right! Keep trying and yes, you probably should have knitted all rows it called for, but hey, you don't know until you try!
Jo says
I use old wool jumpers from a charity shop or my own when they are bobbly and wash them on the hot setting. I makes felt that you can cut out without fraying, missing out the whole knitting part – is that cheating?! Jo x
http://joeveryday19.blogspot.co.uk/
Ana BC says
Very nice! I want to try felting some day…
Hindustanka says
This was a nice try – this is how we learn, right? So next time you'll avoid mistakes you made now. Nevertheless, butterfly still looks good 🙂
Hazels Crochet says
I have never tried felting before, but thing is…you have managed to felt it. I think if you knitted the correct number of rows you will be jamming the next time 🙂 The butterfly looks super cute!
Nicole says
Horray to your daughter for making the best of it!
It doesn't look too bad, it would made a good pencil case or crochet hook case? If you add some detail to the butterfly I think it will look great!
Don't be disheartened x