2013 New Year's Eve Party!! 6th Annual!

[GrumpyGramma]

I'm goign to have to remember this...Earlier I messed up a line in my work and my husband said that was his cue to get up and take a shower! haha... I get really frustrated with mistakes and if I can't fix them...

Yeah, but he's not the one that will know it's there and that's all you can think of when you look at. *sigh* I try to take suzeeq's advice and remember the galloping horse.

[debminerva]

I love this, suzeeq posted it

Yeah, but he's not the one that will know it's there and that's all you can think of when you look at. *sigh* I try to take suzeeq's advice and remember the galloping horse.

I love that quote. I think it's one of the best things I have ever heard/read.

[Shandeh]

So, after seaming up the sides of your squares (remembering to leave an open hole at the top), it's time to felt!

You'll find several online articles about felting:

How to Felt (About.com)

Felt This! (Knitty.com)

But the best way to learn to felt, is to just DO IT!

I find that it's a quick, simple process.
I just wait until I have a load of towels ready to wash, and I place my knitted or crocheted item in a little mesh bag, to make it easy to find in the washing machine, then I toss it in with the towels.

I usually do it with older towels, because it needs to be felted in HOT water, with a COLD rinse. The temperature change and the agitation will cause the wool to shrink and turn to a solid fabric.

For our little project, just choose your favorite felting method, and go for it.

I tossed my little project in the wash last night, checking it every few minutes to see how it was coming along. When it was finished washing and rinsing, I threw it in the dryer as well, to shrink and felt it some more. As it was felting, I would put my finger down inside the little hole, to keep the front and back apart, so they wouldn't felt together.

Here's how it looks after felting:

2013 Felted by Shandeh, on Flickr


KH Felted by Shandeh, on Flickr

I really want it to felt a little more than that, so I think I will run it through another wash tonight. When I first finished my squares, they were about 4 inches across. After felting, they are a little over 3 inches across.

[GrumpyGramma]

I love that quote. I think it's one of the best things I have ever heard/read.

It kind of helps put things in perspective. Why am I knitting this? Is to make something perfect (then I should never start) or to make something useful for myself or someone I love? If I give it to someone, they sure aren't looking for a small mistake.

[Shandeh]

Dig those needles! And I love the colors as well. Super cute.

Those are my FAVORITE knitting needles, which I got on eBay, back when I first started learning to knit. I have no idea what brand they are, because there are no markings on them at all. But, they feel WONDERFUL in my hands.

[debminerva]

Everyone,

It has been a pleasure to welcome in the new year with you, but I'm am falling asleep at my computer.

I bid you all goodnight and best wishes for a prosperous new year!

[MrsKasiLou]

So I have what may seem like a silly question...BUT I've never known anyone else who crochets or knits...

When you have a skein of yarn do you roll it into a ball before you start to use it? Or just pull from the middle and leave it in the skein (long) shape?

[Shandeh]

Congratulations to sirenred74,
Winner of
Knitting From the Top Down
with Wendy Bernard!

[Shandeh]

So I have what may seem like a silly question...BUT I've never known anyone else who crochets or knits...

When you have a skein of yarn do you roll it into a ball before you start to use it? Or just pull from the middle and leave it in the skein (long) shape?

If you ask 10 knitters or crocheters this question, you will probably start a big argument, because everyone STRONGLY believes that their way is correct.

I never roll my yarn into a ball, if it comes in a center pull skein.

[Shandeh]

Happy New Year
to all our
Mountain Time Zone
folks!