How do I know when my project is fully felted?

jenarita · 02-20-2007, 03:43 PM

Sorry if this has already been asked, I looked around but did not see the answer to this question.

I am a fairly new knitter, and am working on my first felted project.

My question is, how do I know when it is finished felting. I have washed the project twice now, and am definately seeing the felting effect, and it is shrinking quite a bit, but I am not sure that it is finished felting, and am afraid to do my trimming down to size if it is not finished.

Thanks so much for the help, and again, I apologize if this has already been answered elsewhere!

dustinac · 02-20-2007, 08:45 PM

pretty much you just felt it down till you can't see the sts anymore and its the size you would like it to be... you are in control when felting...

Jan in CA · 02-20-2007, 08:46 PM

Are you using very hot water, low setting with a pair of jeans? That is the best way to do it. Check regularly to see how it's doing.

As far as when it's done that can be somewhat personal choice. I felted my bag till there wasn't any stitch definition and it felt sort of.. hmm thick and solid..not like knitted fabric.

alexv · 02-21-2007, 02:21 AM

I'm a pretty new knitter about to felt for the first time too. I've tried felting a few swatches before knitting the project (clogs, obviously

I'm a bit confused as to what exactly the final felt should look like. In the samples I've felted, the stitches disappear under the felty fuzz, but I can still sorta make them out when I press the fabric between my fingers. Should the felting turn the knitting into a homogeneous mass where the stitches complete dissolve? Or is what I'm getting what I'm supposed to be getting? (Somebody also mentioned that some 100% wool yarns felt better than others, depending of how they've been treated in production, etc.)

Well I hope this isn't long and insane.

Thanks!

jenarita · 02-21-2007, 05:55 PM

Thanks so much for all the tips.

I went back to Michaels last night (where I bought my yarn) and looked at their felted sample. Mine is looking pretty good.

Is it normal that different sized peices felt differently? My largest peice looks the best, while the 4x4 gague swatch seems to be felting the least.

They have all been done exactly the same.

On another note, once I have seen how a yarn will felt of one color, do I assume that all yarns of that brand will felt the same?

Thanks so much for the help!

Jan in CA · 02-21-2007, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by jenarita

On another note, once I have seen how a yarn will felt of one color, do I assume that all yarns of that brand will felt the same?

!

If it is exactly the same yarn you can be fairly certain, but some colors, especially light ones, don't felt as quickly or as well I've been told.

There are differences in felting speed between brands for sure though. You pretty much always have to watch each project carefully to see how it works out.