Hey, all.
I've felted a few little things, but I've got a few questions (some of them dumb) and I *know* you lovely people can help me out!
1) Reading the Yarn Harlot has given me a healthy respect for my washing machine's innards (even though I do have a home warranty and I'd love to get a new w/d set out of them if I could). I'm thinking the "zippered pillowcase" she refers to sometimes isn't one of the mesh types that I've seen. Is this really just a pillowcase with a zipper on it? Seems like the cloth would impede water flow. Where would I get one?
2) If I knit, say, a purse with a little pocket on the inside, do I need to separate the pocket from the body of the purse while it felts, or will they felt separately? And, if I do need to separate them, what could I use?
3) What's the optimum size of a load when I'm felting something? My washer is a one-person size washer (basically, one queen-size sheet is a load). I'm thinking "one big towel" would be the right size for a felting load.
Thanks, everyone!
I've felted a few little things, but I've got a few questions (some of them dumb) and I *know* you lovely people can help me out!
1) Reading the Yarn Harlot has given me a healthy respect for my washing machine's innards (even though I do have a home warranty and I'd love to get a new w/d set out of them if I could). I'm thinking the "zippered pillowcase" she refers to sometimes isn't one of the mesh types that I've seen. Is this really just a pillowcase with a zipper on it? Seems like the cloth would impede water flow. Where would I get one?
2) If I knit, say, a purse with a little pocket on the inside, do I need to separate the pocket from the body of the purse while it felts, or will they felt separately? And, if I do need to separate them, what could I use?
3) What's the optimum size of a load when I'm felting something? My washer is a one-person size washer (basically, one queen-size sheet is a load). I'm thinking "one big towel" would be the right size for a felting load.
Thanks, everyone!
posted by:
|
SF Bay Area
|
-
Re: Felting help
Fri, September 7, 2007 - 11:13 AM1) You can use the mesh laundry bags. I use a pillow case with a zipper, and it does not impede water flow. You can get them at places like Target, Linens & Things, or Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Any place that sells sheets should have these.
2) If you knit a purse with a pocket and the pocket is to be sewn in, then felt them separately (ie, in 2 pillowcases - but it can be done in the same run through the washer). Sew the pocket on afterwards. See the knitty Satchel pattern - www.knitty.com/ISSUEsumme...atchel.html If you knit the pocket into the purse, just felt the whole shebang. Take it out every five minutes or so and separate the two panels of fabric so that they don't felt together. Just pull them apart with your fingers. Carefully. As you should be using hot water.
3) For the right size load, don't put in a towel. Put in whatever you're felting and a tennis ball. The tennis ball will help with the agitation and not wrap around whatever you're felting. Use the lowest water setting possible.
I've used this article as my directions for felting, and they have always come out fine:
www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinte...elthis.html
Enjoy!
-
-
Re: Felting help
Sat, January 5, 2008 - 9:28 PMOh if I can come late to this:
the reason for the zippered pillowcase, INSTEAD of a usual lingerie bag (the mesh laundry bag), is to keep the bits-o-yarn contained within the pillowcase, and not escape into the inner guts of your washing machine. The lingerie bag will not help with this, and you will get all kinds of messes in the washing machine.
I speak from experience! :) -
-
Re: Felting help
Sun, January 6, 2008 - 1:28 PMYeah, I was thinking of poor Mr Washie when I wrote this.
Don't tell anyone, but I'm keeping up my home warranty for a couple of years partly because of the likelihood of my w/d breaking down with the felting :) Well, that plus the fact that every house in my complex gets this wonderful pipe breakage underneath the kitchen floor and mine hasn't done it yet. So, you know, it'd be nice to have a little backup for when that happens.
-
-
-
Re: Felting help
Fri, January 25, 2008 - 7:45 PMHI! I felted my first project recently, it's in the tribe photo album, that turquoise messenger bag. I used a zippered pillowcase that was not mesh, it was actually a allergen barrier cloth pillowcase. The fabric is kind of dense and almost slippery, and it didn't affect the felting process at all. I also used one pair of old work jeans in the wash, which worked out fine and didn't take up a ton of room.
