Wednesday 20 February 2013

Felting and shrinkage

Can you guess I am trying to felt a match for the one in the centre? The hat is a first attempt on double pointed needles. Out of the weird coloured wool I found in Guildford for £2 the other day.


I realise now I should not have said I'd make a matching felt cuff for the customer. Judging felt shrinkage can never be an exact science!

We know that wool shrinks by approximately one third when felted but wool from different breeds of sheep shrinks differently and the way you felt it affects shrinkage. The strip in the middle is a soft felt the two outer strips are hard felted. They are robust enough to be cut into the soles of slippers. Not what I was aiming for! I'm starting again.

Meanwhile the hat looks better felted. I knitted a tube on my double pointed needles then crocheted around into the crown then felted it. Shame I can't do anything about the colour!




5 comments:

Fibre frenzi said...

love the hat!

Carole C said...

Hi Jenny
I love the hat too !! x

jenny said...

Well what do you know?!!

jenny said...

I just realised that my comment above may sound rude.I meant it in the sense of well there you go, I am surprised!

CaroleC said...

Haha....none taken !!! x