Recycled Materials

I have been busy at work creating new things. I continue to remain enamored with felting and look for new opportunities to sharpen my craft.

My newest project is working with with recycled materials to make felted items. I cannot wait to display my latest works of art. So far, I have created a hat and about 5 change purses. My husband, keeps looking at me quite oddly, but has yet to comment. Whenever he sees the finished product, I think he likes it, yet he questions the concept of "recycled" materials.

If you use recycled materials let me know and send pictures. I would love to post them.

Pink Felted Purse

Felting has become my new second love. Here is another one of my felted creations, made from 100% wool yarn. As before, I hand knit the purse, then felt it. Once dry I added what I believe to be the cutest little buttons in orange, pink, and purple.

My favorite aspect of this Pink Felted Purse is the handle. A double handle that resembles a vine, captures my heart every time I look at it. It's the perfect size for a little girl - with not much to carry around.

Let me know what you think!

AHA I Felt

As I sat down to write this post I recognize that I am a "tad bit" biased considering I sell TABI Hats creations there. Nevertheless, one of my new favorite sites...Etsy allows fellow members to create lists of 12 of their favorite finds created by fellow Etsians. This list is called a "treasury". While browsing the treasuries this morning, I came across "AHA I Felt". A treasury chock full of absolutely amazing handmade felted products.

My favorite is pictured above.

Call For Bloggers

I am contemplating creating a Blogging Team for my TABI Hats Blog. I would like the Blog team to focus on knitting/felting/crocheting topics. I am specifically interested in children - toddler and baby items, however, mom and baby is nice spin. I possible am open to other similar topics with the right spin.

If you are part of a Blogging Team I would love your feedback:

• What do you like/dislike about being part of a Blogging Team?
• How/when are new posts approved?
• If you started a Blog Team, how did you decide upon your team members?
• Etc.?

Your thoughts?

Next Felting Project...

I am so excited about "Autumn Leaves" that I have begun another felt purse. Can't wait to show you the results.

Also, I plan to felt flowers. I haven't been this excited since...well since yesterday when I posted "Autumn Leaves" on my Etsy site!

If you have any felted flower patterns that you absolutely love and desire to share, please let me know. I am on vacation and anticipate the onset of a felting frenzy!

Autumn Leaves - Felt Project

I am so excited to say that I finished my first felted project! I have named it "Autumn Leaves". I had so much fun creating this little purse. I believe it is a perfect size for a little girl to store her favorite candy, tissues, and precious odds n' ends.

Check out the flat leaf buttons. I think they are adorable and perfect for attaching to add additional detail.

Stay tuned - there is more to come!

(Glorious Hats...you inspired me!)

More "Free Felted Patterns" Pictures

Click on each picture to obtain the free pattern!

Felting Patterns and More

My insatiable desire for knowledge led me on an Internet search for felted purse pictures and patterns. Lucky me, I happened upon the site called Free Felted Patterns.

This easy to navigate site boasts 451 free patterns accompanied by pictures of the finished project. Some of the patterns are available in .PDF format for easy viewing, printing and saving. Not to mention many of the pattern links actually link you to another blog or website with more knitting and felting information. Free Felted Patterns is a portal to an abundance of information.

Another nice thing about the site are the pattern selections. Many are knitting patterns, while others are crochet patterns. There are mittens, purses, backpacks, house slippers and more. The practice of felting has opened for me, a new world of creativity.

I am excited that I found this site. There are so many ideas to choose from that I simply cannot make a decision. Visit Free Felted Patterns and let me know if you found the site as exciting as I did. If you use one of the patterns send me a comment, I would love to feature your finished project.

Click on each picture to obtain the free pattern!

Project Status

Well, the good news is that I am almost finished knitting my purse. Yeah!!!! I need to close the bottom of the purse and knit the shoulder strap. Double Yeah!!!!!!

I can't wait to begin the actual felting process. I am SO exciting, but moving slow. I started an MBA program this week and balancing school, work, knitting, family has been challenging this week.

Soon I will have pictures...

A Project! A Project!

Online I found this Easy-Does-It Series book called "Easy Felted Knits". It contains 7 projects.

After reviewing, I became inspired. Last spring, I made a knit purse our of worsted yarn. I decided to recreate the purse out of the orange wool yarn I purchased from Yarns and Fabrications.

Since I recently started I have nothing to report yet. The project is very easy and if time permits I should finish this weekend.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...

It's Official...

I am officially ready to make my first felting project! Okay almost ready...the recycled yarn I ordered from Crafty Yarns arrived today. Also, the same weekend I ordered from Crafty Yarns, I purchased additional wool yarn from the quaint little yarn store near my house...Yarns and Fabrications.

What an awesome store! Not only do they offer lessons on knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, felting - the list just goes on and one. They carry really unique yarns and fabrics.

Anyway...I am off to select a project to actually felt. Continue to wish me luck.

Accepting The Challenge - Yarn Purchase

I'm calm...I'm decisive...I've decided to proceed with the felting project. I purchased recycled, lambswool, sport weight yarn from Crafty Yarn.

Here is a little information taken directly from the Crafty Yarn site about recycled yarn:

"My yarns are recycled (unraveled) from gently-used, high-quality sweaters. Color and texture are very important to me and I only work with sweaters made from lovely yarn.

About knotted ends: the short version is that your skein of yarn probably won't have noticeably more knots in it than any new skein might. The long version: if the yarn is made primarily from a fiber that will felt (wool, cashmere, angora, or any other animal fiber), then I felt any ends within the skein together so you don't get extra knots. If it's a plant or synthetic fiber, skeins may have up to two knotted ends, but many will have one or none. In any given skein, there may also be a knot or two that were in the yarn from the original manufacturer.I determine the length of my skeins by creating measured hanks, not just by weight, so you can be confident that the lengths I give are accurate.

All yarn has been gently unraveled, wound into skeins and hand-washed with a mild eco-friendly soap. After washing, the yarn is hung outside to dry in the warm California sun, leaving it soft and fresh. During this process it will have relaxed somewhat, but will probably still be a little kinky from having been knit up (but never so much that it won't be easy to knit with).
Each of my skeins is individually labeled with fiber content, wraps per inch, yarn weight, precise yardage and weight."

Now, I am off to find a felt pattern/project to use my yarn. Wish me luck!

Information Overload

Perhaps I was a little ambitious about this felting project. I conducted an Internet search thinking..."this will be great! I'll just find a project I like, pick up some wool yarn, follow the step-by-step instructions, and viola! I will have created a beautiful purse or hat. Just like that!"

Instead I have a discovered a new world of options that I never realized were available to me. There are books for beginners, intermediate, and expert felters, websites and blogs with added commentary, yarn specifications, patterns galore, SHEEP and WOOL TYPES? What am I supposed to do with all of the information? Presently I am feeling overwhelmed...

Can I find everything I need to know all in one place wrapped up in a cute little bow?

Last night I was excited to find yarn that I like, but now I am afraid to purchase it. The massive amounts of information have paralyzed me. I am in unfamiliar territory...once I purchase the yarn I have no idea what to do next. During my Internet search, I happened upon The CraftGossip Blog Network which contains an entire section devoted to felting. The site is an excellent resource, however fortunately or unfortunately I have yet to decide, it contains links to many additional resources. (I am trying to prevent a meltdown, therefore less is more.)

First things first, I will look for information for beginners only...

Making Felt

My research about felting led me to a website call All Fiber Arts, where I found the following step-by-step instructions for making felt.

You can make your own felt easily, in your bath tub. To make a 20" square piece of felt, you will need :

1. A flat surface to work on that you don't mind getting wet.
2. Access to hot water. An electric kettle will work fine or a hose attached to your hot water tap.
3. Approx. 5 - 6 oz. of pure wool roving (For this project I used dyed merino wool top.)
4. Laundry detergent (dry or liquid)
5. Several towels
6. Straw beach mat

Felting Instructions:

1. Place some towels onto the flat surface or floor and place the straw beach mat over the towels.
2. Pull the clean wool roving into small sections, about 4 - 6 inches in length, depending on the wool staple.

3. Place these wool pieces onto the beach mat, spreading the wool evenly across the mat.

4. Lay the wool pieces all in the same direction - vertically, and overlap each piece slightly, until the beach mat is covered, creating a 24" square.

5. Sprinkle on a thin layer of laundry detergent.



6. Lay another layer of wool roving over the first layer, but in the opposite direction (horizontally).

7. Sprinkle the layer lightly with a bit more laundry soap.

8. Repeat the above steps, until the wool batt measures about 1.5 - 2 inches in height.You should have about 4 - 6 layers of wool, each alternating in direction.


9. The top layer can be decorative. Use different coloured wool roving and even bits of yarn for your design.

10. Add a bit more laundry soap.

11. Fold the remaining length of beach mat over the fleece batt and roll up the beach mat.

12. Fill the bathtub with 1 - 2 inches of hot water.

13. Immerse the rolled up beach mat in the hot water, and turn it, to wet the wool thoroughly.

14. Roll the beach mat back and forth, working your hands evenly across the mat.

15. Keep the mat rolling in the hot water, turning it over, for about 3 - 4 minutes.It is heat and friction that causes wool to felt, not pressure, so you don't need to press really hard.

16. Remove the mat from the bathtub, and unroll it gently onto the towel.The felt is quite fragile at this point, so gently lift it from the beach mat, and turn it 1/4 turn.

17. Re-roll the beach mat and place it back into the hot bathtub water. If the water has cooled, drain the tub, and refill with hot water. Roll and turn the beach mat for another 3 -4 minutes.

18. Repeat steps 13 - 17 approximately 3 or 4 times. Test the felt by rubbing it with your finger. The fibres shouldn't move and the felt should be quite thick. If it is still soft, Repeat steps 13 - 17 again.

19. Remove the felt from the beach mat and rinse in cool water.

20. Roll the felt in a bath towel, place it on the floor and stomp on it (barefoot) to remove the excess water. Lay flat to dry.

For more information about felting visit All Fiber Arts. Remember, this is the process of making felt for use in other projects. There are actual felting project that begin with already created knit products like the purse and pin in my previous post To Felt or Not To Felt. Stay tuned for actual felt projects...

To Felt or Not To Felt

About a year ago, I learned about a process called felting. At that time, I was not interested in trying this myself - it seemed too complicated. However, one year and a few months later, I have decided that now is the time. Therefore, this weekend's project...FELTING!

My next few posts will be dedicated to felting...What is felting? How do you felt? Why I want to felt? What yarns are the best to use when felting?

The attached pictures are felting products from Whirlwend. They are absolutely adorable! This at least is the answer to "Why?" I want to felt. Felting gives you another creative outlet.

What is Felting? Very simply, felt is matted wool. Wool becomes felt when it is subjected to moisture, heat, and pressure. Hot soapy water makes the wool slippery, and causes tiny scales on the fiber to "open up". The scales prevent the fibers from backing up again after they slide across each other; with agitation, the fibers get hopelessly tangled together. When cooled and dried, the scales close and lock the wool into the tough, durable material we call felt.

Useless, but fun fact: If domestic sheep were not shorn, over time their wool would felt or "cot".