Hi, folks! I have been training like a madwoman these last few months and time that would normally be taken up by handicrafts like knitting, crocheting, sewing and painting clogs has been sucked up by running.
Not that I resent the time, especially since I enjoy running so much and it gives me time to get in touch with myself and listen to my tunes (especially the Cherry Poppin' Daddies!) Here's a link to the music portion of their website: http://daddies.com/index.cfm#Player
And here is a picture of them (I have a slow, simmering passion for the lead singer--HOT HOT HOT Steve Perry!):
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Aaanyway, I've been hankering for a hands-on project, especially with the cooler weather setting in. So, I recently read Ken Follet's "Pillars of the Earth," which describes the process of felting or "fulling" wool fabric to shrink it and make it thicker and more durable, in detail. Then I looked up a felted knit beret pattern in a book by Bev Galeskas. It looked pretty cool, so I decided to give it a try.
However, when I went to my local yarn shop, Northwest Wools, I discovered that they offer a very wide selection of wool roving--cleaned, combed wool in all the colors of the rainbow! So I decided to try my hand at making a felt beret the REALLY old-fashioned way: by agitating the wool fibers with soap, hot water and friction.
I found this awesome Threadbanger video outlining the process, and also visited THIS amazing, comprehensive website: Felting Lessons.
So, here is a visual record of my felting journey!
I used: 4 ounces of teal wool roving
6 cups of hot water and 1/4 cup of liquid soap
A corrugated cardboard circle 8" in diameter
A smaller cardboard circle about 5-6" across
1 yard of fine net tulle
Scissors
A rolling pin
A hammer
Here are the materials:
And here is the cardboard resist, covered with thin, criss-crossing layers of wool roving (both sides):
The next step was to sprinkle the tulle-covered resist with hot, soapy water and gently massage:
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More massaging:
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Then I used the rolling pin to mat the fibers together even more. The hammer, pounded on both sides of the resist in concentric circles, REALLY did the trick! Finally, after cutting out the hole for the head, and removing the sodden cardboard circle, I rubbed and scrubbed the bejeezus out of the beret in the sink:
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That puppy sure did shrink!! It started out measuring 16", but after fulling it, was 11 1/2 inches across.
After rinsing in warm, then cold water, and soaking in a solution of 2 tablespoons of vinegar to 2 quarts of water, I wrung it out, shaped it, and let it dry.
And here it is:
Ta-DAH!!
Do a happy dance! So now I have a terrific, water-resistant, warm hat that will last for many, many years for a total cost of $13.50 ($12 for the roving and $1.50 for the tulle). HUZZAH!!
Okay, back to marathon training. :D
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