The Joy of Felted Knitting
Felted Knitted Hats and Flower Pins
Felted Knitting
I discovered felted knitting during a long, dark west coast winter. To keep busy, I picked up my knitting needles, but I didn't want to make the usual hat. I felted it and wow ! I loved it - although it was tiny (I adjusted the pattern). The transformation was amazing. Felting a project takes knitting to a whole new dimension. Plus, It's really gratifying to shrink something on purpose! I am always excited to see what a project will look like after felting - it's quite magical! The technique is quite simple, but the results are amazing.
An appealing effect
There are several methods for felting wool and I am in awe of artisans who felt unspun wool - I've seen some truly beautiful works made this way. I learned to make felted (technically, "fulled") things by knitting and crocheting them first - supersized to allow for the shrinkage - then felting them in the washing machine. I had to use what I had on hand and I think that is the beauty of this technique - supplies are easy to get and the process is pretty straightforward.
Knitted Hat Before and After Felting
What is Felted Knitting? How does it work?
An overview
Simply put, a knitted project, made with wool is "processed" (I used my washing machine) and the knitting is transformed into felt-like material. This means the wool fibers have locked together and the item becomes more solid rather than made up of individual yarn stitches. The item can be felted a little or a lot - the more it's felted, the smaller and more solid it becomes.
Imagine your wool sweater washed in hot water - Yikes! It has been felted!
Here's How Felting Looks Before and After
See The Transformation!
Before and after photos of a pink wool hat I knitted then felted.....
Who's Felted? - Have you tried this technique?
Why do it?
I am hooked on felting for so many reasons. It is very satisfying and I can honestly say I enjoy every piece I make.
- Felting is easy - no special equipment required
- A felted knit is more durable - it can't unravel
- You can reform, reshape or re-size
- It's warm and insulating
- If it goes horribly wrong, you can cut it and use pieces for applique or sewn together
Have you tried felted knitting?
- Hats
- Flowers
- Slippers
- Totes
- Tea Cosies
- Trivets
- Rugs
- Toys
- Mittens
What to Choose to knit and felt
Projects to felt - Some knitted felting ideas
There are many projects which are perfect for felting. I sometimes find large knitting projects too intimidating or never seem to finish them (guilty) - it's so easy to buy a dozen balls of wool and a gorgeous pattern, the first few rows are enjoyable, but then it gets harder and harder to keep going - these small knitted and felted projects provide almost instant gratification. I made close to a hundred coasters and trivets for Christmas - they were super fast to knit and looked amazing when felted.
My Foray into Rug Hooking
Here's my hooked rug and hooked picture. They're made with fabric strips. I made 2 rugs, and don't know if I will make another one. The hooked picture went a little quicker, and I have since made 2 more. I might make more.
The rug is an example of a craft I tried and found quite laborious - although, I loved the results.
Felted wool products on Amazon
Related Lenses - For More Info, Look at These...
- The Easy Method for Felting
This lens tells you how to felt the easy way!