In my creative space today I am hooking granny squares for pockets. I don't think I've got another granny square blanket in me, I haven't even finished sewing in the ends of my first one, but I do love hooking these little treasure collecting pockets.
I am pattern testing a cute little pair of ballet slippers. I have just finished knitting them in the softest, most luxurious organic merino wool this morning. Details here.But now its time to felt them and I need your help. What is your felting method? I've only ever done hand felting and I've heard something about a hot washing machine and a pair of jeans for agitation, but I'm not sure.
Help?
And of course I'm sewing some vintage sheet dresses for my shop. I love cutting and stitching these mixy matchy dresses. The colours and patterns and styles make me so happy. And I love dreaming about their new owners and hearing their happily ever after stories. Check out Tricia's here.
I hope this Thursday brings you some wonderful surprises.
See ya. XX
Those ballet slippers look really cute! I have felted using a hot wash and a clean/new tenis ball for aggitation - worked well for me. Good luck!
ReplyDeletecutest little slippers!
ReplyDeletex
how 'bout some vintage sheet mummy tops?
ReplyDeleteYou can't beat Granny Squares can you!! Nice slippers too. For felting I always put the articles into separate wash bags and add a sheet that needs washing or an old one that i've kept for felting. Don't use a tennis ball unless you put it in a bag also because the fluff does come off and then the sticky stuff gets on your machine PITA!! Put the machine on agitate and check the felting after 5 mins then every 2 mins or so to see how they are going. Usually they will felt quite quickly if they are going to felt well but sometimes it can take up to 20-30 mins. Just stay by the machine and keep checking and you will be fine. Have fun, I love seeing how things come together in this part of the process. Rinse in cool water and add a teaspoon of vinegar to the last rinse to neutralise the wool again. Wrap in a towel to absorb most of the water and then fill with bubble wrap to get the shape you want and leave to dry. :-)
ReplyDeleteace space Foxy! x
ReplyDeleteHow cute are those slippers?!!
ReplyDeleteI love that funky little dress :-)
ReplyDeleteI love the colours you're working with at the moment!
ReplyDeleteI've only felted wool rugs in the wash. On hot and then into the dryer. (the only time I had ever used our dryer)XX
Gorgeous goodies here as always, Kate :) Sorry I can't help with the felting but good luck anyway. Kx
ReplyDeleteI had a thought the other day about grown up lady skirts for the Everything shop ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love those slippers! and that's saying something coming from a purple hater! xo
ReplyDeletegreat slippers - I did wet felting in flat pieces for the first time - was great fun and i made what my boys call 'cow colour' - I guess I had better make a cow with it!
ReplyDeleteI totally hear ya on the granny square blankets..I love my squares but a blanket is crazy talk.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely adore those little slippers they are so cute!!!
As always you have an amazing space going on..:)
Wow felting sounds exciting! Don't think I'd be brave enough to put some handknitted shoes in the wash though. That's because it would takes me years to actually knit them in the first place!! Lots of luck.
ReplyDeleteI've heard hot wash and towels. Sounds like you;ve got some great advice up there already! Looking forward to seeing the finished slippers.
ReplyDeleteThe slippers are sweet - I have felted using hot wash and a tennis ball. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to see how the slippers turned out - cant help you with the felting as I have never done it. All those little dresses look so sweet, you must be so busy sewing at the moment!
ReplyDeleteThose colours are fabulous Kate! You know, I've been seeing soooo many things on granny squares in blogland over the last few months that I think I may have to hunt out all the ones I made....ooooh my! around 30 years ago....when I was courageous enuf to think I'd get something finished.....but never did!! lol. Thought maybe I could make a bag or two with them. mmm, maybe.
ReplyDeleteAll those great ideas above for felting should work well. I can't add anything to them. :) x
funnily enough felting methods came up at our 'stitch n bitch' group on tuesday kate as one of the girls wants to felt her knitted doll she's making. a hot wash and denim was the verdict but i'm intrigued by the tennis ball idea too though. please let us know how you get on.... though surely not the ballet shoes, i'm with sarah on that one!
ReplyDeleteHot wash, litlle soap, and a few tennis balls. No points for originality, but it works...
ReplyDeletelovely! talented happy creations xxxx
ReplyDeleteCan't help you in the felting world but I do love your slippers. I so wish they were my slippers as my feet are cold even as we speak.
ReplyDeleteI love crocheting granny squares too and really like them as pockets on your wild dresses. I second the idea of grown up dresses and skirts in your shop - that would be fun. I crocheted a pair of slippers at Christmas and felted them by hand, as per a class I took at Threads and More - soaked them in hot water, added lots of dishwashing liquid and then rubbed and rubbed and rubbed until they had begun to felt, then I rubbed them vigorously with a towel and then dried them in the drier. Worked fine.
ReplyDeleteWow you just do the cutest stuff, and thank you so much for your encouraging comments they really make my day. I just keep telling myself all I have to do is get through today one step at a time.
ReplyDeleteThose slippers are gorgeous Kate. I've never felted anything small and delicate like those, but regularly felt old woolen jumpers by throwing them each in a pillow slip, in a hot wash, with anything in a heavy cotton that looks like it could do with a hot wash (usually one of hubbys shirts). But with those slippers i'd be worried they would shrink too much using a machine felt. Unless you have a top loader that you can check regularly?
ReplyDeleteThanks to the link to my dress post. I'm glad you and the girls liked it x t.
Such sweet slippers, I'd be so interested to see them felted. I'm not an expert on felting but I've managed to felt a few things really well quite by accident. My method was long hottest machine wash and then hot tumble dryer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip on Leah's new shop, it was such beautiful synchronicity. : )
Oh I wish you lived next door. I need a crochet teacher/guru/instructor/helper big time. My grand crochet aspirations don't match my skill!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful dresses, and very sweet slippers :-)
Sweet abundance, as usual.
ReplyDeleteI felt with hottest setting, and an old towel, to help with agitating the fibers together. Sometimes I do it more than once.
I've hot washed with jeans and felted, but depending on the yarn it's taken one to three goes.
ReplyDeleteI reckon the mixy matchy thing you have going there means every new dress feels like a whole lot of different (types she with the attention span issues).
Don't know anything about felting. I have a friend who does hand-felting lessons...but not me I'm afraid (another thing I can't do...yet!).
ReplyDeleteLove all your vintage fabrics...just adore the colours and flowers :-)
xxxCate
Aww gorgeous little slippies. My mama makes the most beautiful knitted garments for the bubs and kiddies... she even knits adult jumpers, but they take her too long, so she prefers the itty bitty clothes.
ReplyDeleteThose granny squares are delightful, I especially love the colours in the picture on this post.
I love seeing what fabric combinations you come up with as well as the emotion that goes in the making of and sending away to a new life. I dont know how to crochet but I do definitely know about felting things.! P xo
ReplyDeleteI can't help you with the felting but the slippers look very cosy!
ReplyDeletegranny squares for pockets. now why didn't i think of that....
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