Sheep wool – a simple, yet complex thing.
Spin it into a strand, ply the strands together: yarn.
Spin it into a strand, warp a loom, weave with it: fabric.
Pile it up, wet it down, stomp the bejaysus out of it, scrub the thin spots and boil it in hot water for better results: FELT.
(So deliciously violent to make!)
The history of felt is long: Roman soldiers put masses of combed wool inside their sandals to cushion their feet – and the heat, pressure and (ahem!) moisture formed felt insoles for warmth and comfort. Mongolians – clothing, boots, artwork and their own portable gers (what we call yurts): all made from felt. From before the Bronze Age on, felt has been an important material of civilization. For a further, more technical overview of felting history, check the article here: www.straw.com/tan/felt.html. Or here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felt.
Felt is technically made with loose wool fiber. Knitting something and then deliberately shrinking it is technically called fulling, but who cares about technicalities? Knitters call it felting and felting it is.
Miss Allen LOVES to felt stuff. From hats to mitts to booties to the endless pleasure of purses of all sizes, you just can’t beat knitting up, with many many skeins of wool yarn, a grocery sack-sized item and then tossing it, DELIBERATELY, with awful, trembling enjoyment, into hot water in the washer to have it shrink, firm up and become A Thing You Made.
However, it is my understanding that some of you, still, after all the patterns and classes that are available in the world , remain “felt virgins”. I understand this. I do! It IS extremely hard to commit several hours of knitting (along with a couple of skeins of precious wool) to the merciless agitation and hot water of the washer. After all, this is the worst nightmare of any knitter who has worked weeks on their beautiful sweater – to have someone throw it. IN THE WASHER. ON PURPOSE. TO SHRINK IT!!!!
Yes, this is a horrible thing to happen to a sweater. But, please. Just this once, on size 10 ½ needles,
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Knit a good-sized swatch, about 30 stitches by 30 rows, of 100% worsted weight wool and…
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Toss it, just toss it! into the washer with hot water, NO bleach, and some other item (not towels, they will leave lint all over your swatch. Better yet, place your swatch in a zippered pillow protector!) .
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Take it out after 10 minutes or so. Can you still see the individual stitches? Toss it back in for another 10 minutes. (You may have to reset the washer for further agitation.) Take it out. It’s transformed from a floppy loose piece into a solid firm fabric that has SO many possibilities!
There are dozens and dozens of patterns available for every felted thing under the sun, along with a multitude of yarns that can be used for felting. Why deny yourself the delight that comes with picking a warm, damp mass of wool out of your washer, giving a shake and realizing that you have created a fuzzy tote or warm hat? Felt now, felt often – history is on your side!
