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Felting..............its so unpredictable like Crohn's

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Posted 10/10/2007 7:57 PM (GMT 0)
       I've been working at some Fibre art recently and discovered wool fibre, felting to be exact, it is so unpredictable just like Crohn's it truly is.   I'm still at the experiemental stages and yesterday attempted a scarf............well the less said about the end results the better except it needs a little refining oh and if anyone is in need of a good sturdy neck brace, just ask.

Tess

Posted 10/10/2007 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
Keep it up! I have a beautiful bag a friend of mine made me to go with a new coat I got 2 years ago. She knit it and felt it in a wonderful argyle pattern. Only problem is I got sick right afterward and lost about 50lbs and can't wear the coat. sad She did give me the instructions so maybe I'll try it. It could be a great winter project. You've inspired me!
Posted 10/10/2007 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
I love to knit!  I made a small purse to be felted about a week ago.  I just need to sew up the sides and then throw it in with the next load of jeans.

Knitting is a new hobby for me, so everyone in the family is getting scarves for Christmas.  I made a scarf for my sister-in-law from a really pretty self-striping yarn in various shades of pink and tan.  And then I found out that her winter coat isn't tan as I remembered.  It's red.  Whoops.  So now my uncle's girlfriend is getting it instead!

Posted 10/10/2007 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
That reminds me, the last time the Red Soxs were in the World Series, everyone got scarves for Xmas. I couldn't just watch the games, I had to keep my hands busy or I would go nuts. Its been a few years, everyone must need new scarves, right? Maybe felted ones!
Posted 10/11/2007 1:06 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry Gemini Kiwi- I couldn't help the pun of Fibre Art on here! Ha! Ha! Ha! Wool fibre seems a perfect description for some on here too! I do however crochet!
Posted 10/11/2007 1:52 AM (GMT 0)

i crochet and knot like crazy but the only theink i make is scarves:)  its the only thing that i can do! what kind of yarn do you use to felt and do you knot it tight or loose stitch. i have had no luck with it but i think i may have been using too loose a stitch.

have fun!

bunny

Posted 10/11/2007 2:48 AM (GMT 0)
To felt you need a non-superwash wool yarn.  Patton's Classic Wool is supposed to felt well, and I think it's on sale at Michael's this week.  Or maybe that was last week.  I don't remember for sure- check their website.  I know their Chunky Shetland Tweed is on sale this week.  I'm making a scarf for my dad out of that, and loving it.  It's coming out really cushy and scrunchable.  Love the texture.  And I love the tweed because you get little flecks of different colors in the yarn as you knit.  I have an unnatural love of varigated and self-striping yarn.  I just love to watch the colors change as I work.

Posted 10/11/2007 2:39 PM (GMT 0)

me too the varigated ones are my favorite. im a huge fan of striped myself, all my scarfs have lots of stripes :)

bunny

Posted 10/11/2007 4:57 PM (GMT 0)
OK all you knitters....how hard is it to learn how to knit when you are an "old dog" like me? I learned how to crochet from a pamphlet. I am trying to duplicate a good friend's "Nana slippers" that I was told were crocheted. I can crochet the back half of the slipper, but couldn't figure out the front...someone then told me they were knitted.

Is knitting easy to learn? Is it possible to look at something and make a pattern from that? If I can duplicate these slippers, I'll send them to all of you...they are they only knitted slippers that I have found without a seam or hard spot in the bottom!
Posted 10/11/2007 6:38 PM (GMT 0)

My grandmother taught me to knit when I was about 7 or 8.  It's not hard at all.  This website has free instructional videos: http://knittinghelp.com/ 

Posted 10/13/2007 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hello all, GeminiKiwi, I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you're from NZ like me?? Maybe in NZ?? I have had the same disastrous felting hiccups. I asked around recently for some wool that will felt properly that is available in NZ. I sent Ashfords an email and they say their tekapo yarn knits/felts very well. Another one i was recommended is John Q wool. Although I understand that pure wool (and some mixes) that insist on handwashing (ie, not superwash, as bektold suggests) will work to varying degrees. Apparently even different colours of the exact same yarn will felt differently though! I have a couple of balls of ashford tekapo, and i'm going to try out some sample stuff soon.

On this extremely interesting subject, how do you guys find chronic illness and craft go together? I started knitting, felting, crocheting - whatever really - alot when i got ill. saved me really. i couldn't walk up a flight of stairs, and I needed 14 hours sleep, but I could knit!! When I got arthritis in my hands I was really annoyed. that's under control now too, so back to the craft!! (Sorry FIBRE ART). very appropriate.
Posted 10/13/2007 5:47 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Crohn'snz,
Yes I live in the Wairarapa, where abouts are you? The felting I'm doing is not with knitting, its felting the carded wool, I don't knit at all. I've always done Art/craft work and since being diagnosed haven't had my creative juices flowing much at all, I am just now getting back into my work. I think it can be very therapeutic to have a hobby of some kind this disease can take over every aspect of your life, I find if I'm working on a new piece I get very absorbed in my work for me that's good. I have some Arthritis in my thumb joints and wonder if I can get back to the very intricate work i used to create, I certainly don't have the dexterity I used to have. A friend in town has given me some Alpaca fibre from her herd so scouring and carding it will be my project for the weekend, our weather has been dreadful all week I'm so over all this rain.
Tess
PS there is also another kiwi on board helliewellie, she's down in CH CH.
Posted 10/13/2007 8:58 PM (GMT 0)

gemeni,

i have always wanted to try felting like that and have never had the opportunity (ha or the money to get it started!)  what kinds of things sdo you make?

side note: im an artist i went for my BFA in undergrad and i have a masters in art education and when i first got crohns it was the only thing that got me thru, the only thing that took me away. then my bipolar went crazy and after that it was like it was all gone! i couldnt do it or even get to feel like doing it  i was totally uninspired. it was awful. but now im starting to draw again and it feels good. i feel so out of practice but it feels good to be back in.     but the on things i have done this whole time is crochet and knit. i cant knit traditionally (just never could) but i use this knifty knitter loom and i love it so much, i have SO many scarves!!! thats all i make is scarves and sometimes i make gloves but thats it.         annnyhowww thats what gets me thru and these hobbies really do help a lot. im glad that others are getting a lot out of them too.

bunny

Posted 10/13/2007 9:13 PM (GMT 0)
When I am on high doses of prednisone it is either knit or constantly do my nails. I need to keep my hands moving. If I'm not crafting, I'm eating and that's a bad thing. Since I'm pretty low on the prednisone now, I've backed off a bit. But all this talk of crafting has gotten me wanting to get going again. I'm going to pick up my needles tonight and start something, anything really, just to get my fingers going.
Posted 10/14/2007 6:33 PM (GMT 0)
GeminiKiwi, I'm a bit down the line from you in Wellington!  I've just added to my fleece collection with a purchase of corriedale from trademe, all twiggiedale's colours, 50gm of each.  I just can't wet felt in Wellington - have to do it outside cos of the mess, but the wind is too annoying. I've been needle felting and wet felting little wee bits at the kitchen bench.  I've just borrowed a great book from the library - Felted Jewelry, author Candie Cooper.  Some wonderful ideas.  I think I like to craft too cos then if people want one thing to say about me it's that she's a geeky crafter, not that she's sick or something. 
Posted 10/14/2007 6:48 PM (GMT 0)
hey Crohns'nz,
My Husband works in Wellington, I bought some carded Merino last week from The wool shed up in Ohakune, I ordered it that morning and it was on the doorstep the very next day and we are rural delivery, but I've found the best shades of wool down the road from me called Kane carding in Greytown, she prefers to do mail order but her colours are so nice.
I know what you mean about space, I'm hinting at having the hay loft in the barn converted to a studio workroom, well I can dream and keep buying a Lotto each week. I bought a drum carder yesterday my arms and hands are so sore from using hand carders. I carded a little of the Alpaca fibre, its so soft but I seemed to get a lot of static and it wouldn't get off my hands.

BUNNY,
I really like to felt wall hangings, it very much like painting with wool. I've always worked in fibre but right now I'm going trhough a wool and silk faze. Your knitter loom is it one in a circle or a portable loom, I may have a go at spinning my wool eventually, my neighbour has a wheel she never uses, I'm keeping all the sheep fleeces this year, usually the shearer sells them on for me. A friend in town has Alpaca's she hass 19 now and needs to sell a few I watched a video on you tube on shearing them, not for the faint hearted, you need several big burley blokes to get them down for shearing.....................I don't think so.

Tess
Posted 10/14/2007 9:30 PM (GMT 0)

gemini

its a portable loom i love to use it. i really am going to try felting soon as i can get the resources together. what do you think would be a good first project? also i know id obviously need the fibres but what is afforadle and easy to work with, and i know i need the needles but is there anything else i need? what do you use for backing?

bunny

Posted 10/14/2007 10:13 PM (GMT 0)
Bun,
It depends on what you want to make, you have to practice an awful lot but you learn from each mistake. LOL. If you purchase any carder wool but Merino, its the best to work with I"ve found. I don't needle felt, but for the other type of felting you'll need bubble wrap or small bamboo placemats, soap muscle for the rolling process and of course space to work. Check out you tube for methods, and your library.
Tess
Posted 10/14/2007 10:38 PM (GMT 0)

thank you gem, im defnintley going to check it out

:)

bunny

Posted 10/15/2007 1:42 AM (GMT 0)
Bunny, Have you checked out that site called ETSY, its full of Artists selling their wares and creations. You should list some of your work their once your up to speed with things again.
Tess
Posted 10/15/2007 2:20 AM (GMT 0)

thats an awesome site, what a great way to showcase your work! theres some really cool stugg on there! do you put work  up on there?

bunny

Posted 10/15/2007 5:03 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Bunny,
I only came across this site recently, I've been out of the loop for a couple of years now but I used to list my work through ebay.
Tess
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