Episode 39: Felt me

Episode 39: Felt Me (33:40)

This week, in three acts, Jenny and Nicole use their shrink ray to turn giant wool things into reasonably-sized wool things.

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs
Fuzzy Feet
KP Merino Style (7 skeins!)--felt for 12-15 minutes
Soy Wool Stripes--felt for 4-5 minutes
Harold!
Kitties!
French Market Bag
Meema's Marsupial Tote
Moorish Lattice Cardigan
Curiously Clever Clogs
Drops pattern page (search felted patterns)
Drops slippers: clog-ish, slipper-y, and boot-y
Suki
She Knits for felted purses and patterns and podcasts

Music
Dig Me Out: Sleater Kinney
Confirmed Must Ride: Continental
Phantom Limb: The Shins

Comments

[Steph]

I think that the Felted Clogs is one of my favorite patterns EVER!!

One way I used random balls of yarn in this pattern was to tweed the ugly colours on the foot. For most pairs I made, I tweeded black and brown I got in millends, then picked the pretty stuff for the top.

When I started knitting, it was in the middle of that stupid novelty crap phase, and got a signifigant amount (not compared to the rest of the stash, but considering it's novelty. . . ). I used that on the cuffs of the clogs for the girls, and as far as novelty yarn, it looked pretty effing cool!

[Steph]

So, I posted the last comment before the show was over and I HAD to say one more thing.

Koolaid will never come out. In my not so distant past, I was at camp and someone decided it was a good cheap way to get neat colours in your hair by using koolaid. So I dyed the front chunks of my head in red. Very red.

To make a long story short, I tried everything to get it out and the only thing that worked was to cut all my hair off (a year and half later). The shit didn't even fade!!

[Leslie]

great new episode! first, i LOVE she-knits too!!! (her designs have, i think, intarsia -- not fair isle -- which is why i've been scared to try one, even though they're totally cool!) you guys have inspired me to finally knit the felted clogs. i'm also eager to do the "malabrigo loafers" -- check them out on ravelry -- so cute!

[Kaity]

Yay for felting!

I was wondering, since I don't think I heard in this episode, what else you threw in the washing machine with your felting items. Towels? Jeans? Anything?

[Janice]

Another great episode, thanks! So Jenny, did you say you made an XL men's clog? I thought the pattern only went up to L=size 13. I needed to make a clog big enough to fit a size 14/15 so I charted out the pattern and sized it up. Wasn't sure if that's what you did or not.

I love the felted clog pattern, especially because the clogs are so ridiculously large before felting.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/bogiebogie/felted-clogs-ac-33

Thanks again,
Janice

P.S. Thanks for mentioning me in your last podcast! I feel so honored when you drop my name. lol

[Kathryn]

I've been searching for felted clogs/slippers for Christmas gifts and I ran across this lovely pattern at ravelry! It's free and uses handspun.

http://www.pippikneesocks.com/blog/fireside-footies/

[Jenny Girl]

I just (like yesterday) felted my first project, a booga bag, and you are right, it's cool to see how they turn out. But, my bag came out a lot smaller than I thought I would. Granted I didn't follow the pattern exactly,(duh), but it won't stop me from trying it again. Another great and timely episode.

[Deborah]

I agree with Jenny - Manos is too pretty to felt! I think it's much more striking unfelted. Felting it just blends all that beautiful variation into something dull by comparison.

[Jessica K.]

I find it amazing and wonderful that as soon as I do something for the first time/think about doing something for the first time, you guys make an episode about it. My 1st Clapotis? Finished just in time for the Wildfire Knits episode. My 1st felted tote bag? Ta-da! Enter this latest episode. And let's not even get into the Ravel Rock timing (deeply, depely obsessed there for a week or two, or seven... but I'm better now, I think).

Anyway, I really liked the music choices in this episode. We will miss you on the long(er) break. Do lots of fun things so you can come back and talk about them!

[Carolyn H]

OK, now I'm convinced. There is a "Knitters Collective Unconsious"...the last few episodes I 'wondered' because, geez, I was thinking about the same topics the week b4 listening to the podcast. Now this past week I knitted up my first felted slippers (fuzzy feet)..love 'em...then I listened to you guys and it was a little wierd, women, uh ha...yup, there is something goin on with knitters...ha! Great episode, as always!

[carolyn]

omg...i just read the comment b4 mine from Jessica K...see??? that's so funny!

[Shannon]

There is a really cute pattern in the new craft magazine that uses squares of colors - excellent for those odd balls of color! Called Easy House slippers. They look like harlequin elf shoes!

[Mary]

Check out the Elf Slippers by Ziina on Ravelry. They are sooooo cute, I think you'll like them. Sorry to hear that you'll be gone for a bit, but I totally understand. I just look forward to you so much! Jenny, I am an RN too and listen to your podcast on lunch break from my ICU/ER job. It refreshes me, thanks for the wonderful podcast.

[Vanessa]

Hi ladies! I just had to tell you that I've been listening for a couple months and I am now officially caught up on all your episodes. Whew! I am one of those who mostly just buys for specific projects, so I don't have much of a stash, but I tell you, after listening to your podcast I get so much yarn lust I want to run out and buy skeins and skeins of fabulous hand painted yarn just because. (Totally opposite effect than that intended, I know.) Luckily, I live far far away from a LYS so spontaneous purchases can be curbed.

[Vanessa]

Hi ladies! I just had to tell you that I've been listening for a couple months and I am now officially caught up on all your episodes. Whew! I am one of those who mostly just buys for specific projects, so I don't have much of a stash, but I tell you, after listening to your podcast I get so much yarn lust I want to run out and buy skeins and skeins of fabulous hand painted yarn just because. (Totally opposite effect than that intended, I know.) Luckily, I live far far away from a LYS so spontaneous purchases can be curbed.

[Vanessa]

Hi ladies! I just had to tell you that I've been listening for a couple months and I am now officially caught up on all your episodes. Whew! I am one of those who mostly just buys for specific projects, so I don't have much of a stash, but I tell you, after listening to your podcast I get so much yarn lust I want to run out and buy skeins and skeins of fabulous hand painted yarn just because. (Totally opposite effect than that intended, I know.) Luckily, I live far far away from a LYS so spontaneous purchases can be curbed.

[Michelle]

Love the podcast!

I've got the yarn and pattern for the clogs I guess I ought to go make them!!

[Eileen]

Loved the podcast as usual!

What is the song used at the very end of the show?

[Cat]

Hey Jenny and Nicole,

thanks for the podcasts, they're great! I've been catching up in the last weeks cause I only found you on iTunes at the end of November, but now I've heard every single podcast (uhm, twice). Of course you need time off for the holidays, but please come back with more great ideas:)

And a question: you both seems to have jumped in and knit sweaters from the get-go. I've been really knitting for about 4 years, obsessively for about 2 (even though I learned in school at age 7, and i'm 27 now) but I've NEVER knit an entire sweater. Any tips for a newbie-sweater knitting project? I was thinking doing an EZ thing to my measurements, but that may be too complicated...

thanks,
Cat

ps: I just put a picture of my stash on my blog.

[T2]

Listening to this podcast helped turn a hellish commute through a blizard into... OK it was still a hard drive but at least I had good stuff to listen to!

[Elizabeth]

Loved the episode. Had to go out and get the clog pattern, because you left me so intrigued! Wonderful pattern and almost done with my first clog. Thanks for the inspiration--I've jokingly mentioned your podcast in my blog because every time I listen to it, I find another project I have to knit. Drop by and see what I call OPP. Or Other People's Projects.
Keep on podcasting!

[Sally Villarreal]

As someone who spends a lot of time in craft stores, I can vouch that Patons markets SWS for felting. They even have felted swatches on display.

Also, you may be able to shape the felted stuff if you stretch it over something when wet. (Thinking blocking.)

Also, when following a pattern, it helps to knit a good size swatch, measure it, then felt and measure again. Do some math and you can predict shrinkage. (The swatches make good coasters.)

Also, you may have noticed, knitting felts more vertically than horizontally.

Now I want to knit these weird slippers.

Double stranding probably will work ok (or at least ok-ish.) The problem is if you do half in one yarn, and half in another. You risk one shrinking way more than another.

My felted purse:
http://flickr.com/photos/22231134@N00/363973590/in/set-72157594490904973/
pre-felting:
http://flickr.com/photos/22231134@N00/363973587/in/set-72157594490904973/
My own design, with help from here:
http://www.kissyourshadow.com/stripe_maker.php

[Sally Villarreal]

I used the word "also" a lot in that last post, didn't I?

[Kyle Minor]

I am finally getting around to hearing this ep... people, you HAVE to see the picture of the pre-felted slipper:

http://jennycheck.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/12/10/dscf1968.jpg

It is GIGANTIC in a way that isn't even described with the word GIGANTIC! I totally want a pair of these. Amazing!

[ThePaintedTiger]

I just found your podcasts, and they are great. I admit I started with this episode because of the kitty! Abyssinian? Anyway, beautiful, and enjoyed the podcast. I'll be sure to come back and visit!