More felting

I've been felting again.  As usual when I take up something new I get a bit carried away.

I made this little phone pouch from wool leftover from the bag.  I added rings to it so that the bag handles from the larger felted bag can be attached to it so it can be used on it's own as a small bag.  I also added a hook inside the large bag so that it can be attached so I can always find my phone when it rings!

 That was the success story.

After that I remembered the bag of fleece that my dad gave me last year for spinning (which I never got round too).  It's been washed but has sat around in a bag for a long time now.  I thought I would try felting with it.

 So I carded a load of it and laid it out round a template to create a pair of slipper boots.

 Unfortunately it didn't felt well.  It eventually did felt but seemed to have stretched, and no amount of dunking in hot water, cold water and rubbing made it shrink.  

I'm not sure what the problem was.  Perhaps the wool needed more washing before felting or perhaps it wasn't good felting wool (it was a rare breed cross but I'm not sure what breed).  Probably both combined with my novice felting skills.

But it hasn't put me off - I've ordered a book called Felting Fashion, and I am eager to try some more projects.  So watch this blog over the coming months.

New Slipper's

My felted slipper boots, which I made many years ago are finally beyond repair.  I took off the leather soles to darn the holes (for the umteenth time) and then thought better of it.  I had a magazine from a friend just after Christmas and ever since I have wanted to crochet the slipper's from it. 

The pattern size was unfortunately a bit too small for me, but after a few attempts and a change to the hook size I have managed to get them coming out the correct size.  The yarn was again taken from my 'inherited' stash and is one of my favourite colours.  When they are complete I will put a leather sole on them as this protcts the slippers from being damaged too much by the tiled floor in my kitchen, they also stop me slipping on my wooden floors.

In progress

Dispite having a sticking bad cold, I have started the teal cardi, well more of a sleaveless bodywarmer type thing really. Its a really chunky yarn and I'm knitting it up in reverse stocking stitch with a cable up the front. It's knitted in one piece, split for the armholes, then I shall finish the shoulder seams with a three needle cast off and pick up the armhole edging with a circular needle and rib a few rows. Then pick up the sitches round the neck edge and make a hood (continuing the cable design). It will have a single closure at the neck, but I can't quite decide if this should be a button or a kilt pin ar something else.

I have also been making some prototype material slippers. My friend at work had a pair that she bought ages ago that were nearly falling to pieces and she asked if I could make something similar. So I had a bash. These are prototype No. 2, and still not quite right but they are getting there - and are currently on my feet. I took prototype No.1 into my friend on Thursday and she didn't take them off her feet all day. Not bad for a first effort.
I think I have worked out the next set of 'adjustments' but I have got to find the time to make prototype No. 3 to see if they are better. I doubt I will get time this week as I am going away on Friday (to brothers in Devon) and really want to make a new pair of trousers before I go. I have this lovely peice of brown and a new pattern I know I said no more brown - but it goes with so much stuff that I have). Hopefully will be able to cut out this weekend. I won't be able to have Sewing Sunday as I have other things to do, but I will try to make time during the week (in the evenings) to do the sewing.

Pumpkins and presents

Here are the pumkins, and thats not quite all of them. Rain delayed collection of the final few, and I couldn't quite fit them all into this picture (even though I stood on a wall to take it). Most of them will be given away or sold to raise money for the allottments - where some of them were grown.

As usual I eagerly await the next seasonal product and then after a few weeks of eating nothing but it, I'm heartily sick of it. However it's the start of the pumkin season and I eagerly spent my afternoon making the season's first pumpkin pie and stuffed pumpkin (stuffing mix made with lentils and chilli's and tomatoes - we have a glut of the later two items as well).

Enough of pumpkins, now for the presnts.

The slippers for mum are finished and have been completed with a crochet edging and crochet butterflies, I was going to add flowers but daughter said that she thought it should be butterflies. (there are two slippers but could only get the butterfly if I photographed from the side.)


There was pleny of yarn leftover and so I made a pir of fingerless gloves and matching scarf for a birthday present.




and here's the birthday card

Must add a little thank you here to daughter for being a hand and foot model for the gloves and slippers in the above pictures.

gloves and in-progress

Here are my finished fingerless gloves and snood.

And here is the first 'in-pogress' present. It's a pair of slippers for my mum's birthday - I can say that as I know she doesn't follow this.

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