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Basics of Felted Knitting
from: Deb St. George, Publisher, Tapestry-Crochet.com
There are a different styles and types of knitting. Of these various types of knitting, felted knitting takes more time than any other kind of knitting projects but it is lot less complicated. You are guaranteed that you will find felted knitting to be highly addictive if you are taken with ordinary knitting. Felting is a great way to unleash your creative energy and imagination. You'll be surprised with the number of things you can create with this technique. You can make hats, coasters, dolls, placemats, purses, slippers and a lot more.
The process of felted knitting
All-natural animal fibers are wool, alpaca and angora. The process of felting is about breaking down these all-natural animal fibers. Heat and moisture is induced to the fibers by putting the yarn in a washing machine. They are then agitated to loosen up the bond that wraps around the hair and ultimately makes each of the individual fabrics to expand. The felting surface becomes smoother because of it.
Basic guiding tips
The whole process of felted knitting is all about using combination of animal and synthetic felt. When you go to buy yarn, you have to pay attention to the percentage of synthetic ingredients in the yarn. Having not more than fifteen percent is ideal. While purchasing wool look at the label to see whether the wool is machine-washed or not. If the wool is machine washable then it is not good because it is less receptive. If you are using your washing machine for the felting purpose then be careful not to damage the machine. You should keep the yarns in a pillowcase or any bag with a zip closure. The loose fabric might clog the machine otherwise.
How to start
You can start by following the instructions that are provided with the pattern and complete the project. After you have completed the project get it ready for the felting process. While doing this, you should keep one important characteristic of felting in mind. Felting tends to shrink the project. So to get the right size, do not forget to make the original project larger than the required finished size. The general guideline that should be followed regarding size is 2-3 sizes larger than suggested. Gauge needles should be used. Test a swap to check for the required effect before working on the entire project. Just toss the small swatch in with a small load of laundry and check it for shrinkage.
Now you can look forward to making unique projects that will not only give you a sense of satisfaction but also enhance your skill.
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