"Hurrah For Hats!"- Part 2 of 2

Once the resist is removed...

...the hat is turned right-side out...

                                                 ...and the felting continues. 

                                                         'Making a point'. ')

                                                        As the hat shrinks...

                                  ...it's regularly checked against a hat form for size.

                                    The finished hat has a lovely, pebbly surface...

                                   ...and the yarn has virtually 'melted' into the wool.
                 

                                                          The felting process...                                  

                               ...bends the strands of yarn into interesting designs.

                              

                                         The hat interior with hand-stitched hem.

                                                   My friend's sweet daughter...

                                               ...modeling the hat 'her way'!! :)

"Hurrah For Hats!"- Part 1 of 2

Adding lengths of boucle yarn to the resist surface...

                                    ...and covering them with two different colors...

                                                   ...of soft, merino roving.

                                                    Wetting the project out...

                                                    ...flipping it to side two...

                                         ...and adding yarn to this side, as well.

                                                      On the second side...

                              ...the roving is added in a slightly different orientation.

                                                Rubbing and rolling the piece.

                                                   Mid-way through felting...

                                                 ...the hat begins to shrink...

                                                ...and the resist is removed.

                                                  Next time: the finished hat.

'Animal Print' Bedroom Slippers- Part 2

Once the resists are removed...

...the rubbing and rolling continues...

                                          ...until the slippers are fully felted...

                                                        ...and the proper size.

                                   Leaving excess silk, as I did, during the layout...

                               ...(to wrap around to the second side of the resist)...

                     
                             ...left fewer 'silk-free' areas than in this recent project.

                                    Because I made them as a birthday surprise...

                                      ...I had guessed on my friend's shoe size...

                                              ...but I'm very pleased to say...

                                  ...that they fit 'as if they were made for her'! Grin.

                        I added lines of 'puffy paint' to the slipper soles for traction...

                     ...and as long as she can keep them from becoming 'chew toys'...

                                             ...I think they'll be quite useful!! ')

'Animal Print' Bedroom Slippers- Part 1

Topping slipper resists...

...with rectangles of silk in an animal print...

                           ...covering just the resist area with a layer of wool roving...

                                           ...and flipping the project to side two.

                           (Remember that the silk is between the resists and the wool.)

                               Wrapping the silk and wool around to the second side...

                                        ...and adding additional layers of roving...

                  ...(plus lengths of bright yarn to keep the sides 'straight' in my head).

                                           Wrapping the wool around the resists...

                                   ...and adding additional layers of merino roving.

                                                     Wetting out the slippers...

                                   ...and proceeding to rub and roll them for a time.

                                                When they pass the 'pinch test'...

                                                 ...it's time to cut them open!

                                               Next time: the finished slippers.

Is it a Scarf or a Table Runner?

Laying out a layer of warm brown wool roving...

                                                       ...and wetting it out.

                                               A layer of white merino is next...

                                         ...(laid out in a perpendicular direction).

                               Handspun wool yarn is applied to the project surface...

                                                     ...as an embellishment...

                                      ...and thin wisps of white wool are added...

                                                   ...where yarn crosses yarn...

                                                       ...to help it to 'felt in'.

                                                    Mid-way through felting...

                         ...the colored wool is beginning to migrate through the white.

                                         The back side of the scarf/table runner...

                                             ...and the yarn-embellished front.

                                            The completed project (back side)...

                                                               ...and front.

                                              I made this project as a Christmas gift...
         
                       ...and because it can be used in either of two disparate ways...

                                        ...I left it up to the recipient to decide...

                                              ...'scarf or table runner'?!?!! :)