Hat With Geometric Pre-Felt Embellishments- Part 2 of 2

The hat is rubbed and rolled in every direction...

                                                ...and turned inside and out...

                           ...until it begins to thicken and shrink to the proper size.

                              The colorful cotton dots (embedded in the yellow wool)...

                                      ...become increasingly visible during fulling.

                                    After forming pleats in the top third of the piece...

                                           ...the hat is left to dry on a hat form.

                                  Because they were leftovers from earlier projects...

               ...some of the pre-felt pieces sport embroidery thread embellishments...

                        ...and others are comprised of a layer of silk gauze and wool.

                                                            The hat interior.

                                    With so many colors on board in this project...

                                ...it's possible to choose which section to 'feature'...                  

                                                          ...while wearing it!    

                                                           The finished hat.

Hat With Geometric Pre-Felt Embellishments- Part 1 of 2

Applying pre-felt embellishments to the resist surface...

                              ....covering them with two thin layers of merino roving...

                                              ...and wetting the project out.

                                             After flipping the hat to side two...

                     ...pre-felt embellishments are again added to the resist surface...

             ...and the wool 'rays' from side one are wrapped up and around the resist.

                                            Side two is then covered with roving.

                                             To make the hat opening tidy looking..

                                     ...I fold the wool in at the bottom on each side.

                                                     Mid-way through felting...

...colored fibers from the pre-felt additions...

 ...are beginning to migrate through the white wool.

                                                    Removing the resist.

                                                Next time: the finished hat!

"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.

Charleston- Part 5 of 5 (Making Felt!)

Removing the resist and turning the hat right-side out.

                                           After additional rubbing and rolling...

                                                ...the project nears completion.

                                                     Blocking the finished hat...
                                              

                                            ...on an upended spackle container.

                                               (Hand hemming will come later.)

                                          Continuing the 'blue and white' theme...

                        ...my friend combines white merino wool and bright blue silk hankies...

                                       ...to make her first ever wet-felted potholder!
                       

                             Her granddaughter seems rather pleased with it, too! :)

                                                                             
                                                  Next time: it's Christmas!