Fiber Arts and Creative Friday: Share Your Tutorials

Discover Creative Friday over at Natural Suburbia where you can share a crafty tutorial old or new. I decided to link up on Creative Friday with my tutorial for my knitted and felted mini bag.

With my tutorial you can knit this...

And change it into this...

I had fun creating this tutorial, even though it was more work than I expected. Craft Gossip.com featured it. And, I have it up on Ravelry as my one and only design. Three Ravelers have actually chosen it as a project which I think is a hoot! I'm soon going to have a page on my blog for the pattern alone.

Any tutorials to share? Anyone know of other places on the web to share your creativity?

I'm sure there is a ton of fiber creativity over at Wonder Why Gals. See you there!

Happy Tutoring!

Revisiting A Past Finished Object: Day 6 of Knit and Crochet Blog Week

Here I am on Day 6 of Knit and Crochet Blog Week revisiting this finished object:

My purple felted clutch was finished last fall. I didn't really have a plan for it's use. I stuck some crochet hooks in it and shoved it in a drawer.

Then, one fateful day my son wanted a case for his Nintendo DS. I couldn't bring myself to pay the price wanted for a poor quality vinyl case. Idea! What about the clutch?

Problem. Would a thirteen year-old want a case for his cool Nintendo DS knit by his mommy?

Answer: Yes!

He thought it was the "coolest" idea. He was so excited to have it. Apparently, his friends agree as to its coolness. In fact, I believe it is actually "epic". The purple colour must increase its cool factor.

I just like seeing him so delighted to use something created by his mom.

Happy Day 6!

Hand Felted, Needle Felted and Ready to Go!: My Mini Bag Unveiled

Ta Da! It's kinda cute, if I do say so myself. With a smart white vintage button and a  bit of needle felting on the flap, my hand felted plum mini bag is finished.

Want one of your own? The free pattern is here. The hand felting process is here.

Visit other fiber adventures this Fiber Arts Friday at Wonder Why Gal's!

Happy Fiber Arting.

My Hand Felted Mini Bag

Mop in hand. Rubber gloves on. I have finished hand felting my knit mini bag. These are the tools of the intrepid by hand felter: bucket, mop, rubber gloves, soap and kettle.

I used the hottest water possible boiled in my electric kettle. It's steamy!

After 30 minutes of smashing and mashing my knitting with the mop when the water was too cold, and rubbing my knitting between my rubber gloves when the water reached a bearable temperature, here is the result.

There was still too much stitch definition for my liking. More hot water in the bucket and another 30 minutes of an upper body work out made for a better felted piece of knitting. My result after one hour and then shocking my knitting in cold water (as if boiling water was not shocking enough!).

To shape my bag, a can of pineapple does the job.

On the rack to dry! I'll take the can out to let the inside dry, once the outside feels dry to the touch.

In the meantime, I'm going to choose a button for my bag and plan a needle felted design for the flap!

You can find the free pattern for this bag here on my blog. See it on Ravelry.

A note about using the mop. New mops will shed fiber into your felting. My mop was used (and clean) and did not shed into my felting. I've seen some hand felters use plungers instead. You should use a new one of those...

Happy felting!

By Hand: My Next Felting Project

Using my original pattern for a felted mini bag, I recently knit another one using Galway Highland Heather wool. As you can see, I have yet to felt it.

This plum color should look yummy when felted.

I've decided to hand felt this project using a method similar to the one shown in Knitty. My cat's mouse in this blog post was hand felted by rubbing the wool vigourously in hot water. The mouse is made from Bernat Felting wool which was a cinch to felt by hand. I doubt if this Galway Heather will be as easy.

Anyone out there with experience in hand felting who could offer advice?

Happy felting!

Say Cheese!: My Felted Camera Case

My trusty camera was in need of a new case.

I had a scrap swatch of felted knitting hanging around in my stash which I had used to needle felt on. (View my efforts here.)  I cut a rectangle out of that swatch allowing for the width of my camera plus a 1/2 inch seam on each side. I made sure there was enough length to wrap the rectangle around the camera down the front and up the back with extra length for a generous flap.
 

I used the blanket stitch to seam the sides and trim the flap. I found this tutorial helpful to figure out the blanket stitch. If I ever really did...

One of my lovely vintage buttons closes the flap. I just cut a whole in the felted wool for the buttonhole.

Here's the back.

You don't have to knit and felt your own fabric like I did. Abuse an old wool sweater in your hottest washer water and use that for your fabric.

By the way, the strap of your camera will stick out from the side of the flap, so you can carry your camera using the strap while it's in your felted case. I couldn't show you that because I only have one camera!

Happy felting!

Felting: The Little Coco Bag

The famous Little Coco Bag has to be one of my favorite felted bags of all time! 

It is designed by Diane Sutliff who offers the patten free at her blog  Felted Handbag Workshop.

My bag is knit with two strands of Patons Classic Merino Wool. The finished product is a stiff bag with form. It's exactly what I was looking for in a felted bag.

The straps are pulled though grommets in the sides of the bag which is a nice detail.

Once you've tried this pattern, you'll want to make more than one!

You can see all of the wonderful interpretations of this bag on Ravelry. You'll need to log in.

Happy Felting!

Purple Passion: My Felted Clutch with Needle Felted Spirals

Another felting project is completed! This small clutch was fun to knit and felt in Paton's Classic Merino wool. I love simple projects that turn out great. This clutch was inspired by a pattern you can find here at Lion Brand Yarn. Mine turned out  more "rustic" than the one designed at Lion Brand. My blanket stitch needs some practice!

I needle felted the spirals onto the felted clutch using the same lime green wool I used to seam the sides. Lion Brand embroidered their spirals onto the clutch using the chain stitch. After seeing my blanket stitching, you know why I chose to needle felt the spirals! I use a snap to close the clutch. The clutch measures about 8 inches by 5 inches. I use it to store some of my crochet hooks.

Check out other fiber tales this Fiber Arts Friday at Alpaca Farm Girl.

Happy fiber arting!

Sunday Summary: Rings and Things

My inaugural Sunday summary of my week of fiber art adventures and stuff. This post only happened with the permission of my cat once she vacated my desk (fuzzy picture owing to her attempts to nuzzle the camera)!

I finally finished knitting a purse for future felting. I'll felt it when I have acouple of other things to throw in the washer to felt with it. I'm looking forward to seeing how this lilac color looks felted. It's an Irish wool I've never used before called Galway Highland and Heather.

All I have left to do with this crochet ring is to sew on the blue vintage button shaped like a heart. These rings are simple and fun to make and wear. I sold one in my Etsy shop.

I became just a little obsessed this week (and last) with my upcycled needle felted brooches which I have been adding to my Etsy shop. I love cutting them out and punching pretty colors of roving into their centers with my felting needles. I also enjoyed choosing vintage buttons for the felted brooches I made with button centers.

This upcoming week...who knows what I will be doing! Happy Fiber Art Adventures and stuff!

Fiber Arts Friday: My Continuing Fiber Adventure with Felted Brooches

Last Fiber Arts Friday, I posted about my brooches made from cutting funky flower designs from a felted lambswool sweater. I used some of my vintage buttons to create the center of the flowers which you can see here.

Well, this week I had the idea to needle felt the centers of some flowers with wool roving. I really like the result!

Needle felting gives the flowers dimension as the petals come forward when you needle felt around the base of the center.

I really enjoy needle felting. I'll have to try to use it more often in my work. Have a look at what others are doing this Fiber Arts Friday at  Alpaca Farm Girl. Happy Fiber Arting!

Fiber Arts Friday: Felted Brooches from an Upcycled Sweater

I love recycling, upcycling, repurposing, reclaiming or whatever you want to call reusing something in a project! I felted a lambswool sweater quite a while ago with just this in mind.

Here's where my imagination took me:

I made funky fun brooches embellished with my vintage buttons which I blogged about in July.

I deliberately cut the shape of each brooch a little off kilter to add to their whimsical appeal.

Check out what other Fiberistas are up to on Fiber Arts Friday at Alpaca Farm Girl. Happy reusing!

Felting for Your Cat: A Mouse and a Kitty Bed

Knitting and felting for your cat can be fun and rewarding, especially when they get pleasure from your lovingly made fiber creations.

My SPCA rescue cat Amelia was welcomed into our home with presents of felted mice and a felted cat bed. As we like to say, she loves her meeses to pieces! Her two mice are now a year old and still going strong. At night, she likes to carry one around in her mouth like prey. By day, she can be found chasing and beating up her mice without mercy. They are very sturdy and surely have lasted longer than any store bought toy would.

I knit them in a bulky wool and hand felted them stuffing each with fiberfill. The easy to knit unique one piece pattern for these felted mice can be found at Knitting on the Net.

Here is Amelia in her knit and felted cat bed. She loves to curl up into it for a nap, or sit in it while she watches birds from our office window.

This is a really fun project to make for your cat or as a gift for your favorite cat owner. This too is almost a year old, and has held its shape well. It's made from the same bulky wool as her mice. After felting it in the washer and while still wet, I used the rim of my largest metal mixing bowl as a form for the shape. I trimmed it with pink eyelash yarn for a bit of whimsy.

This pattern with lots of pictures of other Kitty Beds can be found at Wendy Knits.

If you have a small dog, I'm sure they would appreciate one of these beds too!

Happy felting!

Playing with Barbed Needles: Needle Felting

Here is the result of my very first attempt to needle felt.

I needle felted my primitive cat in ivory and beige wool roving.

This flower was more like doodling with a pencil and paper. I had no plan when I started and just had fun with the roving and needle punch.

They were both worked on a felted swatch of stocking stitch knit from Briggs and Little Heritage Wool. The roving used for the needle felting is a combination of Briggs and Little Country and Louet roving.

I'd prefer a needle punch with a tapered handle, but this knob type seems to work well. I was a bit squeamish around the barbed needles. There are no injuries to report, yet.

Happy needle felting!

How to Knit and Felt a Small Bag

A knitter of any experience level can use this free pattern to knit and felt this small bag. If you haven't felted before, it is so amazing. Before my first felting experience, I was horrified at thought of "ruining" beautiful wool in a bath of hot water. After taking the plunge and felting my first bag many moons ago, I now love the magic of turning knitted fabric into felt.

For this project, you will need 100g (3.5 oz.) of 100% wool yarn, four 5.5 mm (US 9) double pointed needles, 1 button and the usual suspects being scissors, a wool needle and stitch marker.

I used Patons Merino wool knitting with 2 strands throughout the project.

To begin, set up your work to be knit in the round on the double pointed needles. Using two strands of yarn, cast on 42 stitches dividing them evenly around the three needles using your stitch marker to mark the end of each round. I use a fancy key ring for my marker!


Knit in stocking stitch until you have a 7 inches (18 cm) tube.


Next row: *K2 tog. K 10*. Repeat from * to * to the end of the rnd. 38 sts.
Knit 3 more rnds.
Next row: K2 tog to the end of the rnd. 19 sts.
Knit 3 more rnds.
Next row: K2 tog to the end of the rnd. 10 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Next row: K2 tog to the end of the rnd. 5 sts.

Your work should now look like this.

Cut your yarn leaving enough length to thread it through the remaining stitches. Pull these stitches together and sewn in the end. You are now finished the body of the pouch!


You will now make the flap. With the right side of your work facing you and using 2 strands of yarn, pick up 18 stitches on the back of the pouch at the cast on edge. Make certain your stitches are centered.




Knit in stocking stitch for 4 inches (10 cm) ending with a purl row.


Now you are ready to shape the top of the flap.
Next row: K2 tog. Knit to last 2 sts. K2 tog.
Next row: P2 tog. Purl to last 2 sts. P2 tog.
Repeat these two rows until you have 2 sts remaining.


Use these two remaining stitches to make the button loop closure for the pouch. On these two stitches, knit 3 inches (7.25 cm).



Cast off . Cut your yarn leaving the end long enough to sew the loop into position as seen below.

Make I-cord for the strap of your bag using two of the double pointed needles. With two strands of yarn, cast on 2 sts. Do not turn your work. *Slide stitches to the other end of the needle. Pull yarn to the front of the stitches. Knit 2.* Repeat from * to * until the I-cord measures 48 inches (122 cm). This makes a shorter strap. If you want a longer one, keep sliding those stitches!


Here is the bag and I-cord ready to be felted!

To felt the bag, use the lowest water level and put the hottest water you can into your washer along with a small amount of laundry soap. Place the bag and the I-cord into an old pillowcase tied securely shut with a rubber band. Put the pillowcase and an old pair of jeans (for extra agitation of your wool) into the washer. I set the washer on the highest agitation and the longest cycle.

Check the progress of the felting periodically until the stitching has disappeared and is felted to your liking. I will reset the wash cycle back to the beginning before it goes to the rinse cycle, if my piece needs more time in the washer.

Once you remove your bag from the washer, it should be shaped and left to dry. I put a plastic cup inside mine while it dried to give it shape. I also stretched the length of the I-cord before leaving it to dry.

When dry, position the holes for your strap. Use a knitting needle to poke holes in the side of your bag for the I-cord to be threaded through. Then, choose a pretty button for your closure and enjoy your bag! Happy felting!

Crochet and Knitting: Do you have a favorite?

I love both crochet and knitting. I can't choose one over the other! Making your own fiber fabric with mere needles and hooks fascinates me.

Knitting has been a life long passion, since my attempt at age twelve at a single mitten. Many years later and no more mittens, my closet is over-flowing with my knitted sweaters from Icelandic Lopi to multi-cabled designs.

I love the drape of knitted fabric as it falls below your needles and turns into a woven fabric.

Right now, I have a sweater that is still on my needles begging to be finished. It was started last fall, but it took a back seat to a busy life and felting!

I discovered felting about a year ago. My washing machine has never been the same since. I get excited by the magic of felting knitted pieces. Transforming their size, shape, texture and colour through the unthinkable harsh treatment of the wool tossed around in the hottest water. Of course, it's just another excuse to knit.

I have a collection of knit felted bags of various sizes and shapes. I use one for my needle felting supplies. Another one protects my cherished digital camera. Yet another totes around wool and needles. Shamefully, one hangs at my back door empty and unused. I made so many I started giving them away!

I started crocheting around the same time I took up knitting and thus discovered another passion. Granny squares were an early specialty. Amigurumi is not new to me. I was making crocheted frogs, mice, kangaroos and the whole animal kingdom in the 1970s!

I like the structural dimension to crochet as your hook can create pieces with form and dimension. It is such a versatile art.

My crochet fiber jewelry is fun to design and wear. Necklaces, bracelets and rings use the best of crochet's ability to give pieces structure.

My crocheting has not escaped my felting craze. I love felted crochet flowers. I pin them on bags, me and others!

My mother's 1950's crochet pattern books are a gold mine of ideas and inspiration. Crocheting purses from these vintage patterns gives me an opportunity to explore fashions of the past as I learn old techniques of design.

Don't ask me to choose a favorite, because I can't. Can you?

Express your passion for your favorite fiber art in a comment to this post.

Happy fiber arting!

My Mother's Vintage Buttons

My vintage buttons are special. From the 1960s into the early 70's, my mom sat at her Kenmore sewing machine often making clothes or doing alterations for others. But, she also found the time to make me clothes. My vintage buttons are those buttons she never used or had leftover from her many sewing projects.

Rummaging through her old cardboard button box often gives me the feeling of deja vu, as if I've met certain buttons before. I'm certain many of the buttons were used by my mom on dresses and coats she tailored for me when I was a child. Much to my frustration, I can never bring to my mind the full memory of what childhood clothes the most familiar of the buttons were lovingly sewn on.

One old card of Lady Fashion buttons bought for 39 cents, with two of the once four buttons missing, gave me the strongest feeling of deja vu. Where had I met these brushed gold tone shank buttons before? Staring at these buttons, navy blue was all I could think of while foolishly willing them to speak to me of their past.

Then I remembered, my navy blue jacket that my mom had sewn for me in the 1970s! My navy blue Nehru style jacket that I could remember wearing to school. Didn't I have a photograph of myself in that jacket? Sure enough, after flipping through my old photo albums, I found the black and white photo of me posing in the mall photo booth wearing my navy blue Nehru jacket with the brushed gold tone shank buttons. My buttons on the Lady Fashion card were still just as shiny as those buttons in the photo.

My jacket with all of its buttons is now long gone. The ability of that old card of buttons to draw out such an old memory from the very back of my mind is amazing.

None of the other old familiar buttons have been able to bring back any such memories of the clothes my mother made for me. I pass them on to others sewn onto my fiber art creations. Old buttons have stories to tell and mine continue on to gather the stories of other lives.

I said that there were two buttons left on that Lady Fashion button card. There is only one in the photo above. The other brushed gold tone button I used as the closure for a small felted pouch which I designed and made for myself. Now, I can literally carry that memory with me.

As for the other button left on the card, it will not be put back into the button box. It sits on my desk waiting to be sewn onto a special project just for me.