A Passion for Knitting Re-Discovered...

Felting, well there's a new thing!

After re-discovering my passion for all things knitted, I picked up the first editition of a new magazine in November last year called 'Let's Knit' it was packed with ideas and tips along with all the funky wools and needles that were now available, did you know you can even get leopard print knitting needles! Even needles that glow in the dark so that you can knit at the cinema. Knitting really has moved on since I last knitted.

Another great discovery is felting, I had never heard of it before and neither had anyone else I know. I read about it in my magazine and thought I'd give it ago. Rather than risk felting on my own knitting I thought I'd try it first on some old wool jumpers I picked up from the charity shop. For those of you that don't know felting is the art of shrinking your knitting! If you are anything like me you have probably been felting for years and didn't know it! The idea is that when pure wool is washed at high tempratures it shrinks and turns into a sort of matted felt that is very duarble and therefore the ideal medium for making bags for example. There are other types of felting, needle felting for instance but I haven't really looked into that. Anyway I picked up the most hideous double breasted green mohair cardigan which was lined with green lining material and had 4 gold buttons (yuck). It was beautifully knitted but a hideous pattern none the less. The other jumper I picked up was a red shetland fairisle jumper. I popped them both into the washing machine with a trainer (which is to help the shrinking and flinging about in the washing machine) and stuck it on to a 60 degree wash. Sure enough they came out of the washing machine a fraction of the size they were before and the mohair particulary had become a thick matted felt. I should mention that I had taken out the lining before the wash and seperated the sleeves from the body. I decided to make a patchwork knitting bag. The lining was a bonus as I used this to line the bag. I bought a cheap wicker bag whilst I was in the charity shop for £1 and used the handles from this for my new bag. I was really pleased with the result and here is a picture.

And so it begins again...

I used to knit all the time, I don't know what happened really, I just all of a sudden stopped! I think I got bored with knitting the same old things, knitting wasn't a very trendy thing to do when you were younger. As a child like most of us I suppose I learnt to knit from my Mum. I remember going into wool shops with her and being in awe of the textures and colours of yarn, so much so I told her that I wanted to own my own wool shop one day.

Last October me and hubbie went off to Majorca for a long weekend and I bought a book to read on the beach called 'The Friday Night Knitting Club' by Kate Jacobs. It was a great read and by the end of it I was itching to get knitting again! I got home and went straight on the internet looking for patterns to knit. I soon came across a gorgeous bolero cardigan from Sirdar's 'Sublime Merino Handknits' book.

I was pleasantly surprised by range of patterns available. I finished my cardie and was very pleased with it, although it didn't look quite as good on me as the lady in the picture, surprise surprise! I think I also let myself down on the finishing of the garment. I'm always rubbish at the sewing up part! Anyway below is a picture of my attempt.