LITTLE ROCK — Who hasn't accidentally put a woolen sweater through the washer and dryer only to be horrified at the result - a miniature version of its former self? For this project, however, we intentionally shrunk - or felted - a sweater.
I was first introduced to felting in a yarn boutique. They had several samples of beautiful hand-knitted felted projects on display. I was fascinated by the fiber art form.
Felting is the process of turning wool into felt, a condensed fabric of matted and pressed fibers. If you are a knitter you can knit objects to be felted, but there is a simpler method that everyone can enjoy. The main ingredient: old sweaters.
Go on a scavenger hunt in your attic and closets for abandoned sweaters. Or do like we did and take a trip to a thrift store. The sweater that we used to make a felt handbag cost $2 and there was plenty left over for other projects. The sweaters can be of any style or color; the only requirement is that they need to be 100 percent wool so they will shrink enough. You can also felt other woolen objects, such as scarves and blankets.
Put the sweater to be felted in a zippered pillowcase (or use a regular one and secure the top tightly with a thick rubber band or piece of twine). The pillowcase will keep your washing machine from being filled with fuzz.
Wash the sweater on a hotwater cycle with a little detergent. For more shrinkage, dry in the dryer on the warmest setting.
Congratulations! You've made felt.
You can use handmade felt to create scarves, appliques, pillows or even a patchwork blanket. One of the beauties of felt is that it won't fray, so you can cut it and use it as is.
Our sweater was a turtleneck. After it had been shrunk, the neck was the perfect size for a small handbag. To make one, cut the neck off of thebody of the sweater and sew the bottom closed with matching embroidery thread. The visible stitches will add to its handcrafted appeal.
For the handle, cut a 1-inchwide strip about 20 inches long from one of the sleeves. Attach it by sewing the ends to the inside of the handbag with a decorative button on the outside. A third button can be placed on one side for more visual interest.
Felted sweater sleeves can be used to make eyeglass or cell-phone cases in a similar style - with very little sewing required.
What you'll need
Old wool sweaters
Pillowcase
Embroidery thread
NeedleArt Smart, featuring art projects for children and the young at heart, appears in Family on alternating Wednesdays. Gretchen Goetz is a freelance writer in Dallas. E-mail her at:
Family, Pages 38 on 10/31/2007