Wreath How To

Here's a link to the actual tutorial, but I'll show you my progress and outcome through pictures. It is such a fun and inexpensive project!























I just love how it turned out! I took a lot of hot glue, but it is holding up great!

Question: Emmy, what the heck have you been doing since you haven't been blogging?

Answers:
-Impatiently waiting for 20 yards of generously donated yarn to arrive from New Hampshire so I can finish my sweater. (didn't I tell you? I finished all but 2.5 inches on a sleeve and ran out of yarn)

- Knitting a ridiculous amount of wash cloths and tribbles for Christmas gifts

- Spinning flax into linen for a market bag

-Making mittens for afghans for Afghans

- Learning how to work our new sweet Nikon D80

- Figuring out which sweater to make next, since I am loving the result of my almost finished one

-For some reason feeling in a overall funk this week

- Looking forward to going home at Christmas

(yes, I realize the last two are most likely related)

In relation to offering my leg warmer pattern. I have been doing some research and reading about offering free patters. I have found that it may be in my best interest as a fiber artist, who hopes to one day have a decent income from fibering, to offer it at a small fee rather than free. This means I will need to do some substantial editing and find some test knitters so it may be awhile, thanks for understanding.

And about felting, well it seems I don't have it in me to write more about it, so sorry. I suppose I'll have to wait till it becomes a passion so here is a blog that explains the further details of hand felting, except I never used a sheet.

The Magic of Felting

One of my faithful readers (I don't have hundreds, but I do have a few) requested that I share some about felting. Having recently learned about it myself the info is fresh in my mind so I'll do my best to share some tid-bits.

The type of felting I learned to do is called hand felting. This type of felting is done with wool that is not spun into yarn or knitted. I found that I prefer to do it with carded wool or roving. We did a bit with raw wool and mine didn't turn our very well.

The simplest way I can think to explain making a piece if felt with carded wool or roving is as follows: take some fluffed or loose roving and lay pieces so the fiber length is going left to right, then lay more on top of that going the opposite directions (top to bottom), and then a final and third layer left to right again.

Once all the fiber is laid out you press your hands down on the fiber and gently shake without moving your hands from the spot they are in and firmly press with your hands flat. I realize this sounds odd. What you are doing is getting the fibers to attach to one another. You'll notice the poof of your piece goes down. After doing that initial shake/rub then you get hot soapy water and poor some over the piece and continue to do the same motion.

To be continued.... oh the suspense