Return of the Felting Foray

Just to give myself a change from threading beads (Sooo over that!) and knitting large projects like jumpers I decided to give smaller projects a burl. But, since that would be far too simple, I thought I'd add felting to the mix. You know because finishing a project in a day just isn't fun unless you have to wait until the washing machines finished with it to see whether it's been a success or not!
So since I was still desperately seeking a slipper pattern that I really like that stays on my foot without me having to adjust it after felting I downloaded a pattern off Ravelry called "Duffer". With a name like that, how could I resist? Very quick knit, easy directions and quite pleasing appearance even before felting.

But after felting and drying on a pair of shoe airers it's superiority to every slipper pattern I have thus far tried became evident.
They stay on my foot without ANY adjustment!!
What more need I say?



But while trawling around on Ravelry I found this lovely chart for a barn owl and a few elements came together in my mind. Darling Daughter and The Boy kind of collect owlish things, (The beginning of this particular theme has become hopelessly obscure and includes some line he keeps repeating at times which is simply "Hoot Hoot.") and I have some pieces of various naturally coloured spun wool not to mention a ball of beautiful mohair that I spun myself but have been unable to use since if it touches any part of my skin besides my palms it makes me itchy! So, with no preparation or forethought I dragged out the wool and cast on. It only took me about 3 hours to finish but by then it was past midnight so I sewed up the sides and made myself go to bed without putting it into the washing machine yet.

But first thing in the morning in the machine it went! And after it came out I nearly made myself late for work by sewing it onto a cutting board to block it and putting it outside to dry. Was very pleased with the finished result and it feels like heaven when you run your hand over it! The mohair and wool are so lovely, silky and warm it's like having a small rectangular pet on your lap! I attached two felted loops and two large wooden buttons and Behold! a bag!

Yes! A bag! For holding all those important things like...a waterbottle?
A slightly large but not too large book?
A Netbook maybe?
Okay, it's a kind of strange size, 23cm wide and 27cms long, not really big enough to be a useful bag but not small enough to be a purse. But it is gorgeous!!
I don't care, I'm proud and I'm sure Daughter will love it being that she's in Canberra, the chilblain capital of Australia!
Keep on Knitting :)

So What have I done this Week?

Laundry done? Nope. Although I did wash a load of towels but didn't manage to put them on the line. Hey, it's drizzling out there...on and off...when I look out the window...
Ironing started? Eh, negatori!
Floors swept? Carpets vacuumed? No and...nope.
But I have been knitting! Look, all the nice pretty things I've been making!
I made this lovely cat-ornament-cat-thing...

...and then I knit these really great felted slippers from a great magazine I bought when I was in Albany last...with wool that I also bought in Albany...even though I have an obscene amount of wool at home that I could have probably practiced with...but I digress!

The backs with the buttons are how the heels ended up because my feet are so ridiculously small that even felted the slippers were HUGE! But aren't they cute!!

Still knitting the Blush Vest and don't have a nice picture and we went to Albany for dinner with newly returned In-Laws (They've been to New Zealand, lucky hobbits!) so took slipper pattern and wool I'd spun and dyed and knit up another pair of slippers over the course of the night and even managed to felt them when I got home! And they turned out so well!!!

Aren't they pretty? The heels are different again to the first pair. I wanted to put a button detail on them again but they didn't fold over the way the first ones did and I didn't like how the heel kind of hung out. So I sewed them up to about 2cms short of the heel and then gathered the heel up so it made a nice circle where you heel goes. Hey, it makes sense to me! And they fit! What more could I want?

Well, I think that's about it. I've done a bit of dyeing acrylic yarns...not sure I want to do that again. It smells funny for starters! But I now have some interesting coloured yarn that I'm not sure what to do with, one of them so acrylic-y that it squeaks! I think that one may find its way to being a market bag or something.

This boring pink fluffy became this almost elmo-oh-my-god red fluffy stuff


And this was the Acrylic then...and now. Better colour, just as squeaky!

A most productive week...of a kind. Hey, the house I will always have with me but inspiration comes only now and then, or sometimes more often...depending on the yarn available...or the patterns that crop up...but definitely not as often as housework anyway!

I'll have to give serious thought this weekend though to vacuuming, laundry and ironing otherwise the Hubbie will begin to remonstrate. And I've got to have a look at Chapter Nine of Raven of Arlon before another week flies by. Sigh. Why can't I get paid by the quota of Creative energy I generate.
Oh well....
Happy Knitting :)