how big?

[gingerchai]

i am thinking of using the brown sugar bag pattern to make a felted bag. how much larger should i make it to compensate for the shrinkage of felting? what temperature should i select on the washing machine? it's a front loading machine with temperature settings for 30-60-90 centigrade, etc. It is possible for the water to be too hot?

tracy

[Guest mishakitty78]

I would suggest making a swatch first, using the predominant stitch in the bag. My felting tends to shrink more horizontally than vertically, but then that's me. Swatch it, felt it, and then measure to see the difference.

 

I tend to make mine as hot as possible, since my washing maching literally goes "cold, medium and hot." So my choice is hot, which doesn't realy clear things up. Hm. When I was learning to felt, I was told to put it on the hotest setting and to CHECK IT OFTEN. I find now that this is extremely important, since different types of wool felt different AND even sometimes different colors of the same yarn felt funny. Trust me on this one - I use Cascade 220 all the time and darker colors seem to felt much better.

 

I've found the important thing in felting is time, and that's why you have to keep checking. If you put it in and just let it go, you can't control shrinkage.

[gingerchai]

the problem with my washing machine is that once the cycle starts it locks. i am going to make a swatch and just throw it in the next time i wash my towels (all dark colors). then again i just might go to the laundromat and do it...although the other customers might think that i am a bit strange. :eek2

tracy

[pfirsch]

I'm excited that someone is actually trying out the pattern.<img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/mademyday.gif" />

 

I am very interested in how it turns out, because I was thinking of making a messenger bag and felting it, but I wasn't sure how it would work out.

 

Please post a picture when you're done.

[Guest SamplerLady]

I wouldn't throw the sample in with towels. You'll get a ton of fuzzy balls on it that are heck to remove.

 

I throw my felting items in with tennis shoes, tennis balls, jeans, plastic tub toys, or other nonlinty items.

 

Can you not open your machine to stop the cycle? Mine stops when the lid opens up. I check my felting items, and either take them out or close the lid for awhile again. .... Older machines if you push in the button or pull it out (whatever is the opposite of turning it on) it'll generally stop the cycle. They are manufactured that way so items can be soaked..... Of course I'm sure there are machines that don't cooperate, too.

[gingerchai]

sampler lady:

the wash cycle runs for an hour and a half on the short cycle (front loading european washing machine). i've never tried to open the machine midcycle, there might be some way to do it though. guess i am a little paranoid about breaking it.

thanks for warning me about the crazy lintballs.

 

i am going home now to read up a bit more on felting..:read

 

pfirsch:i will be sure to post a pic of the completed bag.:camera .

 

tracy

[Guest SamplerLady]

Didn't realize it was a front loader. Do some searching on the fulling/felting sites for instructions for felting with front loaders. I know they are there, but I've never paid much attention to them.

[marlodc]

The texture that is made with the stitch will dissapear when you felt the bag. I suggest you use basic stitches all hdc,sc or dc. All that work will be lost in the felt.

 

marlo

www.marloscrochetcorner.com

[HollyM]

I have a Kenmore front loader (identical twin to the Whirlpool Duet series) Mine has a cancel/pause button where it stops the cycle and unlocks the door. I have been able to use it any time during the cycle. It takes a few seconds to let the water run off the glass and then I hear a loud clonk letting me know I can open the door.

 

I take a very laid back approach to my fulling. I want the fabrick to be very tight so I let it go a long time. So far I've only done bags where it won't be a problem if it ends up a little smaller than I anticipated. Obviously that approach wouldn't work with hats or slippers <img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/toothygrin.gif" /> I'm usually happy with the results after 2 short cycles and I don't add other item in with it.

 

I have a new bag I'll try and take pictures of this afternoon.

 

Holly

[pfirsch]

We have a top loader, also European style. Usually, if you stop the washing machine, aka turn it off or just stop the cycle, wait a few minutes and then open it. I just learned that because I couldn't open our washing machine mid-cycle either and I read the instruction book to find out what to do.

 

It's amazing what you can do when you read the directions... <img border=0 src="http://img28.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/cutewink.gif" />

[gingerchai]

pfirsch:

i am going to look for the manual for the washing machine. i have already started on the bag and am making it a bit larger than the instructions, i really like the stitch despite the fact that it will disappear after felting. i am a using a multicolored (dark and light shades of blue-green-purple-fuschia) handpainted wool i purchasd on ebay wool. it is working up very fast.

holly:

your approach sounds good to me. i am both scared:bad and excited:danc about felting the bag. but i think it will be very cool to end with with a really durable bag that I created myself. ) i will be on the look out for your bag.

 

tracy :fall

[RebeccaVelasquez]

hmmm, having made this bag... my worries for you would be the large holes that are created by the diagonal box stitch... doesn't it need to be fairly solid for felting?:thinking1

[Donna]

Tracy, I have a front loader also. On mine, I can stop it by pressing the start/pause button. After a few seconds, it clicks to unlock and then I can open it. I do it all the time. I haven't felted in it yet, though.

 

Rebecca, actually it is better to have the stitching more open/looser when felting. A solid, tight fabric will not felt as well.

[Guest SamplerLady]

Donna's correct, Rebecca. It helps to use a size or two bigger hook than one would generally use for a specific yarn so there is plenty of room for the wool to full.

[gingerchai]

sampler lady:

i've been using a size H hook and making the stitch loose. its good to know i am on the right track.

tracy

[RebeccaVelasquez]

aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! thank you!

[woolandflax]

I'm also wanting to make this as a felted messenger bag. I'm excited to hear and see how yours turns out!! I've never used this pattern or stitch before, any tips? I'm gonna use Patons UpCountry to match a hat & mittens I've already made. I'm thinking I need to use a rather large hook since the yarn is so bulky and I still need room for it to felt. This will also be my first felting project.

 

~Rebecca

[gingerchai]

rebecca, there is a <a href="http://stitches.crochetcabana.com/ltc-diag-box-st.htm" target="_new">tutorial</a> for the diagonal box stitch. be sure scroll down to the bottom page to get to the second part of the tutorial. it helped me learn how to do the stitch. also if you look at my yahoo album there are the beginnings of a diagonal box stitch afghan. i think you'll like the stitch after you learn it because it works up really fast.

 

i've finished the front and back of the bag and hopefully will at least be able to put it together this weekend.

 

tracy<img border=0 src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/crochetville/A_fallleavessmiley.gif" />