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FELTING SUCCESS!! First bag! PICS!!!

dreemrytr

By dreemrytr
in Fulling and Felting

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dreemrytr Apprentice

dreemrytr

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Hi everyone! I'm so excited, I just finished felting my first long awaited bag. I was the one who posted last week regarding 'gearing up for first project'. I had experimented with using a smaller hook for less stitch definition, and ended up using an H hook for my bag. My bag was loosely fashioned after the Well Traveled Tote, but it doesn't much resemble it.

 

Here's a link to the before and after pics, as well as a couple flower embellishments I also crocheted and felted. The bag in the AFTER pic isn't yet completely dry, and the handles aren't yet attached (and neither is the flower!)... but I wanted to post pics asap.

 

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dafidsmom/album?.dir=/bbb4re2&.src=ph

 

My initial reaction to the felting project was how easy it was. I threw my bag, i-cord handle and flowers into a mesh bag, put the top loader on HOT, mini wash; threw in a couple old canvas sneakers and a pair of jeans; added a quarter cup of baking soda and some dish soap and let the machine do it's thing. It felted so quickly, I took the bag out before the end of the wash cycle. Then rinsed in COLD water. Didn't put it through the spin cycle. Took it out, shaped it, and stuffed it with plastic bags to hold the shape. One thing that surprised me was how much it shrank. I think I started with the crocheted width of 18" (silly me, I forgot to measure it before washing!), and purposefully kept the height down to about 10" because I knew it would shrink more in width than in height. The felted bag measures 14" x 8.5", but with a depth of about 3" it makes the width appear more like 11". Originally I had intended to fold in the top sides of the bag like the Well Travelled Tote, but because it shrank so much I prefer it unfolded. It actually is the PERFECT SIZE and I'm just so pleased with the results.

 

Debbie

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dreemrytr Apprentice

dreemrytr

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Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I've definitely got the felting fever now.

 

Joan, the handles are not yet attached, as everything is still drying. I just draped the cord over the bag for the pic (and straight pinned the flower on). I'll be attaching the handles by piercing holes through the top front and back. Or something like that. I had originally meant to fold the top sides and have the cord go through the folds (like in the Well Traveled Bag http://wildyarn.blogspot.com/2005/10/well-traveled-bag.html)

 

but my bag shrunk more than expected. I'll just have to figure something out to make it work. Any ideas out there?

 

Debbie

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Roli Community Regular

Roli

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Wow! Your bag turned out MUCH BETTER than mine! I also used the Patons Marino wool and found that mine shrank a lot in height but not much in width. Your colors and your flower embellishments are absolutely super. Looks like a professionally made bag. :)

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dreemrytr Apprentice

dreemrytr

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Roli, your bag turned out fine, but as another poster mentioned, it probably didn't felt like it could have had it been washed in a top loading washer. Still, the Patons yarn was FAST to felt in the washer, but then we have REALLY hot, hot water. Did you follow the Well Traveled Bag instructions exactly or did you make changes? I used an H hook. My next bag with be with Cascade 220, and I'm curious how my swatch will do with a smaller hook. I may have just gotten lucky with the Patons yarn felting so well.

 

Oh, I agree with your comment (on your original post with your bag) about the stripes being off with it being crocheted in the round. Mine did the same thing. Not too awfully noticeable, but I made sure it was on the back side of the bag, not the front. Next time, I will end the rows with a slip stitch. Live and learn...

 

Are you planning another felted bag soon? They're so much fun to make, don't you think?

 

Debbie

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dreemrytr Apprentice

dreemrytr

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Kellyv,

 

Thanks for the comment on the flowers. They were kind of a pain to make, with taking bits from several different flower patterns and improvising the rest. The larger one was just from looking at a knitted flower picture and trying to duplicate it in crochet the best I could. I think something was lost in the translation, though...lol..

http://www.knitwhits.com/images/agatha.jpg

 

Debbie

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Vik Contributor

Vik

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I´m looking at the pictures! I love your bag, the colors you chose, the flowers, everything! :manyheart

 

You know, I´ve never felted yet, but everytime I see how pretty it turns, I promise I´ll try!

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