Felted Ruffles?

[Noahsmom]

This may have already been asked but I couldn't find my answer so I'll ask. Can you felt ruffles and will they turn out still looking like ruffles or a tangled mess?

 

I was wanting to try a purse with ruffles - maybe not this exact pattern but something similar Ruffled Purse

but I wasn't sure if the ruffles would felt very well. Anyone try this?

[angieInCA]

Yes you can felt it and it will still look like ruffles. I have done this and when the item was still wet I just pulled and streatched the ruffles into place and shaped them.

 

I have also done flowers like roses, pansies, dasies, etc... and then felted them. They turn out great and all you have to do is shape while drying

 

I'll see if I can find find a picture of a purse I knitted with a ruffle and then felted.

[Noahsmom]

Oh thank you, that would be great!

[Noahsmom]

Anyone else?

[sherryzzz]

though I haven't felted any ruffles (at least, not intentionally), I've done a lot of felting, and looked at a lot of felted stuff, and I don't see why this wouldn't work or why you might have to worry about it becoming a tangled mess..... The ruffles should felt proportionately with the rest of the item. If you're worried that the ruffles will felt into the rest of the item, just check it every so often and tug and pull the ruffles to separate from the body of the item. When finished with the felting, tug and pull the ruffles into shape and set out to dry. This works with pockets, so I believe it will work with ruffles.

[SilverDragon]

If it helps...in the Pursenalities Plus Knitted felted bags book the author makes reference to having experimented with a lot of ruffles to get them to turn out right. It sounded kind of difficult for her to find the right formula. I don't really know why....but maybe if your library or bookstore has it it might be worth looking at to see what she said about that part. It was in the pattern for (obviously) one of the bags with a ruffle. There aren't that many.

 

Good luck! Will look forward to how it turns out for you.

[Noahsmom]

Thanks so much! I'll try to find that book if I can. Our library is teeny but maybe a bookstore would have it in stock.