Newbie felting questions!

[Sahahne]

I have never felted before but I have the perfect wool for it. The wool was actually bought just for me to play around with dyeing, and now that it's done I want to turn it into something useful!

 

I only have a smallish amount so was looking for a small project to do. Finding my baby's legs freezing in the middle of the night (he refuses to sleep with the sheet over him) I decided this newly dyed wool would make him some great baby legs! The wool is 100% merino wool and it's a baby wool, I'm guessing a 3 or 4ply. Think that's fingering weight in US terms?

 

So my questions... what stitch is best to use when felting? sc or hdc? And how much bigger do I need to make the legs to ensure that when they felt they will still fit? I'm planning to use wormie's pattern that she has posted on her website: http://hooked-on-crochet.blogspot.com/2008/01/livie-legs-free-original-pattern.html

 

Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can offer. I've just started experimenting with the different things I can do in crochet and feel like felting is the next thing on the list!

[classic crochet]

I had very nice results when felting using sc. As far as shrinkage/felting you will have to do a swatch and felt it to see how much bigger you need to make the leggings. Please post pictures when you finish!

[Sahahne]

Thanks for the reply! I'm actually second guessing whether I ought to felt these leggings. They have a ribbed cuff to them to help them stay on bub's legs and I'm thinking felting might take all the use out of that.

Anyways I'm still debating it - but thank you for responding with suggestions!

[sherryzzz]

I think you would be better off to crochet these in sc (US), and your ribbed cuff and don't felt them. Felting would tend to make them very thick and stiff, unless you only lightly felted and then added the ribbed cuff.

[Sahahne]

Thanks Sherry! I had decided not to felt them after all. I am experimenting a bit with the pattern to get what I want. I had originally thought felting them would make them warmer and a better fit for bub. But I think it will cause more problems with the ribbed cuff etc if I did felt.

 

I've decided that when I try felting I'll make myself a little bag or something similar where the size at the end doesn't matter like clothing does! It's only recently I've started buying 100% wool and the idea of felting appealed to me - But I think I'll choose a better project for it!