book review: 'cause I felt like it

the tools of the trade

"The wool fibers expanded and wrapped around each other, locking together and creating a tight fabric through which no winter wind could blow."

-- Kathleen Taylor, Knit One, Felt Too

I start out the first chapter of my book, Whimsical Woollies, with this quote. I love it! Felting is so magical and unpredictable yet so scientific and predictable as well. The first chapter is entitled: 'Cause I felt like it: The Basics of Felting. I write about the details of felting such as the materials needed (shown in the above photo), the how-to tips and tricks to felt perfectly each time, an explanation on the washing machines available for felting (the front loader, the top loader and the Wonder Washer), as well as how to hand felt those smaller and more intricate items. Each section is sprinkled with my favorite ideas, tools I use, what I like and don't like.

loose and sloppy knitting

Included in this chapter is a section on felting white versus cream yarns (why some work, some don't); what makes a successful felting yarn and how to knit with it; what to do if your project is not felting enough; how to prevent color bleeding; and how to make a project smaller and bigger. 

Do you have questions on how to felt, how it works, why it doesn't work sometimes? I am happy to answer them all in Whimsical Woollies. 

The next chapter for me to review is For the Love of Detail: Embellishing (coming soon).

Happy knitting!