2.19.2006

today i felted.

A couple of months ago I knit two cat beds but never got around to felting them. What made me snap and want to do it today? I couldn't see my kitty sitting in a floppy cat bed like this:


So sad.

The first cat bed I knit became an ottoman cozy. A neighbor joked that one day she would come over and find that I had knit cozies for everything in the house. I think that first one is going to remain an ottoman cozy, but now I might felt it too. It is really pretty: bright noro kureyon stripes in the center and araucania orange on the edges.

I wish I had tried felting sooner...I really had no idea how much fun it would be to stick something you knit in the washing machine with no idea of what might come out. Now I have ideas swimming in my head for all sorts of things I'd love to knit and then felt.

Also, I did learn this past week that the correct term is 'fulling,' but for this pattern I'm going to call it felting. cause thats what the pattern says.

As soon as it is dry, smothered in catnip, and has a kitty in it, I'll snap a pic and post it here.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

congrats on the felting (or fluffing)!!! you used wool?? i used a wool-ease and it just made it look linty... your cat is soooooo beautiful!!!!! and at least your kitty has a bed he/she can use... my two cats use my furniture and i am always vacuuming it cuz i hate hairs... (they have one bed in my studio that they love but will only use it up there for some reason!) do you do stitching at all? your illustrations would be cute on your some knitted stuff... or goccoed ;)

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see the felted bed photo! Your cat's expression in this photo is priceless; it says, "Come on...you expect me to sleep in this? Felt it, already!"

Stef said...

Which kitty is that? She looks remarkably like my trusty cat, Cleo. Perhaps a long-lost family link there? :-)

rania said...

ellia, I used a wool/mohair blend for most of it and it worked out really well. I've been thinking about ways of incorporating the illustrations with the knitting...haven't thought of stitching! Thanks for the suggestion!

becky, will post photos soon! She is way happier in the 'after' shots...and now I want to felt everything!

stef, its tonka mighty backhoe....found in elmira, ny. Her most distinguishing feature is her white knickers. perhaps they are related....

Anonymous said...

felting,what a creative idea. it looks so beautiful