Sunday, November 18, 2007

Pop-Pom Hat


I know this picture isn't that great but the hat is really festive and I wanted to post it ASAP! There's a felt pom-pom on top and novelty yarn trim.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Felt Hats You Can Make

Greater Than or Equal To Hat
Pointy hat with applied stripes and flower

Cashmere cap with star and button applique

Come to my class and learn to make fun hats like these! Amber and I had fun putting these together last night.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Come to my craft class!


Call 371-9588 or email rqweaver@gmail.com to sign up! Class is $20 - Cheap! Choice of three dates and times! You will take home at least one super-cool hand-made completed hat to wear or give away!

Questions you might have:

Do I need to know how to sew/knit/felt/embroider/yodel? Nope. We will be hand sewing, but I promise, it's easy!
Where is the class? North Central Austin - near Highland Mall
What should I bring? A felted sweater (directions to follow) embroidery thread, scissors and your imagination! If you have a sewing machine and know how to use it, you could bring that, too.
How many people in a class? Maximum of 6 students.
What ages is this class for? This class is for adults, but interested teens are welcome.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

How to Felt a Sweater for Re-Purposing

Give your old, your tired, your moth-eaten sweaters a new chance at life! They make great blankets, hats, scarves, stuffed animals, catnip toys, mittens, slippers, and more, once they've been felted. Felted wool is less scratchy than the original item, and has a delightful fluffiness. It will not fray or ravel when cut, so you don't have to be careful about things like hems or being good at sewing.

First, check the tag. This offer of new life only applies to sweaters that are mostly wool, cashmere, merino (that's wool), angora, or other felt-able fiber. 80% animal fiber or more seems to work well. Some wool sweaters have been treated to resist shrinkage. This is bad. If the tag says, "Machine Wash" - the sweater is unlikely to felt.

Second, take a good look at the sweater. How big is it? Can you see light through the stitches? Is it stretchy? Is it fuzzy? Notice these things so you can evaluate changes to the sweater after washing.

Next, turn the sweater inside out (to confuse any crazy lint that might attempt to stick to your sweater) and throw it in the washing machine. I mix 'em in w/my regular laundry, but I'm not much of a laundry stickler. It's up to you. For sure you want to wash on warm or hot, and use laundry soap - powdered soap if you have it.

For thick sweaters, a short wash might be enough. For thin sweaters, I set the washer to agitate longer. (Counter intuitive, I know, but it seems those bulky sweaters are just READY to felt, while elegant light-weight sweaters protest about it not being very ladylike to fuse into soft, fluffy, feltiness.) When the wash is done, take a look at the sweater. Are the stitches somewhat blurry? Can you see a lot of light through it? Has it shrunk quite a bit from its original size? If your answers are Yes, No, and Yes, your sweater is felted. Hang it up to dry.

If you CAN see a lot of light through it, or the sweater is still stretchy and close to its original size - you have likely not achieved felting. At this point, I toss the sweater in the dryer to see if that helps. If not - this sweater may not be capable of felting. But give it one more try in the washer, just to be fair.

Friday, November 9, 2007

Felt Blanket and Mouse



This is a blanket I made out of felted wool sweaters. It includes a mouse friend that buttons on so he can snuggle under your chin all night long without getting lost under your pillow.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Seersucker Tee Shirt Remodel



This is a remake of a Wheatsville Co-op tee shirt that I made for their 30th anniversary silent auction. Sadly, no one bid on it.

Knit Hats in NYC


Some knit hats I designed. Sorry I'm not displaying my crafty command of Photoshop. I'm too lazy tonight to turn this photo right side up!

In one of these you can also see a recycled-felt scarf by Sarah Bird.