Felting/bound edge question

#1

Hi~
Just joined, although I’ve been reading (and watching the help videos … great!!) I’m doing the French Market Bag for the Knitting Olympics and I’m at the binding & straps section. NEED ADVICE!!

I wanted to bind off in a way more substantial than what looks like a crochet chain, so when I saw the video of a knit 1, purl 1 rib, bound off on 2 needles like the kitchener method for sock toes, I tried it out on a small pouch. Really like the way it looks, but HOW WOULD IT FELT? I’m using Patons classic wool.

Have never felted anything except sweaters by mistake :slight_smile: Rest of the bag is in knit stitches, in the round. (First time circular needle went well!)

I still have the rib sections on holders, waiting to be bound - plus 3 straps to finish. Thought before I finish binding & felt, I might ask if anyone knows how 3 rows of rib bound off in kitchener would felt?

(My nightmare sees my first effort at felting a bag: shrinking 2 or 3 inches all over - except it’s wonky edge - because she did’t follow the pattern!)
Laurie in Maine
Team DPN!!

#2

I would suggest taking a small bit of yarn, knitting up a sample and throwing it in the wash in a pillow case to keep it from getting lost the next time that you do laundry. That’s a foolproof method.

#3

If your bag will felt, your seam will felt. If you weren’t felting, I’d be concerned with a grafted bind off stretching. Since it’s felted, though, I don’t really see a problem since the rest of the bag doesn’t stretch.

#4

I have only felted one project (Clogs!) so I don’t have a lot of experience. My question is…how do things like cables and bobbles felt? Can you see them when it’s felted or does it just look strange? I’ve only ever seen smooth felted items so maybe that’s my answer :smiley: !

#5

Good question. You don’t see too many felted items with fancy stitching. It’s worth doing a little cabled swatch just to see what happens. :thinking:

#6

In the end I “did the edge my way” and put it into the machine to felt. (Took me 2 days to screw up the courage!)

The bound edge I spoke of simply took on a slightly raised-edge binding look. I like the way it came out although as my first project, I may have left it in too long. Next time I’ll take it out and look at it longer. Over anxiousness made me put it back in the machine without really taking much more than a peek.

Since I didn’t really know what I was looking for, I went with a “little longer can’t hurt” …actually = shrink happens!
Laurie

#7

“shrink happens” :roflhard: