I picked up a sweater at Goodwill last week, which I’d like to try felting. It’s a new sweater (mans XL) which still has the tag on it. Though quite pretty it’s terribly scratchy which is probably why no one wanted to wear it, and why I didn’t wish to bother unravelling it.
The tag says it is “Pure New Wool”, handknit in Scotland. I don’t know much about wools (yet), but I do know that there are superwash wools out there which don’t felt. Is there any way to determine that ahead of time? I kind of hate to waste a sweater by attempting to felt it if it’s not “feltable”.
I’m a newbie, so I don’t know much about it, but one way to tell if it won’t felt (but not necessarily that it will felt) is to look for the care instructions. If it can go in the wash, it’s not feltable.
Well, in that case I’m not any help at all. I guess you could unravel a bit of it – it sounds like you wouldn’t wear it anyway because it’s too scratchy – and see if you can join the ends together using Amy’s joining by felting video. I would think if that works then you can spend the time unraveling the rest.
Hmm…I hadn’t thought of unravelling it to knit something to felt. My plans had been to simply felt the sweater as is (assuming it felts), then cut the felt fabric to sew up a bag or something. I guess I could unravel it and simply knit something. Hmm…decisions, decisions. :??
I think I was unclear about what my plans were. I meant that if the yarn would felt, I had intended on felting the sweater, then cutting pieces out of the then-felted wool, and sewing something from it.
It’s all a moot point, anyway. My dh saw the sweater and really liked it. To think, I came so close to tossing it into the washer today. :shock: I didn’t think he’d want it because it’s so scratchy; plus it’s an XL, and he normally wears a L. He tried it on, and wearing it over a shirt it will fit him nicely.
My plans had been to simply felt the sweater as is (assuming it felts), then cut the felt fabric to sew up a bag or something. I guess I 