I have been experimenting with other felting yarns in making my Adele Hat (named after my mom). These three hats were all made with the same pattern (with the exception of making the tab longer on the striped hat) with three different yarns and they all felted completely different (my original pattern available at http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/felting/Adele-Felted-Hat/2735). Actually, I just recently made the striped and beige hat -- the blue one I made about a year ago.
· The blue hat is made from Paton's Classical Wool. I felted it once and shaped it in over a bowl that measures about 22 inches. I have made several of these (see more pictures of this hat at the Adele Button post from June, 2011) and it comes out perfectly every time.
· The striped hat is made from Brown Sheep Lanaloft yarn. I ended up felting this hat FOUR TIMES before it got to 23 inches. Hopefully someone with a big head will buy it. I sell hats at the Renaissance Faire in Larkspur CO every summer. Obviously, if you want to use this yarn, you may want to use a smaller needle or downsize the pattern.
· The beige one is made of Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool in Oatmeal. When I felted this hat, it really shrank down! I pulled and tugged at it trying to get it big enough to fit over my bowl. Once I got it over the bowl, I pulled it off the bowl and let it shrink back a bit. It ended up 21½ inches once it was dry.
Felting is sometimes hit and miss. I have felted dozens and dozens of hats and bags, and it always makes me nervous. Most of the time, I am pleased with how they turn out. I would suggest you keep a written journal or log of your knitting, tracking the brand of yarn, pattern you used, any changes you made to the pattern, and details about how you felted it, including washing machine temperature and felting time. I have been keeping a written log of my knitting for years. Watch for future posting showing my little beat-up journal.
I have felted dozens of hats, but not all have been successes. A few years ago, I tried to make a gray hat with a design on the band. It was one of my first attempts, and it showed. I used two different brands of yarn. NEVER do that. I don't even remember what yarns I used, but here is the result. Ugh!
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| Quote from Neko: "Sleep with one eye open, lady." |
Even Neko doesn't like this hat. I don't understand why. It's just his size and gray and blue are his colors.
