I found this brilliant pattern for a turtle on Ravelry, and because the author's in the US she has access to a top-loader washing machine with the options for looking-at-the-thing-while-it's-felting. We had a bit of correspondence back and forth, as you do on Etsy, because everyone's so friendly there; and I thought that This Time, I'd try the Delicates programme on my washing machine, but put the temperature up to 40 degrees. And I've been sitting here for the last hour trying to keep myself awake until it finishes... Here's what the half-shell looked like before it went in...
And it came out - and it looks exactly the same as it did before it went in. Damn, my Delicates programme is good. Next time I have a sweater which says Handwash, I will definitely put it in there...
But now, I'm so completely taken by this pattern that I need to wait until it comes out on the normal wash... which takes an hour and a half... gah.
and ...? Don't keep us in suspense, how did it come out? :D
ReplyDeleteIt looks fab even unfelted! Looking forward to seeing the felted version.
ReplyDeleteThe delicates programme on my machine is great for hand wash stuff. I'm afraid I am terribly lazy and don't actually hand wash anything these days. I do find that things felt well on the 40 degree cottons wash in with an old towel or two (the ones I use are totally bald and don't impart fluff on anything anymore), or up to 60 degrees if the yarn is being obstinate.
The main 40 degree wash, which usually does the trick, didn't really work this time; and now I've run out of washing powder... I'll try it again at 50... I need to do a towel wash anyway (the ones I use don't deliver fluff)...
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating! It is ages since I've fleted any Kureyon but when I did I always used a 60 degree wash, which caused drastic shrinkage. Good luck with the next attempt. it will certainly be very clean and soft after all that...
ReplyDeleteI usually do a 60 degrees wash, and often it takes a few goes. We use tennis balls in a bag to help it along, or jeans. I've been wondering about tumble drying - you can keep checking with this part of the process. I don't know if it works, I've not tried it out but I.m sure someone mentioned drying as an aid to felting sometime ...
ReplyDeleteThat's beauteous, even pre-felting! I think it would make an impressive beret :)
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