Home › Blogs › davidUK's blog

Orkney and Felting

davidUK's picture
Fri, 2008-07-18 04:11 — davidUK

Dear all,

I just got back from working in Orkney - and you wool enthusiasts should make your way there as there's so much great locally-produced wool to spend your money on. I got some great wool for my first felted clogs. They were HUGE when I'd finished them...but taking advice from a fellow knitter on menwhoknit and consulting knitty.com's guidelines for felting by hand, I spent an hour last Saturday with a bucket of boiling water and a potato masher (!) and two very suspicious-looking cats.

Well, after an hour, they were the same size, so Ic hucked them in the machine on a short wash...then a longer wash...then on a long, long boil wash...

So much for eco friendly hand felting! They are, at last, nearly human foot size - and the cats are sleeping on them!

I think a size down on the pattern might be a good idea next time!

Happy knitting all - and get to the Orkneys!

David

Comments

Mon, 2008-07-21 05:45 — potterdc
potterdc's picture

Hi David, Yes, I'm intensely

Hi David,

Yes, I'm intensely interested in Orkney, too! Any picturese? After reading your post I spent some time on the Orkney Tourist Board website. Reminded me a bit of the country side around Aberdeen, where I spent some time after my first year in college. What kind of work takes you to Orkney?

Jonathan

Think less, enjoy it more.

Fri, 2008-07-18 07:36 — Donski
Donski's picture

How about a photo ! Would

How about a photo ! Would love to visit the Orkneys one day. I haven't been to Scotland although my family have Scottish roots. I am called Donald too, a good old Scottish name :)

Fri, 2008-07-18 07:25 — OKknitguy
OKknitguy's picture

I felt in a huge 10 gallon

I felt in a huge 10 gallon bucket in my shower stall. Strip down to the skivvies, put the items ina zipper cloth bag, throw in a fw tennis balls, and I use a plunger like for the toilet. I have one I only use for felting! :-) It takes about an hour or hour and a half, but I much prefer how things come out this way than machine felting.