Sweater Suit

Although an all-striped, felted body suit obviously sounds like a great idea, this guy seems to think otherwise. Perhaps it itches.

Philosopher Monkeys

I made these while watching the last three episodes of "The Singing Detective" and three episodes of "Torchwood." I wanted them to look anxious yet determined to contribute their ideas to the conversation at hand. It's all in the eyebrows.

Woolly Cozy

You know it's cold when you're worried about keeping your tea warm. Here's the first project created from the mass of felty sweaters I have. I'm not quite happy with it. Originally the thought was to have the roses tightly together, encircling the entire bottom of the tea cozy. But, as is usually the case when I make something, I got sick of doing the same thing over and over again and by the fifth rose I had had enough. It's always surprising to me, and a bit disappointing, how tedious I find trying to be creative to be. MAYBE one more rose will (eventually) get attached onto the right edge. Then again, maybe not.

Time to stop felting and start...hmm, I'm not sure.

I like to go to our local Good Will store and check the sweater racks for hidden treasure. There must be a lot of dissatisfied Gap and Eddie Bauer shoppers in this town because every visit I find at least four or five of their woolly rejects. So, for a mere $1.89 each and after a quick dip in an extra hot, super agitated wash, I get a teenie weenie felty sweater ready to be cut up and turned into something amusing or bizarre or...What? I'm waiting for inspiration, but I'm not coming up with much. It doesn't help that it is gray and dreary out. (When in doubt, blame the weather. I do and so far it has worked for the 9 years I've lived in this gray wasteland.) But these felties are starting to take over my basement, bedroom and project bags hidden in every spare space throughout the house, so it's time to get busy.

Felty Heart (but not heartfelt)

I'm not a big fan of Valentine's day, but last week I did have a sudden and inexplicable urge to make a heart sculpture. It made sense, then, to make this and use it as a Valentine's Day gift. The wool comes from a sleeve of a felted sweater. (Thank you, The Gap, for creating all those sweaters that appeal for about a month and then end up in my local Good Will store.) To my own surprise I still have my college Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook (or not so surprising when you consider what else I have been schlepping around for the past 20 years) so was able to remind myself of the hookups for the various significant veins and arteries. I would like to be able to claim that it has four chambers and functioning valves, but I made it is less than an hour, so...no, it doesn't. If I make another, I do intend to include a cholesterol clogged artery on the exterior of the heart, portending certain doom. I considered doing that for this one but, since I made it to give to my 9 year old for a Valentine's Day present, that just didn't seem appropriate--especially since I have been taking meds for years in hopes of reducing my cholesterol.

And, just to give a sense of closure, here is how the moment of presentation went:

Me: Here is your valentine (holding out felty heart).

He: Where?

Me: Here, in my hand (waving it about, yarn blood flailing).

He: Where's the heart?

Me: (slightly peevish) This! This is what real hearts look like!

He: They do?!?!

Me: Hold on. (Stomping off to retrieve above mentioned medical text.) Here, look!

He: Oh.

Next day:

He: I want to see that heart picture again.

And, after spending a good 15 minutes comparing and contrasting the felty heart with the diagram, He: Can I take my valentine heart to "sharing time" at school?

Success!!

Is Knitting Fun?

I don't think I would ever use the term "fun" to describe knitting. Relaxing, yes; satisfying, yes. I also don't think this cover did anything to sell the idea that knitting is fun.

Hand knitted shorts and matching top? Now THAT's a kickin' outfit! And I LOVE those sandals!

Knitting + Gifting = KNIFTING!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year--the time when I can offload my knitted goods or, KNIFTS!, as I like to think of them, onto unsuspecting (and, sadly, sometimes uninterested) parties. Knitted goods for all occasions! Of course mittens, hats, sweaters and scarves but also tea cosies (which always require explanation and explain I do--going into great detail about not only the wool chosen and the color [for example: red indicates warmth and cosiness--perfect for the tea COSY! Get it?] but also the stitch types, design style and so on--and can you believe that not everyone finds this facinating? Imagine that!), kitty and doggy blankets, ornaments and stockings! And whatever isn't knitted is FELTED. [Felting + Gifting = Felgifing? or perhaps Gifting + Felting = Giffeltig? Hmmm...isn't that a Swedish fish dinner? I'm pretty sure that is what my swedish-american grandmother served for christmas dinners many years ago. ] Felting, that crazy fad that's sweeping the nation and causing otherwise sane people to intentionally boil and abuse their sweaters for the sake of making a clutch or a tote bag. A friend of mine once said, while eyeing a felted purse in a yarn catalog with suspicion, "Why would I want a fuzzy purse?" But why NOT, I thought?! Obviously she missed the point entirely--it isn't about wanting the purse, it's about wanting to create a fuzzy thing--any fuzzy thing! It's that magical experience--powerful yet mysterious--of transforming yarn that is lovely, soft and has wonderful loft into something tiny and matted. And those felted things look great...for a few days until all the cat and dog hair in the world covers their lovely fuzziness and the straps and buttonholes stretch hopelessly out of shape, and then that wonderful felty thing looks like a big hairball. Which is what it is, afterall.