Warm & Wooly
How to Felt
Put the sweater in a zippered pillowcase, and then secure the zipper pull to the case with a safety pin. (Two to three sweaters can be felted in the machine at one time.)
Set the machine for a medium-size wash load, heavy-duty agitation and hot-water wash. Turn off the cold-water valve and fill the machine, adding two tablespoons of mild soap. (After the tub has filled, turn the cold-water valve back on.)
Add the pillowcase along with a pair of old jeans or tennis shoes to create more friction during agitation.
Agitate the sweater(s) for 12 minutes. It's helpful to set a timer with a buzzer so you don't have to stand by the machine. Let the cold-water rinse cycle run, and then let the spin cycle begin to remove the majority of water. Stop the machine before rapid spinning begins to avoid distorting or permanently creasing the fabric.
Remove the sweater from the pillowcase, squeeze out any excess water, and put it in the dryer on a low to medium temperature. Turn the pillowcase wrong side out, remove any loose fuzz and dry it with the sweater so the case is clean for your next felting project.
To determine if the sweater is felted enough, make 1" vertical and horizontal cuts in the fabric in the shoulder area and try to fray it. If the fabric holds together, it's felted. If it needs to felt more, repeat the felting process checking after every five minutes of agitation. If the sweater doesn't felt after 20 minutes of agitation, it probably isn't wool or has been treated so it's washable.
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Embellish with Embroidery
For some holiday spice, add simple embroidery to your hat and mittens using contrasting yarn. Begin with a plain sweater, or complement a knitted design.
Place tracing paper over the hat pattern to plan your design. Think "large and simple" as the yarn doesn't allow for small details.
Use an air-soluble marker to draw the design on the hat. Or refer to your plan and free-form stitch.
Sew with a single or double strand of yarn about 18" long. Don't tie knots–weave the yarn ends through the surface on the wrong side.
Combine the following stitches to sew your design:
Blanket stitch
Chain stitch
French knot
Lazy-daisy stitch
Outline stitch
Running stitch
Satin stitch
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