making warm

This is what kept me busy last week – felted jacket for our older daughter. As they stretch from year to year I always have a list of things I  need to make for them. In fact just making for them  and here and there for myself + making presents would keep me so busy there would be nothing to sell. So, as often, there has to be a compromise.

At first, I made the jacket in white. It was already well felted and still fitted me! I worried I would overfelt it and it would be too stiff if I felt it further to shrink to my daughter’s size. To avoid this + the fact it fitted me so well I was tempted to keep it for myself. BUT she really needs something warm and I already have a jacket… so I decided to take a risk and kept felting until I reached her size.

When it was finished we discussed colours, she wanted bluish – and I dyed it teal. Not that I didn’t like blue, I just didn’t mix the right dye proportions, but she forgave me . At first she complained that “the sleeves are stiff and it is sooo annoying!”, but then she has been wearing it since I finished it, even inside – so I think it is still a big success!

The jacket is  made of merino wool 21 micron. A disadvantage of dyeing after felting is that I didn’t achieve even colours, instead a marbled effect. It is nice and interesting, showing that the item is handmade, but there are one or two spots where the differences in the hue are greater  than I would like. The buttons are provisional, the brooch is made by one lovely friend from our local sewing group.