Everyone seems to be felting these days. It's a little like alchemy, where you knit something, throw it in the wash and pull out something completely different.
Maggie Pace's Felt It! 20 Fun & Fabulous Projects to Knit & Felt is a good introduction to felting for those who haven't tried this fun extension of knitting before, and for those with more experience it offers some interesting projects you might not have seen anything like before.
Basic Training
The beginning of the book is a good primer on felting for those who have never attempted it. Those who are experienced with felting might want to skim this section to see if there are any tips or tricks that are new to them.
Pace describes the kinds of yarn that work for felting and why, as well as outlining her machine-felting technique, answering basic questions and helping readers discover what she calls "the magic window" during which you need to keep a close watch on your knitted object.
She also advises that not every yarn will felt "perfectly" in the sense that every stitch disappears, but it is a lot more important to get the item down to the size you need rather than worry about if some stitches are still visible.
Her page on troubleshooting will help even the most experienced felters, and tips on shaping and keeping objects like pillows soft are good reminders for everyone.
Patterns
The book offers 20 patterns for a wide range of felted items, from scarves to bags, hats to felted flowers.
For new knitters, a straight scarf that is gathered and tied before felting provides a good introduction to felting without needing advanced knitting skills. For those who want to try something a little more interesting, there are two Fair Isle purses, three belts, a choker and bracelet, felted flowers used as brooches, decorations on a pillow, or lovely room decor, two hats, placemats, napkin rings and two stunning wraps.
The Night Star Wrap is knit is two shades of alpaca and involves a complex arrangement of interconnected stars. The similar Flower Petal Scarf uses three colors of yarn to make interconnected five-petal flowers. Both are beautiful projects for the experienced knitter and would be wonderful items for nights on the town.
Final Thoughts
Felt It! is a lot of fun and is sure to have at least a couple of projects you can't wait to try out. There are lots of photographs and a good deal of explanation in the beginning, so felters and knitters of all skill levels should feel comfortable working with this book.
This book is full of encouragement and has as its goal convincing knitters to be bold and through their knitting in the wash. It's still a little scary even after reading this book, but with Pace as your guide, you can do it!
