new basket

This is my third basket. I learn more each time. I was amazed at how much it "shrank" and am wondering if I could have made it even smaller.
The fourth basket, which I will add after photographing it, started out bigger and more loosely knit than the first. But when it shrank, it got VERY fuzzy, though it did shrink a lot! I needle felted it to smooth it out and to give it its shape.
This whole process has proved itself to be quite engaging to me. I needed something a little different from "bears and friends"!

Hickory Dickory

a new mousie... 8 inches tall! He's up on etsy.

I'm still having fun knitting and felting baskets. I think I may have finally gotten the wet felting part almost as rigid as I'd like. The only problem is that the basket keeps getting smaller and smaller each time I run it through the washing machine! My latest one is drying currently, but I will post a picture shortly.

how about wet felting?

I fell in love with a little felted basket at a yarn shop we visited while on vacation... They didn't have a pattern, instructions or any really helpful advice.. so when I returned home it became playtime. I learned a lot... still wish it were "more felted" but I like it!
First I knit 100% wool yarn, in the round, into the basket shape. Then I added on a handle with twist... knitted in ribbing stitch for extra thickness... The came the wet felting process. After it dried, I needle felted a border and added glass beading ( see the picture to the right). It measure 4 plus inches in diameter and 5 inches to the top of the handle. The next one will be bigger! I've put it in my etsy shop.

not a bear

Yes... its not a bear. But I had fun felting them while at our vacation rental cottage on Keuka Lake, NY. Keuka is one of the Finger Lakes in the area south of Rochester and Syracuse. Keuka is the y-shaped one. We went to loads of wineries, swam in the lake, visited the Corning Glass Museum and took two of their hot glass workshops, climbed the gorge at Watkins Glen, visited old familiar places and generally had a great time. We even went to Hayes Auction Barn on Saturday night... we hadn't been there for over 20 years and were surprised to find they were still having the weekly auctions of "stuff"! Felting time came at night while we collapsed exhausted!

another etsy treasury!!

Shelley has managed another treasury! Here the link. Baby Celina was the one chosen this time.

I have been working on a challenge for the NFEST team - needle felters. I had loads of fun making a tomato, carrot and peas in a pod for the "fruits and veggies" challenge. I included an inch worm as a salute to the "inch worm" song from Sesame Street.

We are headed to the Finger Lakes of central NYS this weekend for a week in a lake house rental! Since there is no Sprint for our cell phone, the chance of having WIFI access seems slim. When we were last there, there wasn't a Starbucks to be seen!

another etsy treasury

I also belong to the needle felting team at etsy and found Miles had been selected for a needle felting treasury!
Here's the link ....I think it expires in another two days. A treasury lasts three days and this was put up yesterday (Monday 6/30)