Mittwoch, 4. April 2012

Yarn along - Well seated

Knittin and reading. My favourite things to complete a perfect day. So I am joining Ginny on Wednesdays for Yarn Along to share my passions with you. Come and join in if you like!


I guess I don't have to explain to you very much about what I am reading at the moment, right? Or are any of you not in love with Soulemamas blog and have not heared about the new beautiful magazine Taproot? It arrived today and I am so very exhited. Even though, or maybe especially because we live in a big city with just a balcony to maintain, I love it all. And it does wake longings in me, for more nature around me, more roots....
The other item in that picture, the one that looks a lot like a felted sombrero, is my attempt to make a seat cushion for this old wooden stool that I found at the street some month back. The top of that stool has seen lots of stuff (not getting into details...) even before it reached us. There are some kids drawings on it for example.


I have wanted to make a cushion for that stool since the day I found it. It has never been a priority though... Until I found an article on felted strings in one of my mums "Landlust" magazines (yes, she has a whole pile if them and I looked through all of them and took pictures of all the ideas I liked). First you have to crochet some strings (chain stitch) out of feltable yarn, then felt them in the washing machine. Here are some of the ideas from the magazin for you: (I guess acctually that is not exactly legal, is it?)




Anyway, I once tried to knit the seat cushion from "More last minute knitted gifts" and failed at that. Very strange knitting that is, knitting in a circle...
Now I gave that crochet hook a try, just chain stitches, so no hurt feelings here and used up all my felting yarn stash and my mums handspun skeins. It didn't turn out to be enough in the end though and I'll have to get some more strings to finish the cushion but I am getting there. 



This is how the felted strings looked like after they went into the machine.
Then I started sewing the strings together, round after round, after round, after round, you get the idea...



Somehow the thing ended up a little more tight than I had intended so it looked more like a bowl or a sombrero. I put all my hope into blocking or rather some extra felting and pressing with a hot iron.  


Which turned out to be a good idea.


  

So for now, at least the cushion is flat. As I said, a little small though. I want to attache one more string as soon as I can and add some strings at the sides too so I can fix it to the stool because Aaron love to take off that cushion, I don't think he likes it...



Oh and btw, there is some more reading to come as I found some great books at the flea market last sunday. I just have to show you, I got a little maniac at that market...


The sheep with the cake is celebrating her birthday and gets some great presents from her friends. In the end she presents everyone with a knitted gift made from her own wool, so beautiful. I love children books!



Some great fabric founds were also made (or rather clothes and sheets I bought just for the fabric). I have all these sewing projects in my mind, I just can't decide where to start...




But, for now: Happy Yarning!



7 Kommentare:

  1. Ich finde das Kissen ist richtig gut geworden, vielleicht gewoehnt sich euer Kleiner ja noch daran. :-) Das Landlust Heft sieht ja toll aus, ich vermisse deutsche Zeitschriften oft so richtig...

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    1. Echt, ich dachte immer es gibt so viel tollere Zeitschriften, gerade im Kraft Bereich, in den USA als bei uns. Naja, sowas wie Landlust ist wahrscheinlich schon recht "deutsch" ;-)

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  2. The cushion looks great! I can't wait to see what you do with the fabric too!

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    1. Thank you Becki! I have done a vey simple tote bag so far out of a skirt, but the fabric is vabriant :-)

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  3. Did you felt it again in the washing machine or how did you get it to lay down flat?? My friend is having the same problem with a rug she is working on.

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    1. I felted it again by hand (with lots of soap and a rough sponge) in the sink and ironed it hot afterwards. I hope your friend will work things out for her rug too, it's too much work for a failure ...

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  4. how did i miss this post??! i just don't know. well, i LOVE it gesche. how brilliant your chair pad is. i love this idea and really want to try it too. and that magazine, i've seen it mentioned before (landlust) i wish it were in english i just know i would love it so much. i'm glad to hear you like taproot, maybe i'll give it a try too.
    aaron is so cute, is he pushing the pad off? :)

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