Dig out your shrunken pullovers :-)
- Thread starter Toddy
- Start date
Next up, a hat with ear lugs. iirc, Ian called it a chollo ? Like the knitted alpaca ones from South America.
Firstly, measure around your head, over your ears.
Then measure forward to just above your eyebrows and back to the nape of your neck.
Lastly, measure from the corner of your jaw, over the top of your head and down to your jaw on the other side.
These measurements will let you work out the width you'll need (add very little for seams, I added a cm) to go right around your head. Then the height of that pattern from the bottom of the ear flap to top of your crown, and the measurements that will let your hat sit properly at your face and neck.
There is one last measurement, and it's subjective; that means that we're all different
How wide do you want the face shaping to be ?
Best advice is to cut a little too much fabric and then cut in. Easier to cut any excess off than add on, though that's not that difficult in felted wool
When I drew my pattern I wanted to have a shaped crown. To do this, I divided my paper (use newspaper, greaseproof, left over wallpaper, brown paper, anything you have to hand. I used lining paper) in six and created six small arced peaks. When stitched they will make a curved dome to the top of my hat. I only added on a little under a cm all around as a seam allowance.
If you are only making a single layer, then you don't 'really' need this, but you'll get a better finish if you do add the extra and then fold that over and blanket stitch all around the face, flaps and neckline.
My pattern looked liked this when laid out on the opened out jumper. It fitted nicely into the shaped top near the neckline of the woollen I did the same at the back. I wanted a lightweight, comfortable but warm, hat. By making it two layered, I also neatly hid the raw edges inside between the layers
[
I stitched the pieces together using backstitch.
Tbh, I've sewn since I was three years old. Backstitch is my default stitch. With felted wool like this it's not really necessary; the running stitch with the little backstitch in between, would work fine. Don't get frazzled with it; it's not going to take stress, it's only holding all the seams neatly together, and it's better that the stitching does this smoothly than you end up with tucks and folds and gathers creating an untidy mess. Best advice would be to try putting it together with wide running stitches, first, so that you can adjust your fit and shaping as you think necessary.
I stitched from the back neck up to the crown and then from the peak of that seam I went back down the neighbouring curved seam, secured that seam, cut my thread and then started stitching the next crown segment up to the peak and then down again. I repeated this until all six segments were neatly joined into a curved bowl shape.
Then I did it again with the other piece, but this time I cut a few scraps and made a sort of mini tassel and stitched that right into the centre of the crown of segments. This became the outer side.
I cut cut three strips across the back neck scrap of my pullover, and cut them in half. This gave me six lengths to plait into two pieces to fit in at the bottom edges of the ear flaps I stitched the plaited strips together about 4cms from the ends and split them so they looke more like a finished tassel. I'm female, I liked them, they're not a necessity Up to yourselves this one
Now, fit the two pieces inside each other and try them on.
This is the time to finally juggle the fitting until you're happy with it. I found I'd cut my back neck too high on the inner one so had altered it before I cut the second piece, so I joined in a piece, but it was only when I tried on the two layers together that I realised that I'd still made the back too wide, so that needed adjusting too.
Outsides together I pinned my pieces neatly in place. Then I stitched them together.....mind that if you are adding the earflap tie things that you need to fit them inside between the layers.
.....leaving only a small gap at the back neck to let me turn the whole hat the right way out. Then I stitched the gap closed.
How the earflap looks with the plaited dangly bit.
Now comes the embarassing admission
HWMBLT was sprawled out on the couch while I sat on the floor sewing this, he had his nose stuck in his electronic book thing; I said, having put my new hat on, "Well ? how does it look ?"......and he looked over, looked again, and he sniggered
So, I reckon that maybe this bunnet's not really something I'll be wearing Shame, it's warm and comfortable, but he sniggered 
and then tried to find something courteous to say, and struggled ah well, back to the drawing board.
I finished off the edges with blanket stitch in a contrasting blue, simply because I felt the hat looked more than a bit too plain. For those who don't fancy the wee plaits dangling, I made a quick plied string from the two colours of wool. Simple to attach by stitching the folded over end to the hat lugs.
Next, slip on inner shoes/ tent shoes/ slippers
cheers,
Toddy
Firstly, measure around your head, over your ears.
Then measure forward to just above your eyebrows and back to the nape of your neck.
Lastly, measure from the corner of your jaw, over the top of your head and down to your jaw on the other side.
These measurements will let you work out the width you'll need (add very little for seams, I added a cm) to go right around your head. Then the height of that pattern from the bottom of the ear flap to top of your crown, and the measurements that will let your hat sit properly at your face and neck.
There is one last measurement, and it's subjective; that means that we're all different
How wide do you want the face shaping to be ?Best advice is to cut a little too much fabric and then cut in. Easier to cut any excess off than add on, though that's not that difficult in felted wool
When I drew my pattern I wanted to have a shaped crown. To do this, I divided my paper (use newspaper, greaseproof, left over wallpaper, brown paper, anything you have to hand. I used lining paper) in six and created six small arced peaks. When stitched they will make a curved dome to the top of my hat. I only added on a little under a cm all around as a seam allowance.
If you are only making a single layer, then you don't 'really' need this, but you'll get a better finish if you do add the extra and then fold that over and blanket stitch all around the face, flaps and neckline.
My pattern looked liked this when laid out on the opened out jumper. It fitted nicely into the shaped top near the neckline of the woollen
I did the same at the back. I wanted a lightweight, comfortable but warm, hat. By making it two layered, I also neatly hid the raw edges inside between the layers [
I stitched the pieces together using backstitch.
Tbh, I've sewn since I was three years old. Backstitch is my default stitch. With felted wool like this it's not really necessary; the running stitch with the little backstitch in between, would work fine. Don't get frazzled with it; it's not going to take stress, it's only holding all the seams neatly together, and it's better that the stitching does this smoothly than you end up with tucks and folds and gathers creating an untidy mess. Best advice would be to try putting it together with wide running stitches, first, so that you can adjust your fit and shaping as you think necessary.
I stitched from the back neck up to the crown and then from the peak of that seam I went back down the neighbouring curved seam, secured that seam, cut my thread and then started stitching the next crown segment up to the peak and then down again. I repeated this until all six segments were neatly joined into a curved bowl shape.
Then I did it again with the other piece, but this time I cut a few scraps and made a sort of mini tassel and stitched that right into the centre of the crown of segments. This became the outer side.
I cut cut three strips across the back neck scrap of my pullover, and cut them in half. This gave me six lengths to plait into two pieces to fit in at the bottom edges of the ear flaps I stitched the plaited strips together about 4cms from the ends and split them so they looke more like a finished tassel. I'm female, I liked them, they're not a necessity
Up to yourselves this one
Now, fit the two pieces inside each other and try them on.
This is the time to finally juggle the fitting until you're happy with it. I found I'd cut my back neck too high on the inner one so had altered it before I cut the second piece, so I joined in a piece, but it was only when I tried on the two layers together that I realised that I'd still made the back too wide, so that needed adjusting too.
Outsides together I pinned my pieces neatly in place. Then I stitched them together.....mind that if you are adding the earflap tie things that you need to fit them inside between the layers.
.....leaving only a small gap at the back neck to let me turn the whole hat the right way out. Then I stitched the gap closed.
How the earflap looks with the plaited dangly bit.
Now comes the embarassing admission
HWMBLT was sprawled out on the couch while I sat on the floor sewing this, he had his nose stuck in his electronic book thing; I said, having put my new hat on, "Well ? how does it look ?
"......and he looked over, looked again, and he sniggered
So, I reckon that maybe this bunnet's not really something I'll be wearing
Shame, it's warm and comfortable, but he sniggered and then tried to find something courteous to say, and struggled ah well, back to the drawing board.I finished off the edges with blanket stitch in a contrasting blue, simply because I felt the hat looked more than a bit too plain. For those who don't fancy the wee plaits dangling, I made a quick plied string from the two colours of wool. Simple to attach by stitching the folded over end to the hat lugs.
Next, slip on inner shoes/ tent shoes/ slippers
cheers,
Toddy
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HWMBLT was sprawled out on the couch while I sat on the floor sewing this, he had his nose stuck in his electronic book thing; I said, having put my new hat on, "Well ? how does it look ?
I think he could receive it, wrapped on Christmas morning....
Thaks for this thread, I have a couple of shrunken jumpers that could benifit from this....
Thank you I liked it, himself's obviously not a fan Come to think on it though, it's pure wool so it's safe near fire; I can wear it with my hair pinned up underneath when I play with my fire poi
I think sewing and knitting are much under rated skills, tbh
Sally in Wales has the best chunky sock knitting tutorial I've yet seen. It's on Downsizer.net
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/A_sustainable_home/Quick_and_Chunky_Sock_Pattern/
cheers,
M
I liked it, himself's obviously not a fan Come to think on it though, it's pure wool so it's safe near fire; I can wear it with my hair pinned up underneath when I play with my fire poi I think sewing and knitting are much under rated skills, tbh
Sally in Wales has the best chunky sock knitting tutorial I've yet seen. It's on Downsizer.net
http://www.downsizer.net/Projects/A_sustainable_home/Quick_and_Chunky_Sock_Pattern/
cheers,
M
Elen Sentier
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Slippers/tent shoes, or bedsocks for those with cold feet I'm taking a leaf out of the Viking/Saxon costume making for this one; if you know what turnshoes of that period are, then you will be familiar with the pattern construction.
Since it's blooming hard to pin things on your own foot, I suggest that you make a soft last.
On the right is a polystyrene one I use when I make felt boots, on the left is one of my socks stuffed with tissue paper. They both work, and low tech is good I used tissue, but newspaper, kitchen towels, bubble wrap, polystyrene packing or beads, they all do fine to shape to resemble your foot.
Using the hem edge, I wrapped neatly around the last and pinned one side in place.
and then, keeping the finished hem neat around the ankle, I wrapped the other end around until it covered the last entirely.
The seam lies at the outside of the foot, just in front of the ankle.
I wanted to have a neat V front to this slip on show, so tried to balance the two sides.
Draw around the edge of the foot with chalk, and mark the line of the cross over, and a cross over of 4cm.
Unpin, cut out and there's your pattern The cross over means that you can make an opening ankle boot, though I intend to close mine since the wool is stretchy and my feet are small enough to get in without needing a wider aperture.
The curve to the right hand side is the toe.
Draw around your foot, and just as you did for the hand pattern, gently round it. It doesn't need any depth added, but 5mm all around will give the seam allowance.
Cut out two of the foot pattern; one with the knit going across the pattern and once with it going lengthways. When stitched together the two layers help to keep the sole stable and not stretched out in any one direction.
I used running stitch to tack the two layers together.
Now pin the toe of the upper to the toe of the sole, right sides together, and then gently work around the entire piece pinning the pieces evenly into shape.
Sorry, that looks really messy
Mind the back stitch that I explained earlier ? Well you need to use it now Seriously, stitch firmly, tidily and securely, so that the entire shoe holds together.
When you've stitched right around the sole, finish off the thread, remove the pins, turn right way out and try it on
While you have it on, pin the side seam. (the sharp eyed will note that I've got it on the wrong foot, but I'm right handed and this way I can reach the side and pins easily)
Sew ( I used a kind of stab stitch to do mine) right down the side of the shoe.
There we have it, a slipper, and the other one of the pair is worked the same way, but mind and turn the patterns around so that it'll fit comfortably
My jumper is very soft, very fine, and I know that I'd wear through the soles in a couple of weeks. So, I found some scraps of a heavier melton wool, and cut out another sole from that. ( I have loads of wool offcuts too small for making anything but small bits like this, if anyone needs enough for a soles like this, let me know ?)
I pinned the black wool outer sole to the bottom of my slipper and then stitched it on using blanket stitch. I reckon that if I wear through this then it'll unstitch relatively easily and a new one can be sewn on.
I think that tacking the outer sole on first is a very good idea, I found that the layers moved and needed constantly adjusted as I sewed, and I've done this kind of thing before. Make life easy, tack the bits together
The sole, and then the finished slipper.
Next up, little things
cheers,
Toddy
I'm taking a leaf out of the Viking/Saxon costume making for this one; if you know what turnshoes of that period are, then you will be familiar with the pattern construction.Since it's blooming hard to pin things on your own foot, I suggest that you make a soft last.
On the right is a polystyrene one I use when I make felt boots, on the left is one of my socks stuffed with tissue paper. They both work, and low tech is good
I used tissue, but newspaper, kitchen towels, bubble wrap, polystyrene packing or beads, they all do fine to shape to resemble your foot.
Using the hem edge, I wrapped neatly around the last and pinned one side in place.
and then, keeping the finished hem neat around the ankle, I wrapped the other end around until it covered the last entirely.
The seam lies at the outside of the foot, just in front of the ankle.
I wanted to have a neat V front to this slip on show, so tried to balance the two sides.
Draw around the edge of the foot with chalk, and mark the line of the cross over, and a cross over of 4cm.
Unpin, cut out and there's your pattern
The cross over means that you can make an opening ankle boot, though I intend to close mine since the wool is stretchy and my feet are small enough to get in without needing a wider aperture.
The curve to the right hand side is the toe.
Draw around your foot, and just as you did for the hand pattern, gently round it. It doesn't need any depth added, but 5mm all around will give the seam allowance.
Cut out two of the foot pattern; one with the knit going across the pattern and once with it going lengthways. When stitched together the two layers help to keep the sole stable and not stretched out in any one direction.
I used running stitch to tack the two layers together.
Now pin the toe of the upper to the toe of the sole, right sides together, and then gently work around the entire piece pinning the pieces evenly into shape.
Sorry, that looks really messy
Mind the back stitch that I explained earlier ? Well you need to use it now
Seriously, stitch firmly, tidily and securely, so that the entire shoe holds together.
When you've stitched right around the sole, finish off the thread, remove the pins, turn right way out and try it on
While you have it on, pin the side seam. (the sharp eyed will note that I've got it on the wrong foot, but I'm right handed and this way I can reach the side and pins easily)
Sew ( I used a kind of stab stitch to do mine) right down the side of the shoe.
There we have it, a slipper, and the other one of the pair is worked the same way, but mind and turn the patterns around so that it'll fit comfortably
My jumper is very soft, very fine, and I know that I'd wear through the soles in a couple of weeks. So, I found some scraps of a heavier melton wool, and cut out another sole from that. ( I have loads of wool offcuts too small for making anything but small bits like this, if anyone needs enough for a soles like this, let me know ?)
I pinned the black wool outer sole to the bottom of my slipper and then stitched it on using blanket stitch. I reckon that if I wear through this then it'll unstitch relatively easily and a new one can be sewn on.
I think that tacking the outer sole on first is a very good idea, I found that the layers moved and needed constantly adjusted as I sewed, and I've done this kind of thing before. Make life easy, tack the bits together
The sole, and then the finished slipper.
Next up, little things
cheers,
Toddy
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This may sound daft.....
I have some old woollen blankets* ( middle worn out or with moth holes, tears etc), could I deliberately felt them for this kind of project?
If so, how so?
* Witney and other makes....... Too good for dogbeds, not good enough for camping blankets
I have some old woollen blankets* ( middle worn out or with moth holes, tears etc), could I deliberately felt them for this kind of project?
If so, how so?
* Witney and other makes....... Too good for dogbeds, not good enough for camping blankets
Quite easily Just machine wash them hot. If they're going to felt, that'll do it
If you can tumble dry them too (watch the filter, it might need emptied often) then that'll finish the job for you.
This jumper I'm using is such a pale colour that it's a bit too 'pastel', iimmc. I'm tempted just to put up directions for how to work out how to make patterns.
That said, John Fenna has a book on the topic
cheers,
M
Just machine wash them hot. If they're going to felt, that'll do it If you can tumble dry them too (watch the filter, it might need emptied often) then that'll finish the job for you.
This jumper I'm using is such a pale colour that it's a bit too 'pastel', iimmc. I'm tempted just to put up directions for how to work out how to make patterns.
That said, John Fenna has a book on the topic
cheers,
M
Another dumb (but related) question....Whats "New Wool" and how is it different from ordinary wool ??
One jumper =
A pair of fingerless mitts,
A chollo type hat.
A beanie type hat.
A pair of slippers.
Two covers for clicker type gel handwarmers.
One cover for a USB hand warmer.
An egg cosy
A Christmas stocking ornament.
The filling for a pin cushion.
A wee teddy bear
Not a scrap left
cheers,
Toddy
A pair of fingerless mitts,
A chollo type hat.
A beanie type hat.
A pair of slippers.
Two covers for clicker type gel handwarmers.
One cover for a USB hand warmer.
An egg cosy
A Christmas stocking ornament.
The filling for a pin cushion.
A wee teddy bear
Not a scrap left
cheers,
Toddy
If it's Pure New Wool, it means that it has been chemically treated to remove the little scales on each hair. This really helps to prevent it felting and shrinking. It often means that the wool can be safely machine washed.
cheers,
Toddy
So, not what I want for this job then?
Keep the PNW for kit that has to be washed a lot
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