Life's a Stitch

AARRGHH! I tried on my blocked Fleece Artist sweater and the fabric loosened up so much that even though it blocked to what I thought was a perfect size, when I put it on, it stretched hugely. It was downright baggy.

What to do? A hem? A controlled shrink? I know someone who was so disappointed in the large size of her Fair Isle that she actually felted it. It looked great but I wasn’t sure if I was brave enough to try that. But, this sweater was so soft and floppy it could do with some stiffening up somehow.

I fretted for an hour or two and decided I was really unhappy with the size and decided to take the hot water plunge. I knit a swatch and felted it for seven minutes. It looked close to its original knitted state, a little less flopsy with a bit more body. What the heck, I thought. Back to the washer I went with a large sweater bag and some towels. Plopped it in and carefully timed seven minutes. At the end I stopped the washer, opened the top, steamed up my glasses and couldn’t locate the sweater bag. All I could find were the towels. The water was scalding hot and I couldn’t manage to reach in far enough to find the sweater bag. I grabbed an old long handled paint brush and rescued my sweater, having been in the bath for two minutes longer than the swatch. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins as I opened up the bag to find a somewhat harder smaller looking sweater. With a bit of wrestling it blocked out to the proper size. It has a different look, more like a light weight boiled wool jacket. Go figure. I’m definitely happier with it, the texture is so nice! My hands however, are crying for lotion. If there was a medal for knitting bravery I would submit my name. Here is the finished product: