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KNIT ONE, FELT TOO
by Kathleen Taylor

I discovered this book by accident, while doing a Google search for felted earmuff covers. One of my customers had asked me if I could knit new ear pads for her favorite pair of earmuffs using her pet’s fur. I’m not one to make up knitting patterns, so I went online to see if there was some pattern that I might be able to convert to an earmuff cover. I thought it would be even better if the earmuff covers could be felted. You can only imagine my surprise when I found that Kathleen Taylor’s book KNIT ONE, FELT TOO had a pattern for “Fluffy Earmuff Covers.” I ordered the book the same day. It turned out to be one of the best impulse purchases I have ever made.

Knit One, Felt Too
ISBN 1-58017-497-3
Published: November 1, 2003
Media: paperback, 176 pages
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing
Amazon.com $13.27

The book’s contents are listed in numbered sections:

1. Honey, I Shrunk Your Sweater
2. It’s All in the Bag
3. At the Drop of a Hat
4. Getting on Your Feet
5. Felt Around the House

Each section listed above includes a grouping of the 25 patterns in the book. As described in the chapters, these patterns include a creative assortment of bags, hats, slippers, pillows and other accessories…and of course that Fluffy Earmuff pattern!

The book begins by explaining the felting process in 7 easy steps, illustrated, and in a basic and friendly way. The author also describes mistakes she’s made, so the reader can avoid frustrating pitfalls. Illustrations on swatching and shaping are clear and easy to
understand. I haven’t done much felting, so this was a great way to get started.

All the patterns have a page-sized color photo of the finished item, and on the facing page, a section that describes the yarns and colors, needles/gauge, other supplies and abbreviations used, and the number of wash cycles it takes to achieve the sample size. Measurements before and after felting are also listed.

The actual patterns take you step by step, with each row or round in paragraph form, so you don’t lose your place, and each section is highlighted, so you know what part of the pattern you are working on.

For the earmuff covers, I used a German Shepherd/merino wool blend (50%), which I knew would shrink because of the wool. I followed the directions, and it knit up easily and quickly. I felted them in the washing machine, using the technique described in the
beginning of the book, and they fit perfectly on the ear frames. I placed a little bit of foam padding between the metal frame and the earmuff cover. It “felt” great!

There are several other projects I would like to try from this book, including the “Wine Sack” (a cover for wine bottles) and the “Bunny Hopper” slippers that I can make using my angora fiber. There is a shoulder bag that is nice too, and a teddy bear…

Submitted by Fran Pike

Buy this book from Amazon.com

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