Showing posts with label fingerless glove. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fingerless glove. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Craftsyble Feature
Thanks to Betty Miller over at Craftsyble.com , my involvement in the GBK Production Gift Lounge at the Golden Globes has been featured! You rock Betty! link to feature
Thursday, December 22, 2011
How I Made My Felted Alpaca Cuffs for the GBK Gift Lounge at the 2012 Golden Globes
The holidays, craft shows and family business has gotten in the way of posting. Really, I've had the best of intentions! I've got a minute, so I thought I'd put the first post up concerning the process of making my lightweight felted alpaca cuffs that are being gifted to members of the press at the GBK Gift Lounge at the 2012 Golden Globes. I can't believe it's right around the corner!
Felting, or more technically fulling, is a process where a piece is knit from animal fiber and then shrunk to form a tight fabric. It is durable, water resistant, warm, and can be cut without fraying. Felted wool is also odor resistant, resists wrinkles and is hypoallergenic. It's amazing what a little heat, friction, and water can do!
I started by knitting the cuffs flat. I found that I was able to do so on my lovely knitting machine (I've got a Silver Reed LK150). Love that machine! It's my first knitting machine. It's pretty basic, but a wonderfully sturdy and easy to use tool. It has also sped up the knitting of anything knit in a stockinette stitch (knit one round, purl the next).
I used a lace-weight yarn, and knit the cuffs about 2-3 times as large as they were to end up.
Because they are not knit in the round, I have to then sew them up the side. Most of this seem disappears during the felting process, if I am careful when sewing them up.
Then I threw them in the wash. For my first attempt, I used hot water. Big mistake. The two parts of the cuff sealed together, and I had to pry and snip them apart. I found warm worked better until the cuffs actually started to felt.
The cuffs were stretched and pulled into shape and left to dry.
Next step - needle felting!
Felting, or more technically fulling, is a process where a piece is knit from animal fiber and then shrunk to form a tight fabric. It is durable, water resistant, warm, and can be cut without fraying. Felted wool is also odor resistant, resists wrinkles and is hypoallergenic. It's amazing what a little heat, friction, and water can do!
I started by knitting the cuffs flat. I found that I was able to do so on my lovely knitting machine (I've got a Silver Reed LK150). Love that machine! It's my first knitting machine. It's pretty basic, but a wonderfully sturdy and easy to use tool. It has also sped up the knitting of anything knit in a stockinette stitch (knit one round, purl the next).
I used a lace-weight yarn, and knit the cuffs about 2-3 times as large as they were to end up.
Because they are not knit in the round, I have to then sew them up the side. Most of this seem disappears during the felting process, if I am careful when sewing them up.
Then I threw them in the wash. For my first attempt, I used hot water. Big mistake. The two parts of the cuff sealed together, and I had to pry and snip them apart. I found warm worked better until the cuffs actually started to felt.
The cuffs were stretched and pulled into shape and left to dry.
Next step - needle felting!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Here it is! The big reveal!
So, I'm sure you've all been waiting with baited breath for the big reveal of the actual items that I'll be gifting to members of the press at the GBK Productions Luxury Gift Lounge for the 2012 Golden Globe Awards! It's been an up and down journey. From packaging dilemas, to time changes, to just a plain inability of me to make a final decision!
I finally decided on 100% alpaca felted cuffs, embellished with elements inspired by nature. They are lightweight, so good for a variety of climes. They are perfect standing alone, or under gloves/mittens for extra warmth. I wear mine when texting, driving, typing, or when I just need that extra little bit of warmth. I really wouldn't want to do without them fall, winter and spring. There are six different styles.
Over the next few weeks, I'll explore the process used to create these cuffs, as well as what I finally decided on for the packaging. For now, here are the pictures of the final product. You can order your own through my shop! http://www.seasonsofwool.etsy.com
Can you guess the title of each cuff?
I finally decided on 100% alpaca felted cuffs, embellished with elements inspired by nature. They are lightweight, so good for a variety of climes. They are perfect standing alone, or under gloves/mittens for extra warmth. I wear mine when texting, driving, typing, or when I just need that extra little bit of warmth. I really wouldn't want to do without them fall, winter and spring. There are six different styles.
Over the next few weeks, I'll explore the process used to create these cuffs, as well as what I finally decided on for the packaging. For now, here are the pictures of the final product. You can order your own through my shop! http://www.seasonsofwool.etsy.com
Can you guess the title of each cuff?
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