Felting Without A Washing Machine

Well, we broke down and got a front loader washer after the other one died. Apparantly felting was not the cause of the late washer's demise, just a loose belt. It will however, take a bit of finangaling to fix. My hubby will eventually get to it, but at the moment, it does not have top priority. So, I've been aquiring a stack of knitted items waiting to be felted. As the pile grows, I have begun to debate wheter or not to attempt felting on the stove top. So far I have convinced myself to just wait. I don't really want the kitchen and house smelling like wet wool. We'll see how long I can stick it out! Any advice out there would be appreciated! I've even contemplated going to the laundromat, but am not sure if they have top loaders with agitation any more either!

The Beginning

I have been knitting and felting (technically fulling - the art of shrinking knitted animal fiber until it resembles a fabric) for awhile now. I have long given these creations to family and friends as gifts. It was last Christmas that I was encouraged to try my hand at selling these creations. So, over the past year, I have planned, thought, created a website and entered the world of home craft busines. It's been slow, but I know that everything takes time and there is a learning curve to this whole experience. I don't do it for the money, I do it because I love to create things.

I guess you could say I'm a planner, but I also like to fly by the seat of my pants. Rarely do I knit a swatch. O.k. I think I've done it only once. My first creation was a pair of slippers that did not even remotely turn out. They were too big, too small, too thin, too thick, and just not right. And no, I had not knitted a swatch. I had never even made socks before, I just went for it. Since then, my skills have much improved. I create bags, socks, belts, mittens, hats, dolls, and just about anything else I can think of. This Christmas, I made a slew of hats and purses, finishing them just before my washing machine decided to go caput. So, now I'm in knitting mode, but won't be able to felt until we get the machine functioning again. Hopefully it will be up and running soon!