Felt Up

About a month ago I crocheted and felted a hat with a pattern out of the Stitch-n-Bitch Happy Hooker book by Debbie Stoller. I'm not sure what went wrong, but the brim was gigantic and rippley. After rewetting it and trying to shape it into something I would wear, I finally cut the brim...I still won't wear it. Plus it felted a little too small for my gaint melon.Then I tried my hand at design. I like the shape of this hat much better, but again it was too small. It's hard to gauge how much something will shrink. I guess I could have done a test swatch and figured out the percentage of shrinkage and figured that into the size of the pre-felted bag, but...well... Here's hat number two, of my own design. I've chalked these up to experience.
I thought I'd try a purse. Even if a purse shrinks up too small, it can still be useful...put my keys in it...something, but my intention was to make a fairly large bag. I bought Lamb's Pride Bulky (which is spun & dyed right here in Nebraska and has become my favorite yarn...I just want to eat it! it looks like frosting or cotton candy) in sable and aztec torquoise--I'm into the brown and blue thing these days. I also went without a pattern. This is an Emily Dunbar original and this time it actually exceeded my expectations. Here's the purse(big and floppy with loose stitches) before felting:
And after two washer cycles in hot water with dish soap and 24 to dry stuffed with newspaper here is my Dr. Suessy, bell shaped, sculptural purse. I love it. It will always be a bit fuzzy, which I really like, but some of the excess just needs to be pulled off. HINTON FAMILY CHRISTMAS SPOILER: my mom is getting this for Christmas. I hope it's not too cartoony for her.

Since I can't in good conscience shell out the money for more nice wool to do another purse (though I'd really like one for myself!) at the moment, I decided to use up my stash of Red Heart acrylic yarn and try my hand at amigurumi. I'm making a pink elephant. I'll post pics upon completion.