Felting is for Masochists.

Last week was a very successful first annual "National Bind-Off Week" (Deane encouraged me to narrow my in-progress-projects down to only 2, and free up some needles). I finished my scrunchable Malabrigo scarf (pictured, left -- thanks Dawn for the pattern link!), a striped over-the-shoulder bag I had been working in sport weight yarn (size 4 needles are the WORST), a long skinny garter scarf that was *supposed* to be for St. Patty's (tip: NEVER knit for a holiday less than 10 days in advance), and a knit-on-the-bias scarf which I ended up messing up, but turned out cool nonetheless (and was made with 97 cent clearance yarn, always a pleasure). Pleased with all of my finished pieces, I even cast on and finished a quick cell phone holder! This was my first knit-in-one-day project -- HURRAH!

Now that I had finished my daunting unfinished business (I think knitters have an abbreviated term for their projects on the needles, but I can't recall what it is...), I could look at my lovely yarn stash and decide what to start next.

I had recently discovered varigated yarn, otherwise known as Strata, or yarn that stripes itself (veteran knitters, please correct me if my terminology is wrong here). I picked up 3 balls of Paton's SWS in a lovely charcoal grey/black stripe and set to work on my first ever felted piece.

For those of you who don't know, felting is a process where you knit an obscenely large piece, then throw it in the washing machine and watch it wash up like Shrinky Dinks. As a child, the practice of coloring large pieces of plastic and watching them cook into small bits was fascinating and fun. I would like to say the feelings carry over to knitting, but I am halfway through my Diagonal Striped Felted Bag (pattern from http://www.patons.com/, thank you!) and it looks like it could serve as a small afghan or full-size tablecloth. I can't I am boring hours and hours of loving labor into a piece that will turn on me. I am pushing forward thinking of the felted pieces I have seen finished (beautiful and sturdy, and able to withstand the poke-through of an eyeliner, something normal knit bags lack), and hoping that opening the washing machine on that fateful day will be akin to a child opening a present on Christmas morning. Until I experience that joy and surprise, I attest that those who felt on a regular basis most possibly possess personality traits similar to those of serial murderers.

Knit on,

MA*

*Here's a few questions for bloggers...

A lot of knit blogs have this awesome pattern progress chart on their blogs, where you can show what you are working are and how far along you are on it. HOW DO I GET THAT?

Also, I want to post small pics throughout a post, but know nothing of HTML, and am having a difficult time doing so in blogger.

Please help!