Olympic update II

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Swatching..........

I think I read somewhere that you'll get better felt if you use big needles, as the wool has more scope to rub against itself.

I knit these two swatches, with the 13 circular and two of the biggest double-pointeds in the previous post.

Then I tossed 'em in the washer with a dark load of clothes.





While they were washing, I started getting measurements............





The washing machine did a lousy job of felting these little bits. This project just became significantly more physical that I had expected; I have to felt 'em by hand......

So I worked on those two bits, squishing and squishing and squishing, and then rubbing and rubbing and rubbing.......



The biggest one is just not thick enough, and, while I like the look of these just fine, the ridge-y-ness of the garter stitch would be icky to stand on, I think.

Back to the drawing board. Let's try a couple of stockinette samples, and let's try some smaller needles.

This is a stockinette sample with the biggest of my double-pointeds, and with the smallest of the three sets of double-pointed I blogged earlier.

(Not sure why the camera really wants to get blue instead of teal..........)





And here they are after felting.







I decided I liked the garter stitch on the smallest of my big double-pointed. It's thicker than the stockinette (no surprise there), but (I hope) not too ridge-y.

Here is Slipper, Mark 1, from last night. I wonder if it is big enough.......



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