Nordic Felted Knits

Issue 9

This lovely collection of felted knitting patterns by Gerd Fjellanger will give you plenty of ideas for Christmas gifts. There are more than 50 delightful designs here, from pretty handbags and slippers to scarves and gloves for men, women and children. Jumper and poncho designs have a distinctly Nordic feel. Many of the items are finished with beading and embroidery techniques after the knitted pieces have been felted, making use of traditional Scandinavian motifs.

Aug 07

If you think of felt as that rather flat fabric you buy in craft shops, then you haven't seen the real thing! This isn't the usual type made with wool tops, but the art of felting knitting. You can do this in the washing machine, which makes the task a lot easier. Then all you have to do it wear it.

Of course the fun part is the knitting itself, and there is a fine array of diverse projects in this book, all with lengthy instructions and handsome photographs. This is NOT a book intended to teach knitting to a beginner, so if this is what you want you will have to go elsewhere (but not very far as Search Press has many excellent books of this type). It is a book of projects, touching briefly on such useful things as needle sizes (circular needles) and abbreviations, but otherwise it is on with the patterns. There are many different ones for men, women and children including hats, gloves, shawls, lots of lovely bags, knitted baskets, an angel decoration, a rug, mats, cushions and more. I particularly like the slippers, suitable for the whole family and the elegant longline bead trimmed cardigan. There truly is something for everybody in here...just add a washing machine!

Dec 07

Deliberately felting a knitted piece: you either love it or hate the idea. In the 80 pages of this A4 paperback with many full-page colour photographs, are 50 'inspirational ideas', ending with a quote from Knut Hamsun that 'A sitting man does not need honour, he needs warm stockings'. The book was first published in Norway in 2006 and specific Norwegian woollen yarns are specified for each piece. Since the tension is given (in stitches, but not rows) before and after feling, it should be possible to substitute wools that are more readily available in the UK. The ideas range from scarves and bags to numerous slippers, hats, mittens and on to cushions and pots via an angel and various garments. Each piece is knitted before being subjected to the friction and temperature changes that result in the wool fibres meshing into each other. Those who dislike felting their work might ask whether any of the designs really needs to be made in this way whereas those who love the idea of producing a dense blurred texture will find plenty of ways to use the results.

Lesley Fidler