Yes, you've guessed it, I've failed once more to find any potentially feltable jumpers in the raft of charity shops which fill one end of my high street. Following my previous attempts at this seemingly simple craft I have a better idea of what I'm looking for, I just can't find anything suitable....there just isn't any of this type of stock, it's all.....well how do I say this??? poor quality....never mind the woolly jumpers, where are the Jimmy Choo sandals and Hermes handbags you always see on tv when someone enters a charity shop? I'm seriously looking and I haven't seen anyone leaving the shops with a large bag and a smug grin....So either
a) the public aren't giving this stuff away, or
b) we just don't own pure wool jumpers any more
We've all seen the news reports and documentaries stating that The Devil Wears Primark i.e. Instead of investing in clothing which will last, we are all buying quick fashion fixes which either don't last, or we see as disposable due to the incredibly low prices (there are additional issues relating to the production of these items which I won't even consider mentioning for fear of being sued...)
Anyway... The point I was attempting to make (in a rather round-a-bout way) is that charity shops seem to be bursting at their poorly stitched seams with acrylic, polyester and any other man-made fabric you care to think of. This surely can't be good for the charity shop either...why buy Primark (or any other cheaper high street brand) which has been worn, stretched, shrunk and mis-shapen for £2-£3 when you can buy a similar brand new item from the other end of the high street for £5-£6...
Oops there I go again..rant over back on topic...
So basically what I'm trying to tell you is that I'm going to give up on my search for pure wool jumpers to felt and undertake Plan B
Yes I actually have a Plan B...
...I'm going to crochet or knit a square in pure wool and pop that in the washing machine in the hope that it felts and shrinks. The only problem is I have no idea how much shrinkage to expect...if I make a square 6" square will this come out 4" square or the size of a postage stamp??? I will have a go and report back
Watch this space...
I guess it will depend on the type of wool. I once had a lambs-wool sweater that someone stupidly threw in the wash. It shrunk a lot and became bedding for my cat. I would wash it periodically and it continued to shrink with each wash until it was the size of a sweater meant for a toddler. It was an amazing and expensive science experiment in how much wool can actually shrink!
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