Technique Tip: Working With Super Bulky Fibers
/The Makings Of A Chunky Blanket
If you are like me, you have an affinity for the super bulky fibers that are so plush and luxurious and fun to work with. Personally I cannot get enough of We Are Knitters The Wool, but more on that later.
Now, as an avid crocheter, I have lots of tricks and techniques I have developed over the years to handle the ends as I change color or skeins. But as a new knitter this presented a different problem altogether.
Knitting is less forgiving than crochet and exposes mistakes and ends that I can normally hide in crochet. So as I was designing the Smith panel blanket for my upcoming fall collection, I knew I would have to come up with a way to manage the bulky ends. Weaving them in just wasn't the ticket. It left a bulky and messy look.
Then, almost fate and so serendipitous, a few days ago Stephanie from All About Ami posted about this very thing with a tip she used. I was like: YES!
I did a bit of shopping and got myself some felting tools: A Clover Felting Needle, A Pad and Finger Protectors. Now, a word about these finger protectors; At first I thought it was a gimmick and I would probably return them. Nope. I decided after the first couple of jabs into my poor little fingers that these were the best purchase of the whole process and I highly suggest them.
When I got to the end of the yarn ball, I pulled out the starting end of the new ball and twisted them together. I decided to go about 4 inches length but you can do what is comfortable for you for your project.
While holding the new twisted fiber against the pad, I used the felting needle to mesh them together. Again, those finger protectors came in really handy right here.
Then I trimmed the ends just slightly so as not to "cut" the newly joined fiber but remove the excess from the end.
I then continued knitting my project as if it was a single strand. It was a bit bulky at first on the needle but after a couple of rows I had to work really hard to find the connection. Look closely at the photo - can you find it?
Nope. Trust me... it is like magic. Watch this video and be amazed! So start felting your bulky wool end woes away!
Shop The Supplies Here:
Felting Needle
Felting Foam
Finger Caps
This is going to be my new favorite trick because now I can create almost anything without worrying about the ends. Thanks to Stephanie for sharing her great tip - which I share with you here. That's the great thing about being part of this maker community. Happy making. If this tip helps you let me know in comments. Or if there is something you would like to get a tip on, let me know.
