Customer Reviews

Shibori Knitted Felt

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you already have experience with felting (fulling) knitted fabric, then I would pass on this book. It does have *some* interesting ideas and details for those less experienced with felting, so I gave it 2 stars (but, at the end of this review, I list 3 books that are much, much better - for beginners, as well as experienced).
This is not a book about needle felting, or creating a felted fabric that has not first been knitted. This is a book about knitting for the purpose of felting. Now, I love knitting for the purpose of felting (especially accessories and bags of all sizes and shapes), and I have been felting for a few years now. This book did not present me with anything new - and I found it uninspiring.
Did I mention that I LOVE felting, and the fabric it creates? Well, I have felted many different wools, but none were soft enough to wear as a scarf wrapped around your bare neck. There are at least five (5) felted scarves in this book. My family laughed at me when I asked if they would wear a felted scarf around their bare neck - "no way". Although I enjoy the feel of felted fabric, I would not wear it directly against my skin - no way ! An article of clothing that is to be lined with a soft fabric - yes, I (and my family) would wear a lined felted garment, but not the felted fabric directly on skin...
The book does have 3 bags - but they are very basic, for beginners, and uninspiring.
The book has a couple of blankets and throws - again, not inspiring. The author suggests one of these blankets could be a baby's blanket... I can not imagine placing a baby directly onto (or tucked under) felted wool.
The book does have some felted pillows and other home accesssories - but again, I found them uninspiring (yes, I sound like a broken record... uninspiring...).
If you've never felted... well, you *may* like this book. But, I would suggest that you check the library or book store first.
I DO recommend the following books on felting (no affilliation):
"Knit One, Felt Too" by Kathleen Taylor;
"Felted Knits" by Beverly Galeskas;
"Fabulous Felted Bags" by Nicky Epstein.
These are just 3 very good books on felting (fulling) - there are more out there.
I do not recommend this book - if you think you'd like it, well, try to get a look at the library or local book store first.

This book is filled with outstanding designs that you will want to try. I have done the Shibori felting before, but have seen many new techniques that I will be trying. Unlike some book on Shibori knitting and felting this book offers projects such as wearable art, home furnishing items and lovely gifts to make.

This is a book for those who already are familiar with the properties of felted objects. Although there are explanations for the novice, the projects themselves would be a bit intimidating for the uninitiated. I will probably try a project or two, but I purchased this primarily for the explanation of how shibori techniques work with regular felting, and for that, it does the trick.

This book was a big disappointment. If you already know how to felt knitted pieces, you've got 85% of what this book has to offer. There is only one project that I would make from the book and that's the cover pillows--and they are just knitted squares with contrasting bobbles. There are some new techniques that I haven't seen before, like pleating knitted fabric with non-shrinking thread before felting to create a rippled effect, but frankly I don't think the effect is all that attractive. I would only make something from this book if I had exhausted all the other projects I want to knit and that would take a looooong time.