How to Felt a Sweater: A Fall Tutorial

I've always been a little hesitant to felt any of my knitting.  But a friend gave me this old fair isle sweater, which I loved, but didn't fit.  And I just couldn't donate it to Goodwill.

So instead, I felted the sweater in my washing machine and made this charming stuffed pumpkin!  Aren't the colors just perfect for fall decorating?  You can find the full directions for felting and making this pumpkin on my Hubpages. 

I love how this pumpkin fits in with my other fall decorating.  To find out more about my fall fireplace display, check out my craft blog. 

Knitting: The Best Items to Knit and Sell at a Craft Show or Fair

Ever thought about selling your knitted goods at a craft fair, but don't know what to make or what might sell?  I've just posted an article on my Hubpages with a list of knitted items that are strong sellers at craft shows, along with some things to keep in mind when selling your knitted goods.

This article includes the hot trends at craft shows right now, along with some sample free patterns for each of the items on the list.  I hope this article inspires you to consider selling your knitting!  Check out the full list here.

{Pet Peeve} Knitting Patterns with Dark Photos

"Sleet" by Marie Wallin from http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sleet-4

Excuse me for going off on a bit of a rant here, but I can't stand it when knitting patterns have dark photos.  To my mind, the photos are posted and included to encourage you to buy/knit the pattern, but how can you decide if you want to knit something that you really can't see?

 

Rowan (see above) is kind of notorious for this.  If the photo isn't almost pitch black, than the model is posed in some way that completely obscures the knitted item that they are trying to sell to you.

"Cabled Batwing Cardigan" by Debbie Bliss from http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cabled-batwing-cardigan

Here's an example:  I've been thinking about knitting a cape-poncho-like sweater and have been searching around for the right pattern.  I came across this Cabled Batwing Cardigan by Debbie Bliss which certainly has some possibilities.  But the accompanying pattern photo makes it hard to really make out the shape and detail of this sweater.  Between the dark color of the sweater and the dark background, the design of this sweater is lost. 

Wouldn't it make more sense to knit the sample in a brighter or lighter color, then photograph it in a way that highlights the beauty and specialness of this pattern?

"Frances" by Debbie Bliss from http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/frances-18

I mean, really, what can you really tell about the design of the sweater above?