Felting with Karaoke Yarn

Felting with Karaoke is not the same as felting with a 100% wool yarn. It is a wool blend, so it will felt differently, just like different brands of pure wool yarns will felt differently due to staple length, knitted tension, and the action of the washing machine. In fact, two colors of the same yarn can felt at different rates due to the action of the dyes on the scales of the individual fibers. This is why it is very important to knit and felt a test swatch, taking into consideration all the variables of your pattern.

A few things to consider

When felting, the investment in a zippered pillowcase it totally worth it. They cost around $4, and can save you a ton of time. Also, a handy tip learned from the luscious gracious clan – when you finish felting, turn the pillowcase inside out and run it through the dryer. All those pesky fibers will be safely stored in your lint trap, where they are easy to clean out.
Using two strands of yarn in one part of the pattern, and one strand of yarn in another part will cause those two areas to felt at different rates, even if they are the same yarn. The yarn held together will have the added friction of the extra neighbor yarn, and will generally felt faster.
At SWTC, we have found that it is not necessary to use a much bigger needle size than the one recommended for the yarn. For example, we had a felted purse that was knit on 10 1/2 needles that didn't felt as well as a purse done on size 8 needles.
If you place your knitted item in the hot water and it gives off a vivid “bloom” of dye, do not be alarmed. To achieve “intense” colors, many yarns are overdyed, and will release some of the dye in hot water. This should only worry you if, after the water rinses clear (which can sometimes take a while) and the yarn dries, the other colors in the yarn are muddied, or the color that released the dye is diminished. In the vast majority of cases, this dye release is harmless and will not alter your yarn.
Just like yarns felt at different rates based on many variables, washing machines will also felt your items at different rates based on the hardness of the water, the agitation, and the previous use of that machine. Many people do not recommend felting with front loading machines, but many other people find that it works well for them. Throwing towels in with your felting project may also help speed up the process. Just be sure to throw in dark towels in case some of the dye bleeds out of the yarn.
Probably the most important thing to remember when felting is that it is an art, and not a science. You can take every precaution, make every calculation and still be surprised by the results. Also, try not to get frustrated if your item is not felting at the rate that you thought it would. It took you a while to knit it, right? This is just as important, and should not be rushed. There are many good books, patterns and websites out there all related to felting. Feel free to email me with further questions at:info@soysilk.com .