fear of felting

i've wanted to learn how to crochet for ages. i've been sewing since i was a child, but yarn scares me. my father's aunt tried to teach me when i was eight, but i was hopeless. after that i decided i couldn't do it.

well, my sister recently arranged a lesson for herself and invited me along. it was eye opening. i could do it. to supplement that first lesson, i turned to my new best friend, rachel. never met her, but she has a very cute website full of fun projects and all sorts of tutorials (including photos for lefties). i found exactly what i was looking for and jumped in. the next day, i had an adorable crocheted bowl.

the day after that, it was a felted bowl (photo at top). splish, splash, 123. now i can't stop making them. and tweaking the recipe and having fun with colors, too. i'm sure some of the better ones will end up in my shop. keep your eyes peeled. they're great for keeping change or keys or cotton balls in or any quirky things you have around the house, but no place for (like your peanuts...). i think they also make fantastic gifts. i've alerted my loved ones that they'll likely be getting these babies for some time to come...

hmmm. makes me wonder what else i've been afraid to try that i might actually be good at (or at least enjoy)?

shall we make a pact, you and i? i'll try (more) new things if you will?

BTW, if you're a fan of felting (and really, who isn't), you must see the outstanding exhibit at the cooper-hewitt museum ("fashioning felt") before it closes the first week of september. it is truly inspirational. and if you didn't want to go to mongolia before you saw it, i guarantee you'll want to go afterward. just do it quickly, before the traditions fade into "progress."