My First Attempt at Felting

I've been wanting to try felting something for a while. I just really like the way it (whatever it is) looks after it's been felted. I've already corrected a few times by my neice, Emily, that the process is actually "fulling" but since I think few people would understand what that is, I'll continue to call it "felting". I've also been wanting to crochet a bowl so I found the perfect project! I found a book called Felted Crochet by Jane Davis and requested it from my library through inter-library loan (too many details? too bad). I made the stiff yarn bowl and this is what it looks like before felting. Notice that it's 11". I used Valley Yarns Berkshire Bulky which is 85% wool, 15% Alpaca. It's double crochet all around then single crochet along the top edge in case you were wondering. (Asleep yet?)

Here it is in the washer with a few canvas bags to provide more agitation. It's also an excuse to wash your canvas shopping bags.

Here it is freshly felted (or fulled). It only shrank about 10%, a lot less than I was expecting but it's still has that fuzzy look that I like about felting.

Here's the bowl in use on my table next to my chair where I sit and work. Notice that it's holding yarn and, hooks, etc, and not soup or cookie dough. Some may want to call it a basket and that would be fine but I'll continue to call it a felted bowl.