Have you ever made yourself a pair of hand knitted socks? Over the last year or so socks have been on my ‘must-make-list’ and during the summer I finally managed to knit the first sock of a pair!
My sock was mainly knitted on a small circular needle and what I have loved most about the whole experience is how my growing tunnel of stripy delight could be tucked in my pocket or handbag and whipped out at various locations.
It’s been nearly a year since my last post – I hope you have kept well and had lots of happy adventures in this time. My life (on the crafting front) has become overtaken by hats and I’ve immersed myself in all things millinery to learn as much as I can.
Over the winter it was all about felt cloches and 1970’s style floppy hats with their shallow crowns.
All Milliners have their own techniques and ‘tricks of the trade’ and to help me in my learning, I’m keeping a record of these here – some many be useful, others not, if you have any suggestions or tips of your own please share them via the comment box.
Blocking Tips:
As a Milliner on a tight start-up budget, I’ve recently made some buckram brim blocks. They are basically moulds of more expensive wooden forms which you ‘block the fabric’ on to give the hat its shape.
Are you ready to see how they are made? Continue reading
Step 1: Select the blocks you are going to use to shape the fabric and cover them in plastic. Make up a water-based stiffening solution (8:1 for felt). Soak the felt hood in this stiffening solution.
Step 2: Stretch the felt hood and pull the base of the hood over the brim block. Pin the hood roughly in place (North, South, East, West) to hold in place. Continue reading
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